Chapter 40: Here Comes the Bride

Nine weeks after that kiss, Carolina Santos married Peter North in a civil ceremony. There were quite a lot of participants and guests, starting with Abel (who “gave away” Carolina), Fernanda, Diego, and Danilo. Also present were Jared, Lorelei, and Sandra, and all six of the Baileys (Andrew, Leah, Theodore, Valerie, Timothy, and Tania).

“So you are keeping your name, Carolina?” asked Sandra.

“I’m not going to spend my life explaining myself to idiots who say I’m ‘out-of-order’ being Carolina North instead of North Carolina. People are so stupid about these things. The Baileys have had problems forever because of that old TV show.”

“TV Show?”

“Yeah, The Brady Bunch. Three boys and three girls.”

“Oh, I see. Ever heard of Sandra Day O’Connor?”

“On the US Supreme Court? Sure.”

“My name is Sandra Dee O’Connor. I was named after the actress Sandra Dee. The rest of the bullshit came later. At least you have a choice.”

“You didn’t meet Lorelei at a legal conference, then.”

“No, I’m a doctor, not a lawyer. She was, briefly, a patient of mine. Since we seemed to be hitting it off, I asked her to fire me and choose another doctor. Once she was no longer my patient, we were free to flirt with each other, and now we are a married couple.”

“I’m getting the picture. You walk into the examination room; Lorelei is in one of those idiotic paper gowns, and it was ‘love at first ogle.’ Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, guilty as charged. I think I spent five minutes babbling medical jargon while I schemed how to get that paper gown off her. Believe me, Carolina, seeing naked Lorelei would take your breath away. I still wonder why Peter divorced her.”

“He told me, Sandra, do you want to know what he said?”

“Certainly!”

“He said that she became addicted to internet porn, always lesbian porn, and she was pushing for a threesome. He decided that she would be happier outside of their marriage, and they had a quick and agreeable divorce. I’m not sure what he told Jared, but he seems to have taken things in stride.”

Carolina and Peter decided to put off their honeymoon trip to work on the housing situation. Once Peter understood all the complexities of the four families (Bailey, Santos, Soares, and North), he proposed a new solution. Instead of squeezing too many people into too little space, he suggested that they should lease a six- or seven-bedroom house for the few years remaining before the current 15- and 16-year-olds go off to college.

While they all lived in the leased house, their current two houses would be rented out to provide income for the group to offset the lease payments. In the leased house, the bedroom assignments were: (1) Carolina and Peter, (2) Andrew and Leah, (3) Jared, (4) Ted and Abel, (5) Valerie and Fernanda and Tania, and (6) Tim and Diego and Danilo. Jared would be graduating first, and his bedroom would be taken by one of the “middles,” the next group of four (Valerie, Fernanda, Ted, or Abel).

Once everyone accepted the housing plan, it was time for the honeymoon. Carolina and Peter spent their time at Cabo San Lucas, at the southern tip of Baja California. They stayed in the best suite in the top story of the Hotel Peninsular.

It was only 3 o’clock, and she was nervous. This would be the first time he had seen her naked in the daylight, and she worried. Particularly since she was following the gorgeous Lorelei.

“Maybe we should wait until after the sun goes down.”

“But why? You look wonderful out there on the balcony.”

“I’ll never be as ... I’ll never look as beautiful as Lorelei.”

“Carolina, if you were there on the balcony, and Lorelei was over there naked in front of that window, then my eyes would be on you, not her. She is a beauty, I know, but I don’t love her; I love YOU.

“Now would you please make me happy and get your travel clothes off? I want the memory of you on that balcony with the wild coastline behind you and the sunlight in your hair. That’s a memory I will always cherish.”

“If you’re sure...”

She posed, and pranced, and laughed, and forgot herself on the private balcony. And then they swapped places, and he posed and pranced causing peals of laughter from his bride.

Then they snuggled together for an evening of togetherness and lovemaking. Carolina was besotted with love for Peter, and he returned the same feelings for her.

At 8:30, after several orgasms, she was hungry.

“Peter, let’s get steaks from room service.”

“Not enough beef for you?”

“I thought you were porking me.”

“Yes, in your tender loins. All right, I’ll order some dinner.”