Chapter 56: An Au Revoir Party – Kate V.1 – August

The past couple months were quite a change from before the Super Bowl party. I remember Saturday brunches being taken by the hand by one or more women and led to the bedroom. There was also one brunch I was the only woman left on the balcony.

Now, Janice was with Rich, Rachel was with Jason. Sydney and Jane were still unattached. Sydney’s curiosity I think was satisfied. She would soon be on her way to college, where she would be teaching more than learning when it came to some subjects. Jane did stay late some Saturdays. But she always left before anyone fell asleep.

Daphne, Riko, and I had settled into a routine we all enjoyed. Three in a bed was perfectly comfortable. I seemed to wake most mornings with Riko pressed against me. I had to admit, in the middle of the night if we were not touching, I would seek her out and press myself against her and wrap an arm around her. That helped me to fall back to sleep quickly.

So, when in early August Riko told us she was being called back to Japan to attend courses at the Foreign Service Training Institute in Tokyo, I was very happy for her. That was one of her dreams — to advance in the diplomatic corps. Getting training at the institute in Tokyo was a big deal. Daphne thought it was long overdue. Riko had been involved in the icebreaker deal. She had been at the center of receiving and disseminating unofficial information to several interested countries and companies. She had been in fairly regular contact with Senator Lester, all through Jill of course. The government contract had finally come through and BlueForge Maritime was the winner. That meant several countries and companies were well aware of Riko Takahashi’s contacts and access to information. That included Japan and Japanese companies.

The bottom line was both Daphne and I would miss her. But like Daphne told me and Riko, it was to be expected and best for everyone in the long run. I could tell Daphne would miss her too. Even the Barrington twins, Christopher Jr. and Roland, seemed to tear up when they heard. Riko assured them it was only for a little while. She would visit because she’d miss them too much to stay away. Chris and CJ didn’t interact with her as much, but each gave her a warm hug. Christine sarcastically thanked her for teaching the boys another language she didn’t understand. When Riko and Christine said goodbye, Riko, still playing the game of teasing Daphne, hugged Christine. “I’m going to miss you flashing me every time you leave. Those sheer bras were quite the sight.”