Chapter 17: The Dream Car and Perfect Family

The winter months flew by. At the start of March, we talked to Summer the day before Todd would pick her up, and drive her up to city airport for a flight to San Jose. She was excited about the trip and meeting Todd's parents, plus she'd never been to California and bubbled at the idea of seeing this geography. Todd had also promised some day trips to interesting places he knew she'd enjoy – downtown San Francisco including the Golden Gate Bridge, Embarcadero and cable cars; his personal Silicon Valley tour; and then trips south to Santa Cruz and Monterey. It sounded like a busy week.

Melissa arrived home Friday for dinner, at the start of Spring break. She'd had a class until noon, and only then had thought about packing for her trip. This time she caught a ride with another student from Dillonville, so we were saved having to pick her up. I resolved to talk to her about a car.

Melissa was full of hugs and kisses for everyone. She seemed mellower about her schoolwork, and when I asked why, we learned that she was pulling down great grades in everyone of her five major courses. Her first semester in college she'd nailed every course with an 'A, ' and this semester didn't look much different for her.

We talked about the coming summer. We'd already discussed about how we wanted her to live with us again during the summers, so that was not even a topic. We did talk the rest of the evening about nearby companies to approach about summer employment and internships, including the place I worked.

I felt I had next to zero pull in my own corporation, but I could certainly get her in the door for a chat with human resources about what was available. Since Melissa was aiming at computer science, one of the core skills in my company, I figured she might be good for some kind of temporary position. Later, I learned I seriously underestimated my own influence in getting her a position, and I learned how marvelous everyone thought Melissa was to even consider working there even at her young age.

Saturday morning we started the day by talking about a car for her. We had never discussed Melissa's finances. Her parents were handling her college expenses, although Stacy and I had also volunteered financial help. Melissa had never seemed to lack for anything she wanted, but she lived modestly and fit right in our household. We had refused to let Melissa or her parents pay us anything during the year that Melissa lived with us, arguing that we got free baby-sitting. We never told them about Tammy, and Melissa understood she was to keep quiet about any other quid pro quos as well.

Consequently, that morning, I gave Melissa my five-year-old Toyota. It was running well, and I'd been a stickler about maintenance. I wanted something more modern and sporty, and I still lusted after Todd's Jaguar, although I knew that was way out of my league. Stacy agreed with me, that the Toyota would be a good car for Mel – safe, efficient, and in good shape, albeit a bit on the conservative side.

Melissa tried to argue that she should pay us something for the car, but I explained that we wanted her to have a good and reliable car, that she was a member of our intentional family, and that we loved her and wanted her to have this gift even if it was a little used. If she could put up with the fact that it was pretty plain, it was hers. I went through with her what she'd have to do to get it registered and all in her own name, get insurance, and arrange for a place to park it at the college. I promised to help with all that too.

That in turn led to a Saturday morning discussion about how cars shaped our self-image, and how our self-image influenced the kinds of cars we bought, and vice versa.

We acknowledged that Todd had a strong and sporty self-image. Melissa also commented that he had become a stud on campus, what with his hot Jaguar and his newly minted nice-guy image that he diligently worked on. Melissa explained that he'd actually gotten humble and truly kind, even volunteering an afternoon a week at the local Teen Boys and Girls' Club. As his reputation as a hot guy went up, he kept trying to downplay the whole situation; he was no longer on an ego trip.

Stacy dug out the auto section from the prior Sunday's newspaper and put pictures of various cars in front of me, asking me to rank cars by how I felt 'deep inside' about them. I slid the various pictures around on the kitchen table, tossing aside some of them as total non-contenders. Melissa and Stacy watched me carefully. I guess I was in a sports car 'mood, ' because my top ranked cars were all hot looking cars. The least expensive was forty grand. Stacy had me also talk about my favorite colors and accessories, and such too; nothing like dreaming big, expensive, beautiful, and in color. If I wanted something in that category, I was going to have to get it used and hope I wasn't getting someone else's lemon. Of course, the top of my list was a Jaguar F-type like Todd had.

Realistically, I admitted to my partners that I'd end up with another low-end, non-descript Toyota or equivalent. I did vow that the next one would have a much better audio system and Bluetooth so it would connect with my iPhone.

Melissa, Stacy, and I slipped back into a comfortable romantic relationship characterized by devoted attention to each other, a million kisses a day, and love making at night that felt so comfortable.

Our kids had school and I had to work most days, but we did get some daytime private time for the three of us, and then even got to involve some others. I love long lunches.

Stacy and I encouraged Melissa to see some of the others in our group, and we even hosted some of them to encourage the relationships to flourish. When the mood seemed right, Melissa and/or Stacy and/or I would slip off to Matt or Lisa's house with our partner for a romantic interlude.

Melissa had turned nineteen while at college. We did a little makeup celebration with a few others at the house on Tuesday night, but didn't make too big a 'do' about it. The kids, of course, loved the birthday cake.

The next day Melissa had an interview for a summer internship at my company. They committed to her on the spot, something I'd never seen happen before. She drove my car home after her morning impressing people. I agreed to be at the traffic circle in front of my building at five o'clock sharp so she could pick me up.

I strode out of the building exactly at five, and did a quick look around for my crappy old Toyota, but it wasn't there.

What was there, when I finally started to pay attention to the other vehicles, was Melissa sitting on the front fender of a sleek, metallic blue Jaguar F-series sport convertible. She was dressed in sexy shorts and a white top, plus wore four-inch heels that guaranteed every male in the state had designs on her lithe body.

Melissa smiled at me, crooked a finger, and beckoned me to her and the car. I would have gone, but I was frozen in position looking at both the car and the sexpot sitting like a pin-up on the fender.

Off to my side, I heard laughter. I glanced over and there was Bob, Matt, Stacy, and Tina standing in a cluster watching me. I heard laughter behind me, and turned to see Brenda standing with one of the other secretaries. I couldn't fathom what was happening.

I took halting steps towards Melissa as she beckoned. She was closest to me, and had kept motioning me to come to her.

"Hi, Baby. What's happening?" I managed to speak.

"The people that love you are here to see you get your new favorite toy." On that note she held up a set of car keys and dropped them into the hand I automatically extended in response to her gesture. She also leaned in and gave me a significant kiss.

"What do you mean?" I looked at the keys to the Jaguar in total disbelief. One thought I had was how anybody could be so cruel as to tease me with this mechanical wonder? I looked into Melissa's eyes, but all I saw was love. She even reached up and stroked my cheek in a loving gesture.

Melissa explained, "This is your new car. I hope you like it. We made a few compromises on accessories, and it's not totally new, but you're the first real owner – and it's the color you like. It was the dealer's demo model, but it only has three-thousand miles on it."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" The fog in my head was starting to lift.

"Stacy and I bought this car for you today. If you don't like it we can take it back tomorrow."

I glanced at the car and tears came to my eyes. "I love it. It's almost as beautiful as you. I still don't understand."

Melissa smirked, "Come on. You can drive me home, and we'll explain there. The others will follow. If you want, you can go by your parents and show them too. I'm just supposed to let Stacy know if you do." She held up her cellphone. The others had moved in closer in any case. Stacy came up to me with a kiss, but no words; only a smile from ear to ear.

I stammered, "This ... is really ... my car? But ... the cost?"

"It's all paid for, and you're not broke. Don't worry. Someone that loves you more than anything in the world did this for you."

"You?"

Melissa smiled, and kissed me again with a little shimmy. The move made her braless boobs dance around significantly in her tight top. A group of young engineers standing off to the side nearly creamed their pants in a collective gesture of devotion.

She implored, "Come on. Get in and drive it. I want to see you in it. I got to drive it here; it's a dream to drive."

I walked around the car in total disbelief. Yes, it was the exact model and color I'd raved about a few days earlier in our fantasy car discussion. I knew that this car cost upwards of seventy thousand dollars, and probably more like a hundred thousand. We couldn't afford that without stealing from the kids' college fund and every one of our retirement funds. I started to worry.

I sat behind the wheel and Melissa slid into the car next to me in a really sexy maneuver that flashed her beautiful legs at the cluster of engineers. There was a collective gasp. Melissa was going to be very popular in her summer job.

She said, "There's an electric control for the seat on the left, plus all the mirrors."

I played with the seat, mirrors, and other controls until the car was ready for me to drive. I started the engine and there was that superb purr that I'd heard in Todd's car a few months earlier. I almost had an orgasm. I glanced at Melissa, and she was abeam with a smile from ear to ear. I actually felt a blast of love from her that defied description.

I shifted into gear and pulled away from the curb. This was the smoothest car I'd ever driven. For no reason, I said, "I'll show my parents tomorrow unless they expect me. Did they have anything to do with this?"

Mel answered, "No, but they do know about it. They're fine with seeing you and it tomorrow. Your mother expected you to faint."

I felt like all the other cars on the road were aiming at me with deadly intent. I drove home alternating between overly cautious, and opening up the car to see what it would do when there were open stretches in the traffic. At one point I glanced at the speedometer and saw I was cruising along the Interstate at 120 miles per hour.

I pulled into the driveway. Tammy was sitting outside with Megan and Chris. They were beaming, and applauded as I pulled into the open garage, leaving lots of room on both sides of the car. Stacy's mom bomb would have to park outside.

Melissa and I got out just as Stacy and the others pulled in behind me.

Melissa herded me inside as the others followed. Stacy had laid out hors d'oeuvres and wine and I got the first glass. I was shaking my head in disbelief.

"OK, what gives? How did we afford this?"

Stacy came up beside me, and led me so we stood in front of Melissa. She said, "This young woman who you love, loves you more than the pile of money she spent on you today to buy you your toy. This is mostly her gift to you. I'm just along for the ride."

I gaped at Melissa. "You bought this for me? How, in heavens... ?"

Melissa smiled and had tears of joy in her eyes. "Yes. I love you, and I had to do something to tell you that ... so that you'd never forget." She threw herself into my arms, and I did hug and kiss her, but I still didn't 'get' all of what was happening.

"I will never forget you in any case, but how ... your money?"

As the others milled around eating and drinking, Stacy helped Melissa tell me the story.

Mel said, "I'm an only child born to two only children. My grandparents and their parents did very well, and they provided for the subsequent generations in the family, but that's only me. I got a pile of money when I started college, another when I turned nineteen, and I'll keep getting the rest of it on my birthdays until I'm thirty-five when I get the last of it. They wisely felt that their progeny shouldn't get complete control until they'd amassed some wisdom not to spend it all. I have some influence over the investments."

I protested, "But this must have used up all of your money. I can't accept this; it's way too much. I'm supposed to be taking care of you. I want to take care of you."

"Oh, Jim, you've taken care of me every day since we met, and more so since I moved in with you. I love you. I mean that from the bottom of my heart to the deepest recesses of my mind. You are my soul mate. So is Stacy. This is my family and my home. I choose you above everyone else in the world." She gestured around at the house. She added, "The money was nothing."

"But the cost?"

"It wasn't even a significant fraction of what I just took control of this week."

"Huh?" How could a hundred thousand not be really, really significant.

Stacy explained, "One of the reasons Melissa wanted to be here this week was to accept control of another part of her trust fund. She has it invested in some wise things, including the project Bob Stanton has going on the west coast in high tech ventures." She gestured over at Bob. "He's already doubled the money she put with him about a year ago."

I don't know what prompted me to ask, "How much was that?" I expected a couple of thousand.

Stacy said, "Ten million."

"DOLLARS?" I blurted out.

Melissa and Stacy nodded.

Melissa said apologetically, "That wasn't all of it. I know about diversifying my investments." She tried to look businesslike, but in her short shorts, tight top, and sexy spike heels, the look failed to gain traction.

Stacy said, "I put my grandfather's inheritance in that investment too instead of leaving it in that money market fund I initially thought about. So far, I've made a lot on that money – doubled it."

"YOU? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew what you'd say, and we would have stalled. You're so conservative and I wanted to take a risk. Bob explained about the downside risk, and I thought it was acceptable. I'm sorry for not sharing that, but it was my family's money and we weren't counting on it except for the kids' education. Deb put her share in with mine."

"Holy shit," I muttered. I felt totally out classed. On the one hand I felt elated; on the other my ego just got dented.

I turned to Melissa, "How much did you just take control of from your trust fund?"

"Twenty-two million dollars. That adds to about twelve million I got when I started college last August."