Chapter 36: By the Power Vested in Me,...

People look at the six-figure salary of a Congressman and think they are sitting pretty. Hah. My miserable two bedroom apartment was two thousand a month. I spent another six hundred a month on garage space, not to mention what I paid Johnson. At some point, I would need to entertain, which meant serious money on rentals and such. Ileana helped me through a lot of this, as did Representative Leonard.

My wedding was a chance to pay some of it back. The actual wedding was at the Morris County courthouse. We exchanged wedding bands and made our vows. My witnesses were Sheila, Elspeth and Ileana. Sean stood for Lars. Judge Leonard officiated. In retrospect, I was calling Ileana by her first name almost from the start. I never became informal with Representative Leonard. Even at our wedding, he was The Judge.

The Residence staff went all out for the reception. I sort of understood. Everyone that worked on Sean and Sheila's wedding had stories to tell grandchildren. It was a lot of work, which they did, yet I received the lion's share of the credit. Even Sean, who runs a billion dollar company, sings my praises. I only did what needed doing. I never tried to be popular, but for some reason I was.

Unlike Sean and Sheila's wedding, the weather was bad. I have no idea what we would have done with less than perfect weather that whole week. For my wedding, the bulk of the plans were indoors. The biggest loss was the patio seating. It meant dining tables needed to be set up on the dance floor. Still, even Francine did not complain about the quantity of food.

The first real surprise was when Francine announced Michael Foxworth and his orchestra. Dr. Foxworth directed the first wedding dressed as John Phillip Sousa. For Lars and me, he did Glen Miller, including the trombone. The party was World War II swing, which had to be a dig at my German spouse. Lars and I could cope. Besides, it was fun. Francine even sang a few show tunes for us.

Unlike Sean and Sheila, who spent half their honeymoon in airplanes, we had only a short drive to Manhattan, where we did it all again. Siemens and Lars' family went together for a Sunday afternoon white tie and tails reception at the Plaza. Once again, Francine acted as MC, this time in an outrageous flapper outfit.

The music was provided by an exceptional band, which turned out to be our gift from Pedro de la Garza. From Sheila, I received a note, two garment bags and an enlarged photograph. The note said I should ask for a package marked with my married name. The bags contained my long lavender gown from their wedding and a glittery above-the-knee dress in midnight blue. For me, this was beyond daring.

The photograph was of Lars and myself, riding carousel ponies. Lars had an evil grin, while I looked scandalized. What made the picture memorable was the suit I was wearing. It was a modified British men's morning suit, which I still had. The photo was also a challenge, since I was not presented in a flattering manner. In fact, I was acting like a girl. Trust Sheila to show me as feminine, while dressed in masculine clothing. Damn, that woman is good.

Once I followed all the convolutions, there was only one thing to do. I asked a hotel staffer to get the package and gave the picture to Lars, so he could install it at the gift table. I took the short, slinky blue dress to a changing room. Thank God I wore dance heels, because in that dress I would never get off the floor. At least, I would get to see Francine's expression. Sheila likes to spring things on her too.

The first hurdle was that the dress could not be donned alone. Fortunately, there was a female hotel staffer nearby. Knowing Sheila, that was no coincidence. The second hurdle was the design of the dress. A card said that straps were optional. I am full figured. Strapless would work, but there would be the constant fear of a malfunction because strapless is also braless.

I trusted Sheila and took off the bra. Getting the dress zipped up was a challenge, but the clamp on my ribs was reassuring. That was Sheila again. She loves corsets and bustiers. Once everything was in place, my assistant showed me something small that I had missed—a garter belt and stockings. Damn. She licked her lips as I pulled off my pantyhose and panties. The hose I discarded. The panties would go on over the garter stays. What's the point of good black lace if you cannot take it off?

While I was at it, I stuck a couple of fingers in to check the oil. I was not fully lubricated but well on the way. I held my damp fingers under my assistant's nose. Her name tag said, Patricia. She surprised me by reaching her head forward and licking my fingers. I allowed her to suck on them for a moment while I decided what to do. It was almost too easy.