Chapter 22: Tennessee

Dave left Lexington, Kentucky, mid-morning after he and Carli made love one more time. Their parting was kind of teary, but she was already trying to practice some of the Circle mores about not being possessive, and to her that also meant not being clingy about him. Dave promised to see her again, especially if she were pledging or a member by the time her returned to Sarasota. Those words were comforting to her.

Dave meandered south on backroads past many other horse farms and then on some two-lane roads through the Daniel Boone National Forest. Many of the roads were curvy and hilly, and everywhere there were a zillion beautiful trees. Being from Florida, he had a romantic attachment for the deciduous trees, especially those not native to his home state.

Eventually, Dave passed into Tennessee, and staying on back roads headed west. At five o’clock, he pulled into the Cherokee Creek Campground outside of Jamestown, Tennessee. He wrangled a spot at the back of the place where he could set up a tent. The places towards the front, and hence nearer the main house and a swimming pool were full of RVs and motorized campers.

Dave set up and cooked dinner, reflecting on how the meal was a far cry from the wonderful food served at Winston Farms by Ellie and Patrick. The whole atmosphere at the farm had changed in the five days he was there. Carli had transformed to a loving and caring person, instead of, to quote her, ‘the stuck-up bitch’ she’d been raised to be because of her social standing. She was working hard to change.

He chuckled because the last two nights Carli had asked that Ellie and Patrick join them at the dinner table; “After all, we all have to eat.” The first night was awkward, but Carli did everything right to take the edge off of the stiffness that had existed previously. She explained her deep desire to change the results of her upbringing to a more inclusive and loving persona. The second night was full of laughter and the warm feeling of friends gathering. Carli had cried again at the end of the meal, apologizing for her attitude and being hopeful about not reverting.

Ellie had teared up and talked about her own metamorphosis. She said, “I’m not a butterfly yet, but I’m getting there. You can all help.”

Dave knew that today, after he’d left, Carli was going to invite Patrick and Ellie to watch the past episodes of The Circle television series with her. Dave had also arranged for two more copies of Cricket’s book to be sent to the farm. The couple were captivated and beyond curious about the Circle, Dave, and everything going on in Florida.

Dave realized he was near a small waterfall at his campsite. The sound of the rushing water was soporific; he was asleep before night fell and didn’t awaken until about six a.m. He did a few exercises after cooking himself breakfast, and then packed up camp.

Given the noise the Harley made when the engine was running, he rolled the loaded bike along the camp road to the top of the small hill and then coasted down the hill towards the exit from the campground. By the time he needed to start his engine, he was well clear of the other campers.

Dave headed west, and he had a goal in mind – Nashville. Specifically, he was headed to Brentwood, south of the city where Kyle and Ashley Hanks lived. Ashley was better known as Ashley Steerman, America’s Country Music Sweetheart. For over six years she’d had several songs in the Top 10 on the country music charts each year. Her music could be heard everywhere, even in many foreign countries.

Ashley was one of Dave’s trim and sexy little spinners. She wasn’t much over five feet tall, had long reddish tresses below her shoulders, a slightly turned up nose, sultry lips, and bedroom eyes. She always wanted Dave to make love to her, which was fortunate in his book. She also often told Dave that a diva’s hair color and style might change on a moment’s notice. He had known her as a blonde when they first met.

Ashley was also, and somewhat secretly, the mother of Dave’s child Kendall Lee. Ashley had married Kyle Hanks, but he was older and had long ago gotten a vasectomy that ultimately prevented him from siring any children with his new younger wife. The pair had gotten Dave involved, but that small detail had been kept out of the public view; only a few people in the Circle even knew that fact.

Dave had just parked the motorcycle in front the large home when a furball of love hit him going a hundred miles an hour. Suddenly, he was being kissed all over and furball had her legs wrapped around him at the waist, where she’d jumped up and caught him before he had much of a chance to react. Her soft and beautiful long hair had been blown by the wind into his face.

“I love you. I love you. I love you. I’m sooooo glad you’re here. Wait! Don’t park here, it’s going to rain. Put the bike in the garage.” Ashley ran over to a keypad between two of the garage doors and punched in some numbers. One of the four garage doors opened to an empty space.

“This isn’t Kyle’s parking space is it?” Dave asked as he started to roll the bike along the bricked driveway without starting it.”

Ashley gaily laughed, “What, you’ll take his woman, but not his parking space?”

“The thought crossed my mind.” He laughed.

“He has the space on the end. This one is a spare.”

Dave parked and unpacked part of the bike, taking only the clothes he needed and his overnight kit. He did plan on staying multiple nights, depending on Ashley and her schedule.

Dave asked, “Who’s here?”

Ashley told him, “Just me, right now. Celeste was here taking care of Kendall, but she flew out this morning to go see her parents for a few days. Kyle will be here after work in the city. He may bring his bimbo home with him, since he knows you and I are going to be fully occupied.”

“You don’t mind the ... bimbo?”

“Hell, no! I love her, in fact. She calls herself that, but it’s mostly because she’s a bottle blonde. She could belong to Mensa – she’s brilliant. She puts her talents to work spotting and analyzing trends in the music industry. I think some of the recording companies pay her about five-thousand a day to tell them what she sees in all the data she collects and that they give her. They call her a lot. According to Kyle, she has a remarkably accurate track record, and that right there makes millions for her clients. She has an office near Kyle’s office containing a few people that work for her, mostly statisticians.

“More than that, Kyle got her to sing a few songs and she has a good voice. He funded about twelve tracks with her for a demo disk using my band. She’s angelic and she may tag-along and do a couple of songs in concert with me. She’s great at duets, too. Her name is Marina Howell.”

“So, she’s his Nashville Honey?”

“Yes, but she knows all about the Circle, us, Kendall, and everything. She’d belong to the Circle if she lived closer. Instead, she just fucks Kyle ... and me ... and she’s done Celeste a few times, too. I thought the two of you might get along. No one has given her The Experience, and she’s probably forgotten about reading about it, too.”

Dave laughed and said, “We’ll see. I mainly want to focus on you.”

Ashley got Kendall up from her nap and brought the toddler into the family room. Dave got down on the floor with the baby, and they played on a large puffy blanket on the floor. Kendall made some odd sounds, so Ashley got her a bottle and gave it to her instead of holding it for her. Kendall lay back and drank and drank and drank until the bottle was empty.

Ashley teased, “You up for changing a dirty diaper?”

Dave sighed and picked up the baby. There was a changing station in the corner of the room, and soon he had a giggly baby who’d made a HUGE mess in her pants getting scrubbed clean.

“You do that really well.”

“I’ve had some practice, what with over a dozen other kids. I’ve done the occasional dirty diaper before.”

“I have news for you, based on my last visit.”

Dave looked at her as he finished up the diapering job and picked up the baby. He looked at her and said, “Again?” He grinned broadly.

“Yep. I’m due in February or March. I have to decide whether to birth up here or in Sarasota. I guess there’d be more support down there, but my OB/GYN is up here. Maybe I’ll get a referral. I think I’d like Sarasota better.”

“And I’m the daddy?”

“Of course. In case you forgot how that happened, let me remind you it was a rainy weekend in May when I had you as my guest at the big house in the Circle. We also fucked Celeste.”

“Oh, I remember. I just hadn’t heard any news, so I figured my little swimmers hadn’t found what they were supposed to find.”

“Surprise, they did. I wanted to wait and tell you face to face.”

“Same M.O. as the last time? Kyle and you are having another baby?”

“Yep, I think so. We don’t have names yet. I’ll find out the sex in another month or two and then we’ll work on that. You’ll get a vote, too, like you did for Kendall.”

Dave put the baby down with some soft toys and kissed and hugged Ashley. The baby watched the two of them with fascination written all over her little face.

“Can we make love right here?”

“While Kendall watches? I think not. It’d mean years of therapy later in her life.”

Dave laughed. The two of them talked and played with the baby. Feeding time for Kendall started about five o’clock and went for as long as it took. Both the high chair and Dave were covered in syrupy baby food from little jars by the time six o’clock rolled around. There was a lot of laughter that Kendall loved. She was a giggly tot.

Kyle and Marina arrived home at six. Marina was VERY easy on the eyes and had a great smile. She swooped in, learned that Kendall had finished dinner, and swept up the messy child without regard for her clothing and cuddled the baby to her amid Kendall’s giggles. The two obviously knew each other.

Dave got drinks for Kyle and Marina as she made a modest attempt to clean the baby and her soiled top. Ashley offered a new top, but Marina said, “I’ll just throw it in the washing machine later.”

Ashley turned to Dave and observed, “She knows this house better than I do. She spends a fair amount of time here.”

Marina said, “I happen to love Kyle. I also love Ashley, Kendall, and Celeste. I’ll probably love you, too, Dave. I’ve heard a lot about you from everyone except Kendall for some reason.” She laughed.

Kyle sat on a tall stool and watched everyone else as he sipped his scotch. He was the senior statesman of the house, and one of the most likeable men Dave had ever met. He was sure his gregarious and outgoing nature was the basis for his success as an agent. He’d helped propel more than one star into the world. His main focus had become Ashley, but he dabbled in a few other potential stars.

Marina talked specifically to Dave but he knew the message was also for the others. “Just so you know, I am NOT out to steal Kyle from Ash, break up the family, or anything like that. I love the feeling of family being here. I just wish I could be in the Circle and have that feeling of belonging with all of you. Maybe I should do what Ashley does, and super-commute between here and there.”

Dave nodded, “We’d welcome you with open arms. Any of the three of us can help you integrate into the group, although Ashley told me today that you were a natural. On the other side of the coin, from what I heard, your business is all around here.”

“I’m not shy.” Marina pulled her dirty top up and off of her body, exposing two beautiful hemispherical breasts with lovely tanned areolas and nipples as large as the end Dave’s fore finger. Dave figured the bulk had to have been implanted by a really good plastic surgeon, because he couldn’t see any scarring or obvious surgical stitching remnants. Marina ran water and scrubbed some of the food spots left by Kendall.

Dave estimated that Marina was about forty-eight-years-old – about a decade younger than Kyle, and from his observations of many Circle women, some significant sagging began before that age. Marina had little. She was perky, and her nips were erect; the kind of erectness, Dave guessed, that never went away.

“Further, I happen to love sex of any and all kinds. Most of my boundaries are way beyond anybody else’s, so I’m usually a really slutty barrel of fun.” She giggled and waltzed out of the kitchen area with her blouse on one finger over her bare shoulder.