© Copyright 2003 by silli_artie@hotmail.com
This work may not be reposted or redistributed without the prior
express written permission of the author.
A work of fiction, meant for adults. Read something else if you are
not an adult, or are offended by stories with sexual content. Then
again, if all you’re looking for is in-out, in-out, in-out, you
should probably read something else. I welcome constructive comments.
Enjoy.
As I waited for the ladies to return, I stood in the hall, letting thoughts swirl around me -- Abiko, Patty, Sam and Annie, the dojo -- Barbara and where we live, how we live. Who’s out there, besides Denise, out to get me? It all starts with one question -- what do I want to do when I grow up?
Responsibilities behind me, responsibilities in front of me -- all is change.
It’s a constraint/minimax problem -- maximize change while minimizing pain inflicted. Well, partially constrained -- I’m not as concerned about the pain inflicted on Denise and her cohorts. Whom do I care about? Barbara, first on the list, Abiko, Patti, the folks at the dojo, students at the University. Samantha, Annie -- who else did they mess with? And what the hell was I doing with Samantha and Annie if I love Barbara so much? So many things I didn’t understand.
The phone rang in my office -- an internal call by the way it rang. By the time I got to it, though, all I got was a dial tone. Yet I’d been prepared with another wise-ass remark... The way I’d been answering the phone recently was disrespectful, and I knew it. Okay, so why am I doing that? Why had I been doing that -- it was going to stop, now.
I waited to see if the message light came on. Nope. I closed the office in time to see the ladies returning.
“I missed you,” I told Barbara as I gave her a hug. Angela smiled and shook her head.
Walking to the cafeteria, I announced to nobody in particular, “I guess I let my hair grow to rebel against my step-father. He never could stand long-haired males. I’m rebelling against a bunch of things.”
Angela stopped us and moved so she was facing Barbara and me. “Roger, that’s possibly true; it feels like a valuable insight. But I must caution you to not act impulsively on such insights. For example, if you were to cut your hair, how long would it take to grow back?”
I nodded. “Quite a while -- but if I realize I’m using a crutch, relying on it, then getting rid of it is the way to get over the problem, right?”
She smiled, showing me more of a different person than I’d experienced in the past.
“Yes and no -- if you are interested, this is something you should explore in depth. Yes, realization is the first step to change...”
“Such as realizing I’m answering the phone in a disrespectful manner,” I interrupted.
She nodded. “Yes, once you have the realization, you can be aware, make change, and go back to explore later. But Roger, if a person truly needs a crutch -- they can’t walk without it, what happens if it’s suddenly taken away?”
“They fall -- they fail.”
“Protective mechanisms in a person -- are just that, protective -- they have developed to protect them from something. The way out is not to knock down those mechanisms, as that can leave a person exposed. Instead, we seek to build up the person, strengthening them, so that one day the person realizes those protective mechanisms are no longer needed -- and they fall away.”
I smiled and nodded. “It sounds like a long and interesting path.”
“It is -- if you are interested.”
I had an arm around Barbara; I hugged her. “I’ve heard that one -- how many analysts does it take to change a light bulb?”
Barbara gave me a strange look. Angela smiled and said, “And the answer is?”
I nodded. “Only one -- but the light bulb has to want to change.”
“Exactly.”
I chuckled. “But another one is more apropos -- before enlightenment, cut wood and carry water. After enlightenment -- cut wood and carry water! On to lunch!”
As we approached the cafeteria, Angela asked, “Where would they usually be?”
I nodded towards a corner of the building, not wanting to point, in case they were watching for me. “I usually sit at one of the circular tables near the corner of the cafeteria closest to the center of campus. That’s where I’d expect to find them. I’m a bit later than my usual schedule. And I should warn you...”
“What?” Barbara asked, rising to the bait.
“This is college cafeteria food...”
“I think we’re up to the challenge,” Angela said with a chuckle.
It was better than most days -- some days you walk in and the odor of over-steamed cauliflower and broccoli is overwhelming. “The meat pies are usually safe,” I told Barbara as I put one on my tray.
As we regrouped at the cash register queue, Angela leaned closer to us. “I think I spotted them -- round table near the corner, two very attractive young ladies looking around apprehensively. We’ll follow you. Remember, first names only, and look to me for cues.”
I nodded. I told the cashier, “I’m paying for all three of these.”
Three steps from the cash registers and I spotted them -- and they spotted me. “Yup,” I said, hoping Angela and Barbara heard me.
Samantha and Annie were dressed to kill -- soft sweaters, going right for my weakness. They smiled as I approached, then looked a bit apprehensive at the two ladies following me.
“Samantha, Annie -- these are my friends Barbara and Angela. Is there room for all of us?”
We sat after brief introductory hugs. Well, not so brief for me. Samantha ended up sitting on my right, Angela on my left, then Barbara and Annie.
“We were hoping you’d be alone,” Samantha whispered in my ear.
“Don’t worry,” I told her.
“But we need you -- and we know how special you need to be treated.”
I smiled and patted her thigh.
The conversation was quite interesting. On one level, it was quite social. On another, I thought I could hear Samantha and Annie practically yowling in heat, slipping in that “special” word occasionally. For me, it was quite bipolar -- on one hand. the strong feelings for Barbara, yet on the other, remembering the pleasure of being in their arms. Looking at Samantha, I could almost smell her, taste her, hear her voice -- and that brought me back with a shock -- I was being manipulated, as were they.
As we were about finished eating, Annie started in on how I’d helped her with a CFD problem -- her advisor hadn’t been any help at all, but I’d helped her, teaching her more about the practical aspects of computational fluid dynamics in a few days than she’d gotten out of the class she’d taken. Samantha chimed in, telling how helpful I’d been to her on research problems.
Then Angela nodded and joined the conversation with, “And he’s so warm and cuddly!”
That crossed Barbara’s eyes, and I’m glad I wasn’t drinking anything at the time. When I looked to Samantha and Annie, they were both giving me lusty, hungry, boudoir eyes.
Angela must have poked Barbara, since she said softly, “Especially in the morning...”
As I was wondering what rabbit-hole I’d fallen into, I felt a nudge in my side from Angela. “I love to be held,” I said softly, looking at Samantha and Annie, then to Barbara.
Angela started in, speaking softly about how nice it was to hold me, how fulfilling and comforting, relaxing as they held me and felt my arms around them...
I was drifting down as well, watching Annie and Samantha fade to Angela’s voice.
Angela pinched me in the side. I straightened up a bit, and picked up my drink. I got a small ice cube in my mouth and pressed it against a molar in the upper left side of my mouth. Wow -- that cleared my head... Angela continued -- I recognized the tone of voice, her cadence.
Angela poked me in the leg. I glanced over. Under the table where the others couldn’t see, she was flicking the fingers on her hand -- she wanted me to scram?
I looked to Samantha and Annie again. They both had dreamy relaxed looks on their faces. Barbara was smiling.
“Ladies, I need to get back to my office. Could you show Barbara and Angela the way to Arts and Music?”
Samantha sighed. “Sure.”
Angela said, “That would give us a chance to talk...”
I could see the reaction in Samantha and Angie to that remark -- goosebumps and tight nipples.
I stood up slowly.
Angela told me, “We’ll take your tray.”
“Thank you,” I told her. When I turned, the others were standing as well. Samantha pulled me closer, kissing me with her whole body. “I have something very special for you,” she whispered in my ear.
Annie got me next, wrapping her legs around one of mine as we kissed. Barbara and I kissed, and I whispered, “I love you -- protect me, please!” in her ear. She gave me a squeeze.
That left me with Doctor Angela Richards. She slipped into my arms and whispered, “Kiss me, you fool!” in my ear. What the hell -- as the doctor orders! As I hugged her after our kiss, I could feel her heart racing. She had more color in her face as well. I picked up my coat from the back of the chair. “See you later, ladies.”
More than a few kids at tables near ours had been watching. I smiled as I made my way to the door.
Cold wind hit me as I stepped outside. What the hell is going on now? Samantha and Annie had been waiting for me, dressed like that. What was the “something special?” Oh well... What was Angela doing, throwing me back to them? I’d expected Barbara to be more possessive -- or did I want Barbara to be more possessive?
Back in my office, not even twelve thirty, and my class wasn’t until two. Where to start? I filled out the change of address form for the post office. Living arrangements -- I picked up the phone. I left a message for Ralph, the property manager I used, to give me a call. Didn’t need to change addresses with him; all his correspondence went to the dojo. That’s something I’d been fairly good about, separating work from home. But what had Barbara said? The dojo was my home. The other place is where I slept, did laundry, and occasionally ate. If it weren’t for Barbara, I’d probably be living in the dojo -- I had my own bathroom with shower, a place to put a futon, a refrigerator. I’d done that a few years ago while the roof was being redone.
I reviewed outlines for class while things percolated in the back of my head about the dojo. Need to get together with the Pilates folks. Need to do the right thing with Abiko. Need to set up a black belt test for Patty.
Ralph called back. We talked about the house I owned a few blocks from school. I still thought about it as Mrs. Collins’ house. For the last few years it had been leased year-to-year by an attorney working for a local law firm. Had we sent out the renewal? Yes, in September, with the lease running out the end of the year. No change in terms, even though Ralph thought I should be getting more for it. He knew my philosophy -- make the places pay for themselves, including upkeep, the occasional improvement, and money set aside for unexpected repairs. We’d had a water heater fail at the four-plex; insurance covered most of it. That place was full of grad students.
But no word recently from the lawyer. Ralph had a note in his calendar to give him a call at the end of the month. Did I want to do anything sooner? I told him a woman would probably be dropping by to take a look at the place -- Barbara Macmillan. Ralph thought that would help folks make up their minds. When might she drop by? I told him tomorrow morning. That was great -- he’d set things up, and looked forward to meeting her. Anything else? No, I might change things around a bit at the dojo, still not sure. I was picking up some more classes. I asked how he was doing. He told me he wished more of his clients had taken the approach I had. When the economy had taken off a few years back, a bunch of us kept our rents at about the same level, rather than what others had done, raising rents to what the market would bear. As a result, when the market took a dive, we still had tenants -- happy tenants -- while other folks had empty properties. I wished him well.
I was pretty well set for class when the phone rang. Lieutenant Mannion -- the Feds had just released the site. I mentioned I’d been told they’d scraped it clean. Yes, and that pissed him off. I told him they’d pissed a lot of people off, including me -- they hadn’t given me any information, not even leaving business cards with me. I asked what I could do to help him. We agreed that David had been a big help in this whole deal. He wanted my insurance information, so I gave him that.
About a quarter to two, my cell phone rang. “Hello?”
Angela Richards said, “Go to the dojo after school.” Click. Okay, if you insist.
I dug through my book and found the number for Vicki and Tom. Left a message -- could they meet me at the dojo around four to talk about things? As I looked at my book, I noticed there was a yoga special Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday. Looks as if I had the weekend off! No, “we” had the weekend off. House hunting?
Class went well. I checked messages in my office as I packed up to leave. Vicki would be there, and looked forward to speaking with me. Good -- all I had to do was find my silly hat to keep the rain off my head.
Patti and Abiko were already at the dojo, and another car. Was that Vicki’s? My spot was empty. Good thing.
Three large suitcases were also in the hallway to my office. The office door was open -- we had ten minutes or so before people would start showing up for the first class.
Vicki, Abiko, and Patti were in my office, sitting in the guest chairs. They wondered why I was at the dojo today.
Simple answer -- I’d been told to be here. And since I was here, might as well tie up loose ends.
I drew Vicki out for a bit. Yes, she’d done accounting and such for a while, but found Pilates more rewarding. She’d put terms together for their use of the dojo; they wanted to start Monday morning. I felt there was something else as well.
I must have given them one of The Looks. Patty muttered “uh oh,” loud enough for the rest of us to hear it.
So I smiled and dumped it on them. I wanted to put paid managers in place at the dojo. I was thinking about Abiko as the training manager, and Vicki as the business manager. What did they think of that? Vicki thought it was great. So did Patti. Abiko was smiling but quiet. We heard the little brass bell on the front door. I suggested they think about it, and we would discuss it further.
Abiko and Patti left. I reviewed terms more with Vicki, and talked about her being the business manager, handling the financial aspects and working with Abiko, whom I expected to look to content. Vicki thought that was a good division of labor. What would I be doing?
I smiled. I told her I’d be causing trouble. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do when I grew up, and I was concluding that having a life outside the dojo was important. We bounced that around a bit.
There was still something else. I looked her in the eyes and asked her.
How much flexibility would she and Abiko have? How much authority?
Okay, this was the lead-in to whatever it was... I owned the building, so I’d need to be consulted on architectural changes. What was she contemplating? Ooh, I could tell that was closer to the mark...
Mirrors along some of the walls, Pilates equipment in the back of the room?
I nodded. About two thirds of the room was covered with mats. The rear part was set off by folding screens. That rear area we used for more seating during tests, setting up tables for eating, things like that. I told her that the yoga folks had mentioned mirrors would be good. What would something like that cost?
She told me she could work that up. It wouldn’t be cheap, but the companies in the area that did that kind of work were more likely to make deals these days.
She asked me how long I’d been in the dojo, in the building. Seven years now? Seven or eight.
She shook her head.
When I asked why, she told me -- from what she’d seen, and knew of the area, the economics didn’t make sense.
With a smile, I told her I owned the building free and clear -- in fact, I owned a few buildings free and clear. I had an agency that managed them, so that the rents paid taxes, insurance, upkeep, running the dojo, and a rainy-day fund. My idea was to structure things so that she and Abiko had a base pay level, and a significant share in the profits -- as the dojo made more money, so would they.
Ding-ding -- funny how I could hear that little bell over the sound of bodies slamming into the mat...
“Oh good! They made it!”
That was Barbara -- I was up out of my chair and into the hall, sweeping her into my arms.
“I missed you too!” she managed to say after we’d untangled and headed back to my office.
“Vicki, this is Barbara. Vicki and her husband teach Pilates.”
“Where’s Angela?” I asked as they did the girl-intro thing.
Barbara rolled her eyes.
Vicki picked up her papers. “Can I call you at school tomorrow morning?”
“Sure -- and I’ll be here by two tomorrow afternoon, but the yoga folks take over at five.”
“Thanks again, Roger,” Vicki said, giving me a polite hug. We walked her to the door. Abiko and Patti were having fun on the mat; looked like our usual good turnout.
Back in the office with the door closed, I asked, “What’s going on? Where’s Angela? I got this ten-second call telling me to go to the dojo.”
Barbara sighed. “She left a message they would meet us here. My guess is she learned an awful lot from those girls. Roger -- you do know how to pick ‘em!”
I shook my head, managing to smile a little. “I love you -- please keep me. I’m not sure who picked whom. How were your talks?”
“Not only will I keep you, Roger; I’ll put up a fight! Oh, the interview went fine. They’re impressed with my publications, even though none are recent, my contacts are good, and so on. I’ll be speaking to more people on Monday. One of the people in the department gave me some leads on housing, and I actually spent some time driving around -- in the rain.
“Thanks for reminding me -- I talked to Ralph, my property manager. He’s expecting you to call tomorrow morning and look at the house. Here’s the info.” I gave her my hand-scrawled notes.
She nodded. “That’s where I want to start. That and look at the location of your old place. What’s on tap for the weekend?”
I shook my head. “The yoga folks have the dojo from tomorrow night through Sunday, so I have the weekend off. I’m all yours.”
She smiled. “Oh, that sounds nice.”
I told Barbara what I’d started as far as dojo management was considered. We talked more about housing, looking around, possibly rebuilding. I’d never built a house before, and didn’t have the first idea of what I’d want or not want. It wasn’t high on my list. The land was undoubtedly worth a lot of money, though, and a developer could put up a much larger house than what I’d had.
Another ding-ding -- Angela and Ken swept in from the rain. Angela came into the office, taking off a wet raincoat. The look on her face told me she’d been through some very interesting times.
“What’s going on?” I asked her.
“Sir?” called Ken from the hallway.
I stepped out of the office. Ken was kneeling by Barbara’s bags, holding a little black box in one hand. It had a little green light and a flashing red light. Oh shit.
“Something interesting?” I asked. I felt Barbara step behind me.
“Where can I open these?” he asked.
“The office,” I said.
He grabbed two bags and I grabbed the third.
“Mind if I go through these, Miss Macmillan?” he asked Barbara.
She sighed and shook her head. “Not at all.
Two of her bags were soft-sided, the other a hard shell. All had been put in plastic bags and taped up by the shipping service. Ken took the smaller soft-sided bag from its clear plastic, pressed a button on the little box, and started moving it slowly over the bag. The red LED pulsed brighter over one spot. He unzipped a side pocket and slid his hand under the spot. He pulled out a brown/tan plastic disc.
“Holy shit,” I muttered.
Ken nodded. “It’s a tracker. Lots of people use them, unfortunately, so it’s going to be difficult to figure out who is responsible.”
“There was one in my overcoat when I flew back here -- stuck on the inside of a pocket.”
“What?” Barbara exclaimed indignantly.
“Don’t know when it was placed -- there was a museum pass partially stuck under it, so it was probably placed after we went to the museum. It could have happened in the chaos at Dallas.”
“Where is it now?” Ken asked as he continued going over the small bag.
“Don’t know -- I found it on the flight from Dallas. I put it in another passenger’s coat.”
Ken grinned and shook his head. “I like it... Looks like just one. Let’s check the others.”
Each suitcase had a similar disc secreted away. When he went through the hard-shell suitcase, I saw our favorite dress. Barbara was standing to my side and slightly behind me, an arm around my waist.
“Tell me more about these gems,” I said. “You don’t seem to be worried about voice pickup.”
Ken shook his head. “Nah -- they’re transponders. Once activated and placed, the batteries in ‘em last about a week.”
I looked to Barbara. “Since these were alive, they’ve been placed since we got back.” She nodded grimly.
Ken suggested, “We can hold onto these and see when they die -- get an idea that way.”
“How do we store them in the interim?” I asked.
“Got any conductive bags from computer stuff?”
“Not here, but I do at school in the lab.”
He nodded. “I’ll make an enclosure from some soft drink cans for now.”
“Recycle bin by the door,” I told him.
He left the room. Barbara was staring down at the three little trackers, now stuck to a piece of paper on my desk. I turned her and held her. As I looked over her shoulder, there was Angela Richards.
I moved Barbara to one of the guest chairs, sitting in one myself. “Doctor Richards, you look as if you’ve had an interesting afternoon. Care to tell us about it?”
She smiled and stepped to the door. As she was closing it, we heard a particularly loud “thud” from the dojo. Angela gave me an interesting look as she closed the door.
“Phillip, probably. Don’t worry -- he knows how to land.”
Angela shook her head as she sat down. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a breath, letting it out. She opened her eyes and looked at us.
“The good news is we have probable leads on Denise and her cohorts,” she told us.
“And the bad news?” I asked.
“While this afternoon was productive, more work is needed to get more information from them.”
“So Denise had screwed with them?”
“Oh, yes, definitely.”
“What happened? How?”
She shook her head, smiling a little. “They are such charming young ladies, and both of them are so bright. Some of the things have been beneficial to them, thank goodness, and I’m working to turn the remainder to be beneficial. On the walk across campus, I could tell they were concerned -- concerned that Barbara and I were moving in, and excluding them. You have to look at this from a particular perspective. I intimated that while Barbara was at her meeting, the three of us could talk, if we had some place private, and perhaps work out something to share you one last time.”
That surprised Barbara and me. Barbara took one of my hands, holding it between both of hers.
Angela continued. “We took over a practice room in the basement of the Music building -- small but soundproofed. Annie had a class at two, but Samantha was free for the afternoon. I had to work quickly, but knowing some of Denise’s past work, it was easy to get them into trance. They have been conditioned, as have you, Roger. But as I’ve told you before, this conditioning only strengthened desires already present. There have been certain things added with them, however. Denise has been calling them at their residences since you returned to the area. She spoke with both of them this morning, although neither consciously remembers doing so. She is driving them to be with you one more time, repeating some interesting phrases. I was running out of time with Annie, so I did what I could to secure her from harm without raising Denise’s suspicions. That’s also when I stepped out and alerted Hammond, then called you.”
“So we can get to their home phones,” I mentioned.
“Exactly. And protect them -- and you. I wanted you at the dojo because we felt you’d be safest here. I spent another two hours working with Samantha. My, she is a most sensuous, well endowed young woman!”
Barbara and I exchanged glances. Did that mean what we thought?
Angela smiled and sighed wistfully, then turned serious once more. “I made significant progress, but the next step requires assistance from both of you.”
“Both of us?” Barbara asked.
Angela nodded. “Yes, both of you.” She looked at her watch. “I suggest we go get something to eat, and go back to your residence. We have a few hours of work to do.”
“Okay, let’s get going.”
We found Ken sitting matside watching the practice. He retrieved the tracking discs, folding them in the paper and putting that in the housing he’d made from two Pepsi cans, securing the halves with tape.
The rain had let up to a mere drizzle. Ken helped us load bags into my car. With other fish to fry, he headed off in his car. Angela rode with me, Barbara following.
“I’m going to be bait in a trap again?” I asked her as we drove off.
“Yes, Roger, but this time you’ll be far better protected, I promise. I can’t see another way to get the information from her. Oh! I need to stop at a good department store.”
“Okay, we can eat at the mall’s food court. Not gourmet, but they have variety and reasonable prices. There’s a Nordies at that end, as well.”
Traffic was heavy in the other direction. We found covered parking close to the mall entrance we needed.
Barbara and I got dinner while Angela took off on her errand, joining us a few minutes later.
“Does it always rain this much in Seattle?” she asked as she sat down with a good looking salad.
“No,” I replied, “this is mild.”
Barbara gave me a look of despair.
“Actually, the cloudbursts today were heavier than we usually get, but we are going into the rainy season,” I told them with a smile.
After we finished eating, I asked Barbara, “Anything you need here? Anything I need here?”
Not really; we headed back to the safehouse.
Once inside, Angela suggested I clean up and get ready for bed. She drew Barbara off for private conversation.
I took my time in the bathroom. I had socks and underwear for three more days, then it was either do laundry or buy more clothes. There was a small washer-dryer stack in the garage.
I finished up in the bathroom, leaving on my tank top and shorts.
When I stepped into the bedroom, Barbara was standing waiting for me, wearing her delicious velvet dress. Angela was standing behind her.
“It’s okay, Roger,” Angela said. “All you have to do is relax.”
As Barbara stepped closer, I caught the scent of a different perfume, and it caught me. I melted into her arms as we went to the bed. Softness, warmth, and perfume embraced me.
I remember Barbara’s voice, and Angela’s. Barbara held me so well, so strongly, squeezing me again and again. She squeezed me and held me to her as we made delicious love, then rocked me to sleep in her arms.
In the morning we made a brief trip to the bathroom, and then it was back to bed and back to dreamland, the way she held me as we made love.
I started to wake up in the shower, but then again I didn’t really want to -- holding Barbara, kissing her. She didn’t help afterwards, sitting me on the bed, brushing out my hair, then holding me again.
“Was Angela here last night?” I asked as we puttered in the kitchen.
Barbara gave me a curious smile. “Oh, for a while. I’ll be back late -- I’m meeting with your property manager and looking at some properties.”
“I’ll miss you,” I told her, hugging.
“Oh, Roger -- don’t worry.”
My morning at school was productive. A three-way call with the attorney and my insurance agent was interesting. Insurance would pay to rebuild what I had. How about if I wanted to build something else? Well, they’d pay up to a certain point. How about if I decided not to rebuild, or not on that site, or buy something else? I started learning the difference between assessed value, market value, and replacement cost. I also got the clear feeling the attorney was on my side in this one.
I guess I live in a simple, sheltered world, I thought to myself afterwards. Either that, or I didn’t worry a lot. I try and keep things simple -- like having black socks and white socks.
Class went well. I stopped by my office afterwards to drop stuff off and pick up my coat. The weather seemed to be clearing -- we might even have a nice weekend!
Three steps out of the door, I had a splitting headache. Wow, intense sensation -- something I don’t experience often, thank goodness.
I went with a hearty lunch -- roast beef with mashed potatoes, brown gravy covering everything. Caffeine or no caffeine? I went with the large Dr. Pepper anyway. I thought I had some aspirin back in the office. I knew I had some at the dojo.
I saw Samantha sitting in the area I usually haunted. She smiled and stood up as I approached. God, she looked delicious.
“Roger, what’s the matter?” she said as I put down my tray.
As we hugged, I told her, “Nasty headache.”
“You poor dear -- I know what you need...” she whispered hotly.
It was weird -- I felt confused, almost as if I was in a dream. As we ate, she managed to touch me, with her hands, her arms, bumping a leg into mine. She wanted to help me so much, and I wanted to be held so much. I told her I’d be leaving the dojo around five. She’d meet me at the house.
We parted with hugs. She held me for a minute or so, and that helped. Back in my building, I scrounged two aspirin from a colleague. By the time I was off to my two o’clock class, I was feeling a lot better. Still a bit strange, but definitely better. My class was an upper-division one; we reviewed what I expected on the term project, and went around the room for status reports.
At the dojo, I had a chance to talk to Patti before Abiko arrived. Patti was Abiko’s confidante; I learned about Abiko’s concerns. Patti told me Abiko was very happy with the idea, just a little unsure she was ready to take such a step. Both Patti and I agreed she was.
During class, I surprised Patti by having her run things while I took Abiko off to the side to talk. Based on what I’d learned, I tried to address her concerns.
Then I threw myself into the class -- literally. I was hoping it would chase the cobwebs from my head.
It did, and I felt great -- until I was about three blocks from the safe house. That was the cue for the gremlins to reappear and start hammering spikes into my head. Samantha was parked in front; I waved to her as I pulled around to the side, the garage door opening for me.
She walked in through the garage, meeting me. “Still have your headache?” she asked, putting a soft hand on my head.
“Yes,” I told her.
She pulled me closer. “I know just what to do,” she whispered.
I held her close, telling her how much I needed to be held. She sighed as I held her.
We made it into the house. She sent me to the bathroom first. When I came out, she told me to get undressed and on the bed. I nodded; my head hurt.
I was on my back with my eyes closed when I heard her approach, then felt the bed move. I felt her warmth, then caught the scent of perfume. I moaned and reached for her. She pulled me to her, a hand slipping behind my head. I took a deep breath and let go.
She held me, rocking me, speaking softly to me, getting me so relaxed yet so hungry for her. When we made love, I was so relaxed I could hardly move, and she held me so strongly, so tight. When I came, I saw stars. She held me, cooing softly as I floated on a cloud.
I was still on the cloud as I felt her moving away. I felt another touch a moment later, and a cool mist on my face. I took a deep, deep breath...
“Wake up, sweetie -- we’re here.”
I blinked and moved. I felt weird. I was in a weird position, my clothes felt weird, my head felt weird.
I was in my car, in the passenger seat, which was leaned all the way back. I looked around. It was dark, and we were in a parking lot. “Where the hell is here?”
“Portland -- you wanted to get a new computer, remember?”
“Yeah,” I agreed, at least partially. My turtleneck felt weird. I felt the front. “Why is my turtleneck on backwards?”
“Oh, I’m sorry -- can you get our bags?”
I shook my head to try and lose the cobwebs. My ears felt funny. Earphones -- I closed my eyes and thought I could hear Angela’s voice.
I moved the seat back to a semi-normal position and unbuckled. Two small bags were in the back seat.
“And why are we in Portland?” I asked. It’s only a couple of hours from Seattle.
“No sales tax, that’s what you said,” Barbara told me.
I shook my head. “No, I mean why tonight?”
She smiled. “I’ll explain in a little while. Let’s get the bags in. Are you hungry?”
My stomach heard that question, and answered. “Yeah.”
We were parked around the side of a motel. I got the bags and followed Barbara inside. Up the stairs, down a hall, third room on the left. I remembered Miami.
I closed and locked the door. Barbara went straight for the bathroom. I took off my overcoat and peeled off my turtleneck, turning it around. We hugged just outside the bathroom and I took my turn.
Barbara was sitting on the bed, patting a spot next to her. I sat down, taking her in my arms and pulling her back with me.
“Oh you,” she whispered, holding me.
We spent a while holding each other quietly. Then she asked, “Roger, this morning when we went into the kitchen, did you see Angela Richards?”
I shook my head, moving it against her softness and warmth. “Nope.”
“Really?”
“Really,” I told her, snuggling in.
“Did you have a headache today?”
“In spades!”
She squeezed me and said something, I’m not sure what, and I remembered more. I remembered lunch, then meeting Samantha afterwards, falling into her, the way she squeezed me and made love with me. “What happened? What was that all about?” I asked.
Barbara squeezed me gently. “I love you, Roger -- don’t forget that. That’s what we had to do to get the last part of the puzzle. And we got it.”
“We did? How?”
“After Samantha got up, she called Denise, from the safehouse phone. She was on the line for quite a while with her.”
“You were there?” I interrupted. I tried to sit up, but she held me.
“No, Darling -- but Angela was, just like this morning. She called me after Samantha left. We got you dressed and into the car, and I took off with you. Angela had more work to do with Samantha and Annie.”
“But we have a number for Denise?”
“Number, location, the works, dear -- a welcoming committee is on its way.”
“Where?”
“Mediterranean coast of France, near the Italian border, a little resort town.”
“Why did we bug out? Why the cloak and dagger?”
“We weren’t sure if we were being watched or not -- still looking for rats.”
“Angela was in the kitchen this morning? She was there this afternoon?” I was confused.
“She was there this morning, and you walked right past her a number of times. You really didn’t see her?”
“I guess not. That was what we worked on last night?”
“That was part of it, darling.” She held me close, rolling more on top of me. I sighed and enjoyed her weight on top of me.
She rolled off and pulled me to sitting, then to standing. “I need something to eat,” she told me as we hugged.
“I guess I do too.”
We walked to the coffee shop, had a seat, and ordered.
“How was your day? What do you think of Ms. Collins’ house?” I asked.
“Oh Roger, it could be so nice! Have you ever spoken to Wendy, the woman who lives there?”
“Nope, I tend to keep my distance and let Ralph handle things.”
Barbara smiled and shook her head. “She’s most charming. We had coffee, she gave me quite the tour, and told me quite a bit about the place. You know her husband is a partner at a law firm in the area?”
“I remember something like that.”
“Well, with the downturn in the economy, the firm is closing the office and pulling people such as Wendy and Jim back East. They never sold their house in Boston; she’s enjoyed being in the area, but misses the East Coast terribly.”
“So they’re not renewing the lease.”
“No, and if you let them out a month early, they wouldn’t be upset.”
I smiled. “What did you tell her?”
“That I was interested in the house -- and I am, very much. But we still need a place to stay for a few months.”
“Why?” I was starting to get worried.
“Roger, it needs quite a bit of work. It’s livable and quite well kept, but the floors and the woodwork need refinishing, the carpeting in the upstairs bedrooms has simply got to go, the kitchen ...”
I squeezed her hand. “Okay -- I get the idea.” I frowned again. “How long and how much?”
She chuckled. “Roger, don’t worry -- I can afford it.”
I sat back a little. Yes, I guess that made sense. “Okay, so we’re most likely going to be in the area for a while. Where?”
She smiled again. We paused as our dinners arrived. “I met with Ralph afterwards. I filled him in on the lease situation. I also got the distinct impression, dear, that you didn’t tell him how we were related?”
I looked around. “We’re related? I haven’t even met your folks. When should we do that?”
She frowned. “If not at Thanksgiving, then over Christmas.”
“Unless he flies out here?” I suggested.
She shook her head, smiling. “He doesn’t fly.”
“So where are we going to live in the interim? What would you like?”
She shook her head again, still smiling. “And you didn’t mention to Ralph that your house had burned down!”
“And you did? Until you came out, it wasn’t important to me.”
She nodded emphatically. “I’m understanding you better all the time, dear. I told him about it, and that we’re going to be married. I’m to call him when we get back into town tomorrow morning; by then he’ll have more places to show us, but I did like the one we visited -- a fallen dot-comer’s loft, semi-furnished, ready to move in. We wouldn’t have to pay anything for it until May.”
“Sounds good. Does it have a view?”
She made a face. “If the sky ever clears, it probably does.”
I shrugged my shoulders, smiling. She smiled and gave me a squeeze.
I shook my head and sighed as we walked back to our room.
She rubbed my back. “What’s the matter?”
“Beat, I guess, even though it seems like I’ve spent most of the last two days on my back.”
Her arm went round my waist; she hugged me.
“Any word on Janice? Samantha and Annie?”
Once we were in our room and the door locked, we sat on the bed again. She held my hands.
“Roger, we have a full list of the women at the school we believe have been tampered with. Angela assures me they will be fine. She and I spent quite some time talking last night, about you, about me, about you and me together. And Janice will be fine. Let’s get ready for bed.”
It was so nice to be next to her, even standing at the sink brushing our teeth.
“Why was my shirt on backwards?” I asked as we got undressed.
She gave me an exasperated look. “Have you ever tried to dress an unconscious person?” Then she smiled. “Or undressed one?”
“I was unconscious?”
“Yes -- you’d best get that explanation from Angela.”
I got into bed, turning off the light by my side. Barbara got in, sitting up next to me. The most curious smile filled her.
“Roger,” she said as she touched my chest, “Last night, Angela and I worked to protect you for this afternoon. As we did that, I learned what they’ve done with you, how much you love it, and how good it feels to me, too. It isn’t a weakness, Roger -- it’s something very special.”
“I love you, Barbara,” I whispered.
“I know. I love you, Roger.” She moved to turn off her light. The room was dark, but we didn’t need to see. She found me. We held each other.
I woke in the middle of the night. We were snuggled together like spoons. I kissed the back of her neck and held her closer.
We made love in the morning, snuggling together again afterwards and drifting off to sleep. When I woke again, I could hear the shower running.
I rolled out of bed and stretched. Need to set up a schedule again with Elsie for massages -- and probably get Barbara scheduled as well.
My phone was in my bag. I turned it on. After a few seconds, it made a bleep I didn’t recognize. Oh, a text message -- CALL HAMMOND.
I sat down on the edge of the bed and called in.
“Good morning -- how are you this morning?” Hammond asked when he came on the line.
“Pretty good, I guess. Do we have any news from France?”
“Oh yes -- someone took out our laundry for us. We had a team watching the place, waiting for official backup, when someone hit it with mortar fire, reducing it to rubble.”
I didn’t know whether that was good news or bad news. “Denise is dead?”
“We think so, along with eight or nine other kingpins of the organization. We’re waiting on DNA confirmation. Nobody got out; we’re sure of that.”
“Where does that leave us? Anything local? Have you talked to Angela Richards?”
“I haven’t spoken with her this morning, but our European people strongly suggest she’s correct, and there are three, possibly four cases. Janice is about back to full health. As far as we can tell, you weren’t being watched, just tracked remotely. We pulled a tracker from your car yesterday afternoon.”
A lot to assimilate at once. “Okay, thanks. I guess we’re doing some shopping down here today, and driving back tomorrow. How long are you staying?”
“Probably through Tuesday, until Janice is completely back on her feet, and I get some things straightened out. Are the two of you available for dinner?”
“Sunday or Tuesday, I’ll have to check with my social director.”
He laughed. It was good to hear him laugh again.
“Let me know. Doctor Richards is supposed to be working with the girls today. I spoke with your friend David and calmed him down -- the way you left last night had them concerned, but he understood why it was necessary.”
“I’ll call him when we get back. Thanks for the update.”
“Thank you again, Roger -- we couldn’t have done it without you.”
I put the phone down. Standing up, I stretched again, shaking my head. When I went into the bathroom, Barbara had a towel wrapped around her head. I swept her into a kiss, and started to kiss my way down her body. She pulled me back to standing.
“Meanie,” I told her. “You’re delicious when you’re fresh from the shower.”
“You’re biased,” she told me. “Who were you talking to?”
“Hammond -- They think Denise is dead, along with a group of her compatriots.”
She held me. I hope she could feel the uncertainty I felt -- I’d been responsible for the death of a number of people.
“Roger, they chose that path.”
Yes, that was true -- but I wasn’t sure how comforting it was. “Just how did we leave last night? Evidently David and his people were concerned.”
She leaned back a bit, our hips still together. “Angela and I dressed you quite quickly, tossed you in the car, and took off. We put on quite a show -- we weren’t sure if we were being watched, or by whom.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Talk to Angela.”
“No, if you know, you’ll tell me. Now.”
She sighed. “Roger, Samantha was supposed to kill you. We carried on as if she had, or at least had come close.”
I was confused again.
She had a look of great concern, and pulled me closer. “We’re past that now, and everyone is safe -- you, Samantha, Annie.”
We held each other. I didn’t know what to say.
She kissed me on the head. “Shower -- we’ve got an exciting day!”
I shaved, then showered. After I’d dried off, she insisted on sitting me on the bed and brushing out my hair.
“Don’t you dare cut it,” she whispered as she put a tie around my ponytail.
I caught her before she could get far, hugging her close. “What’s the plan for today?”
“Get out of here, and quick!” she said.
I held her closer.
She laughed and held me. “Computer first -- we’re supposed to go to a place called Fry’s, south of here in Wilsonville off highway 5. Then we hit the malls, shopping for clothes.”
As we parted, I pouted. “Do I get a nap today?”
She laughed. “Oh, I certainly hope so!”
We each grabbed a complimentary Danish and a cup of mediocre coffee. Barbara insisted on driving. In response to her questioning, I told her what Hammond had mentioned -- they’d had the place under surveillance, and someone took it out with mortar fire. That left us quiet.
The store was like nothing I’d seen before -- a nerd’s dream. Evidently, it was a California chain, slowly extending North. I showed remarkable restraint, getting a Powerbook, some software, a case and a few accessories, including maxing the thing out on RAM. I’d been coached on RAM prices, and theirs were pretty competitive. They even had an in-house coffee bar, so we had a cup of good coffee while the RAM was being installed.
Then it was off to the malls for clothes and such for me. Our first argument -- I didn’t see the need for anything other than black socks and white socks. And I get Pearl Izumi attack socks every time, so if the laundry demands the occasional sacrifice, I’m not significantly disadvantaged. She insisted on getting a pair of brown socks. Okay, get the 3-pack then. Some things are important to me, others aren’t.
I told her I had a casual change of clothes at the University, and the dojo. I also had a more formal change of clothes at the University. When pressed for details, she decried my wardrobe as decade old academia -- and I didn’t see any problem with that. We collected pants, shirts, shoes, a sports coat. When I asked about towels and such, she told me that had to wait until we knew where we’d be living.
Oh well, no nap today -- but I needed the clothes, and I was glad to have the help. “Thank you for your help,” I whispered in her ear as we loaded things into the car.
“How about an early dinner?” Barbara asked, pointing to a sign for a steak house as we were driving back to the motel.
“That sounds good,” I told her, squeezing a thigh.
“Mmm -- red meat and red wine do something to me,” she said, giving me a lusty look.
I smiled and let my hand wander higher. “That’s good to know.”
That was our dinner -- red meat, red wine.
Back at the hotel, I insisted on taking in the computer so I could charge it up and make sure it worked before we headed home. I told her a few minutes tonight and a few in the morning -- that was it. She decided to have a tag and pin-removing party on the clothes we’d picked up. I set the computer to charging, checked two things quickly, then went over to her. “Thank you for your help,” I told her, sitting on my knees behind her and kissing her neck.
She chuckled, shaking her head. “If you want to look like a professor, we’ll shop for you in Geneva -- I know just the place.”
“I can take a week at Thanksgiving, or three over Christmas. I think Christmas makes more sense, though -- I’d like to stick around over Thanksgiving.”
She was stripping pins out of a dress shirt. “That makes more sense. By then, we should have a better idea what will be happening in January.”
“Oh shit - those guys are coming up on Monday!”
“They meeting you at school?”
“Yes -- glad I did that. I’ll dress professorially.”
She frowned. “Does that mean black socks?”
I laughed. “Yes, dear.” I nuzzled more into her neck, feeling her shoulders. She giggled and tilted her head to the side, trying to squeeze me away from her neck.
“I thought you were playing with your new computer.”
I closed my eyes, searching for her perfume with my nose. “Nope, all done for tonight.”
She sighed. “Well, I’ll have these done in a few minutes.”
“Don’t mind me, then,” I said, moving my hands to her back and unsnapping her bra through her dress.
“Aaugh! Why don’t you go get ready for bed!” she called in anguish.
“But I love you,” I whispered, smoothing my hands down her back the way I knew she loved.
She chuckled. “What got into you?”
“Mmmm... Red wine and red meat gave me ideas, too.” I moved a little closer, squeezing her delicious bottom between my knees.
“What kind of ideas?” she asked in a low voice.
“I’m still hungry -- I want to eat you until you scream.”
“Well, I’m going to scream real soon if you don’t stop distracting me! You don’t want me to miss any of these pins, or lose one on the bed!” She squirmed as best she could as I squeezed her with my legs..
I moved up and kissed the top of her head. “Okay, meanie -- let me know when you’re ready.”
As I moved off the bed to head to the bathroom, she touched my arm. I paused and looked at her.
“I love you,” she whispered with a soft smile.
I kissed the top of her head again.
After a sit on the toilet, I looked at the character in the mirror. “You don’t look stupid,” I told him. But why the hell had I.... Nah -- don’t start -- the list would be too long. I looked at the character in the mirror and shook my head.
I washed my face and started brushing my teeth. I remembered years ago, figuring out randori -- free flowing, multiple people attacking you on the mat. I’d had so much trouble, and Ota Sensei seemingly hadn’t been any help. I practiced techniques. I knew them; I taught them. Yet randori stayed just a bit out of reach.
Until one day things fell into place. I’d been working one-on-one, and there was another person coming at me. I took care of him, and there was another. Then the first one, the third, the second -- I moved across the mat, remaining in my center.
Sensei didn’t congratulate me -- he didn’t even ask me what happened. It took me a while to realize what had made the difference. It wasn’t technique so much as attitude. Oh, the technique had to be there. It’s attitude -- self-confidence and more. You could see when it clicked in students. Patti had it. I thought about the rest of the brown-belt crop. One or two had it in sparks, in fits. But none of them had it solid yet, solid enough for the black belt test. Janice would have it.
Abiko had it on the mat, but off the mat? That ability to generalize -- take that self-confidence and poise and move it off the mat. Oh, she had it in some situations; I’d watched (and listened) to her handling an unruly bunch of kids, and she’d done extremely well. But she choked up in front of me. Well, not choked up, but went with whatever was presented.
That lead me back to the character in the mirror. Whatcha going to do? This is randori -- this is life. Goethe -- Du musst Amboss oder Hammer sein -- you must be anvil or hammer. I choose hammer.
I shook my head. No, that’s too binary, too Western. The Eastern way -- the reed bends in the storm, and whips back to whack you in the ass. The Aikido way -- Ai Ki Do the way of harmony of spirit.
I looked at the character in the mirror, toothpaste foam coming out of his mouth.
I chuckled at him -- who’s a lot like Abiko? On the mat, in the classroom, in my environment, I’m there, solid with that confidence, that presence. Yet in other situations? Was I going along too often, being too laid back?
The character in the mirror frowned. Just because I have an asshole doesn’t mean I have to be one all the time. I knew plenty of people like that at school -- more than one of my colleagues -- that macho “in control all the time” thing.
Don’t need that. I looked at the character in the mirror again. Okay, let’s try this. Turn the “presence” knob up a bit. Turn “laid back” down a bit. Let’s see how that works. Don’t put up with things off the mat that I wouldn’t put up with on the mat? I could probably phrase it better, but that would have to do for now.
Barbara was carefully folding my shirts. I thought of telling her what I did to shirts -- and these were going to get washed before I wore them. No, that’s not nice. “Thank you,” I told her, kissing her on the head again.
She looked up with a big smile. “Done. I feel better.”
I leaned over, nose to nose. “Give me a few minutes,” I growled.
She raised an eyebrow. “Ooh, really? I’ll be right back.”
She kissed me on the nose and went to the bathroom.
I turned down the bed, deciding where I wanted her. Then I sat to wait.
She came out of the bathroom wearing a smile, and presumably perfume.
“My favorite outfit,” I told her as I stood up. I took her into my arms and kissed her, holding her to me. She felt good -- she felt like more.
I eased her back on the bed.
“Where are you going?” she asked as I stepped away.
I walked to the bathroom and got one of their terry robes. I returned, turning off the remaining room lights and spreading the robe over her. “Don’t want you to get cold,” I told her.
“Planning on being a while?” she asked.
“I’m in no hurry,” I told her as I went to my knees, pulling her bottom closer to the edge of the bed.
“Please take your time,” she sighed as I kissed the inside of her left thigh.
I could tell she’d put perfume on her mound. I made my way up her thighs slowly, bringing out her own special scent to mix with the perfume.
I enjoyed her slowly, sensuously. She let me know she was enjoying it as well -- relaxed, accepting, but present -- a good lesson.
I enjoyed her slowly, building and building, and then backing off. I teased and felt and caressed, tasting, enjoying, bringing her to the edge again -- and backing off. I slipped a finger into her, hooking it back, feeling her leap to the abyss -- and I backed off to her thigh, her moans increasing.
I teased her, hearing her moans and pleas even though her thighs were clamped to the sides of my head, and her fingers were digging into my scalp. I teased her, bringing her to the edge time after time, until her entire body felt tense around me.
I plunged two fingers into her, hooking them back, pressing on that special spot as I growled, pressing gently into her, my tongue seeking her button, pushing her over the edge.
And I kept going, gently but persistently, enjoying her so much -- her taste, her smell, the sounds she made, the way her body responded.
First, her legs started losing their grip, then her hands slipped away, and after a small shudder with her hips still moving on their own, sharing the rhythm we made, even their motion diminished and stopped.
I kissed her mound, inhaling deeply once more, then kissed my way down her thighs. When I reached her knees, I straightened her out in the bed. I moved the robe, wiping off the layer of sweat covering her. She moved a little, but not much.
I climbed into bed next to her, sliding down. I pulled her to me, on to her side, taking a nipple in my mouth. She was hot and cold, a little sweaty, some of her perfume still left. I wrapped my arms around her, settling in. She moved an arm across me, reflexively.
I woke briefly to early morning light. I was on my back, with Barbara curled up at my side, her head on my shoulder. I held her closer, hearing a soft, sleepy murmur as she nestled in.
I woke again to her urging my mouth to a nipple. We both sighed as she held me and my arms wrapped around her.
She melted me in her arms, holding me so well. That changed after a while as she started to fan the flames, getting me aroused.
I turned my head and moaned, “I need to pee.”
She squeezed me, then let me go. “You go first,” she whispered, kissing me on the head.
I managed to get up, a little wobbly. I sat on the can, then rinsed my mouth and had a couple of swallows of water.
“My turn,” she said as I got into bed. As I settled on to my back, she kissed my forehead, then whispered something in my ear. I settled back with a sigh, closing my eyes.
Perfume, warmth, softness, and the comfort of her weight on top of me. Comfort blending into passion, our hearts racing as she rode me, holding us at the edge, balancing us there so long, then taking us over, floating us on a cloud.
“Good morning,” she whispered as I stirred at her side, snuggling in and holding her close.
“Mmm,” I replied.
“Going to stay there all day?”
“No,” I told her, then moved to her other nipple.
I felt and heard her chuckle. “Oh you -- you really wiped me out last night.”
I moved my arms around her a bit better, and pulled her so she was leaning a little on me.
She sighed, then moved a hand to the back of my head. She held me and started her soft singing, rocking me to sleep on a cloud.
I stretched in bed, hearing the shower going. I got up and went to sit on the can. “Room enough in there for both of us?” I asked.
“I’m almost done,” she replied.
“We need a shower big enough for two,” I told her.
“Oh, that’s a must!” she agreed. She turned off the shower, so I flushed and stood up, grabbing a towel.
“Why, thank you,” she said as I wrapped her in the towel.
“My pleasure,” I said, holding her and giving her a good kiss.
I took my turn in the shower, one of those tub things with a shower head added. Need to find out what fixtures they used on the island -- those had been nice. Of course, it’s the company more than anything. “We both could fit in here,” I called out. I wasn’t sure if she heard me or not.
“Ready to head back?” she asked when we were packed up.
“Sure,” I said, picking up my car keys. “I’m driving.”
She nodded and stepped closer for a hug.
“Going to introduce you to my dark side,” I told her.
“What’s that?” she asked, concern on her face and in her voice.
“An Egg McMuffin with catsup and a large orange juice for breakfast.”
“I’m game,” she said, her head on my chest.
We checked out and found our breakfast. The coffee was medium-good. Heading back to the car, I handed Barbara the car keys.
“I thought you wanted to drive?” she asked.
“I also want to make some phone calls, so I’ll be a passenger. That okay?”
She smiled and gave me a squeeze. “Yes, as long as I’m with you.”
I called Ralph. He gave me mild abuse about not letting him know about little things such as my house burning down and being engaged. He’s in his 50s, and I guess he feels he’s my uncle. I got the address of the loft. I told him we were about an hour and a half away --did he have some other places to show us? Barbara gave me an interesting look at that; surprise and uncertainty? Yes, a couple of places, but not as good as the loft. We should meet at his office and he’d take us around. Good deal.
I also talked to Hammond. He seemed much more upbeat. Dinner tonight? I asked Barbara; she smiled and nodded. I told him I was going to call Janice; he thought that was a good idea. Then I asked who he would suggest for running a security check on a place I was thinking of living in. That was easy -- Janice. Would she be joining us for dinner? Yes, of course.
I spoke with Janice next. I told her a little about the loft, giving her the address. She seemed enthusiastic about checking it out for us. I told her I expected to be there in about two hours. She agreed to meet us.
I folded up my phone and put a hand on Barbara’s shoulder. “And what do you need? What do you want to do?”
Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings -- we spoke of many things. As we spoke, we touched each other, not sexually, but intimately, with feeling.
We stopped for gas, a leak, a soda, and for a long hug and kiss before we started off again.
Ralph was happy to see us. It was bright and sunny, not a rare event in Seattle, but not the norm for this time of year. He happily drove us around. We looked at three properties. Two were townhouses, not much better than the place we had currently. I could tell Barbara was depressed.
Ralph and I walked about my old place, or at least the property. Did I want to rebuild? Didn’t know yet. If I wanted to rebuild, he could set me up with builders. If I wanted to sell, he’d be happy to handle that -- he thought the property was quite valuable, and would sell quickly, even in the current market.
We looked at a house. Not too promising, needing work. I suggested we swing by his office so we could pick up my car, then go see the loft. Barbara perked up.
The loft was the top floor of a three story building. The ground floor was professional offices. The second floor was divided into three apartments, one occupied. The third floor was around 1800 square feet. It also had reserved underground parking for the residents, and parking in back for the other tenants.
As we drove up, following Ralph, I saw Janice’s car parked across the street. Ralph let us into the underground parking.
The building itself was about 45 years old, solidly built. Ralph pulled out a small ring of keys. There was a key for the parking, one for the tenant’s entrance, keys for the elevator.
We took the elevator up to the top. There were two sets of fire stairs as well, he told us, and the elevator required key access. I gave Barbara a smile at that one; we’d had experience with such “secure” floors.
The elevator was big and slow. It would be good for furniture moving.
Leaving the elevator, we were in a small anteroom with fire stairs off to the left. High, solid looking double doors were in front of us. Ralph unlocked them.
We entered a large space, with high ceilings, fifteen feet or so. The wall in front of us was filled with large windows, each four or five feet wide and eight or more feet high.
Ralph started us to the left, going by the kitchen area, fitted out with the best -- large built-in refrigerator and freezer, large wine chiller, Wolfe range and oven. Through a large door we went into a small office area, then into a bedroom with attached bath. The bath was good sized, with a large stall shower, big enough for us, and a whirlpool tub. I was a little surprised when Ralph told me that was the smaller suite!
Barbara was all smiles now, arm in mine as we returned to the kitchen. As I looked at the large expanse of hardwood floor, bouncing up and down on the balls of my feet to test things, I saw Janice come out of the door on the other side.
“May I help you, Miss?” Ralph asked, surprised and not all that happy.
I chuckled and went to her, sweeping her up in my arms, hugging her tightly and twirling her around. “It’s so good to see you up and around!”
Ralph was still frowning as he and Barbara walked over. I introduced Janice as a security professional I worked with. When I asked for her opinion, she told us the building was solid and safe, but could use a few small changes. Ralph shook his head. I patted him on the shoulder.
The master suite looked very nice -- big closet, nice view, a great bathroom.
I was still nodding my head as we went back to the kitchen area and sat at the island. Barbara was smiling broadly. Even Ralph had a smile again.
I asked him for the sordid details, and he provided them. Another high-tech startup, seemingly going well, then the bottom fell out. The building owner tried to resell the place, with no luck. Leased it to another high-tech person, who recently moved back East. Lease was paid up through May. Ralph had talked to the owner, and they were willing to let me have it through May at no charge; they would rather have someone living there.
I told him that sounded good, but I had some reservations. Barbara raised an eyebrow. I asked Janice what she would do. Change the locks, rework the burglar alarm, nothing major. I asked her to work with Ralph and the building owner. She nodded and told us she didn’t see any problem with us moving in as-is.
I laughed and asked her which side she was on. That got a laugh out of Ralph as well.
We talked about Mrs. Collins’ house for a bit. The attorney had called Ralph on Friday afternoon and they’d talked. No, I didn’t have a problem letting them out of the lease a month early. Barbara rubbed my back, telling us the wife really wanted to be back home for Christmas. I told Ralph that Barbara wanted to work the place over; we might be here for up to a year, depending. I told Janice I’d want her to look at the place as well, and make her recommendations.
Ralph and Janice exchanged business cards. He told me he could drop by the dojo tomorrow afternoon with keys and paperwork if that would work for me. Sounded fine.
Barbara wanted to go to the furniture store and check on bedroom sets. It was almost three, so we’d have time to do that, swing by the safe house to change, and meet folks for dinner.
I shook hands with Ralph, and Barbara gave him a hug.
Barbara was excited about the loft. We picked out a bedroom set, paid for it, and scheduled delivery early Wednesday. Barbara asked me what was happening with the bedding. I shrugged and told her it was being delivered to the dojo, as at least I had space to store it. She patted me on the leg and told me she’d take care of it.
We had to rush, but we made it to dinner. Both Hammond and Richards were there, along with Barbara, Janice, and myself. Hammond gave us a brief update, as did Angela Richards. Hammond gave us the name of the town, and suggested I do a search for it on some news sites to get the public side of the story. Angela was pleased with the way things had gone with the girls. She also told us she was pleased at the way Barbara and I looked. Barbara was practically overflowing with enthusiasm for the loft and remodeling the house. She looked to me and told me she’d fly back to D.C. at the end of the week to get her things moved out.
Thinking about both places, the loft and Mrs. Collins’ house, both of them were really well located as far as school and the dojo were concerned. My old house had been a twenty minute drive to either place.
Back at the safehouse, I apologized to the guys for freaking them out. David had talked to them; they understood. I told them we’d be leaving them Wednesday or so.
What a whirlwind day! We set out clothes for Monday; both of us had meetings. We got ready for bed, and I crawled in with a sigh.
As we slid together, Barbara asked, “Roger, you said you had some reservations about the loft. Do you want to tell me about it?”
I sighed. Yes, but not now was my first thought. I pulled her to me, resting her head on my shoulder. “Barbara, it’s going to be very nice. It’s just not the place to raise a family, that’s all.”
I heard and felt her breath catch, her body tense.
“We have plenty of time to talk about it,” I told her.
She hugged me. “I love you.”
I kissed her head and held her. “I know. I love you, Barbara.”
She snuggled up. It didn’t take me long to fall asleep.
Rev 7/27/2003
Hand
By silli_artie@hotmail.com
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/artie/www
© Copyright 2003 by silli_artie@hotmail.com