Chapter 80

Eventually, we were all stuffed, and the girls were asked to take home the rest of anything nobody else wanted. It should be plenty to last until we left in under a week. (Our girls took a few baked potatoes, and the remains of the carrots, Yum)

I took a fifteen-minute break from everything, with my girls on either side of me. But, that marvelous piano drew me to it again, like a bug to a bulb. It was only 4:30 in the afternoon.

They got up and pulled me to it, setting me down.

“I guess I’m playing.” I said to gales of laughter. I whispered to my sister that Stu may be ready to ask her to marry him. “Be ready with an answer?”

“OK, Sextet ... get your pretty butts up here?”

After they came up, “How about ‘God Bless the USA?’ Here are your starting notes.” I gave them an Eflat, F natural, Aflat, Bflat, C natural and a top end Eflat.

“Sing it all together please?” I asked turning a few switches...

If tomorrow all the things were gone
I’d worked for all my life
And I had to start again with just
my children and my wife

I’d thank my heavenly father
to be livin’ here today
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom
And they can’t take that away{br}

And I’m proud to be an American
Where at least I know I’m free
and I won’t forget the men, who died,
Who gave that right to me?

And I’d gladly stand up next to you
And defend her still today
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt
I love this land
God bless the USA{br}

All through to the end of the song they were getting surer of their parts. I took Cece by the arm as they finished up without her.

She started to cry after it was over, saying “I’m so sorry I can’t go with, Michael.”

“It’s OK, you have that marvelous singer and husband, who might be the father of the baby...”

She slapped me half-heartedly and we hugged for a while. “Michael is a great name,” I whispered in her ear. “Or Andrew.”.

“Paul, keep her happy, healthy and pregnant. Your children would be the start of the second generation of the Gold Standard Symphony.”

“Freckles, stay up here, please ... and sing ‘Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend’ to this keeper of a boyfriend you have.”

“But, that is Katherine’s song,” she said.

“It is whoever I say it is. I have heard her sing, now you?”

She walked nearer to the piano waving to her boyfriend...

CLARICE
“The French are glad
to die for love,
They delight in fighting duels,
But I prefer a man
who lives and gives
Expensive jewels.

A kiss on the hand
may be quite continental
But diamonds are
a girl’s best friend

A kiss may be grand...
but it won’t pay the rental
on your humble flat
Or help you at the automat
Men grow cold as
girls grow old
And we all lose our
charms in the end

But square cut or pear shape
these rocks don’t
lose their shape
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend
... Tiffany’s!
... Cartier!
Black star Frost Gorham
Talk to me Harry Winston
tell me all about it!

There may come a time
when a lass needs a lawyer
But diamonds area girl’s best friend
There may come a time when
a hard boiled employer
thinks you are awful nice
But get that ice or else no dice
He’s your guy when stocks are high
but beware when they start to descend.

It’s then that those louses
go back to their spouses
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend

(She was having a blast doing this)

I’ve heard of affairs that
are strictly platonic
But diamonds are
a girl’s best friend
And I think affairs that
you must keep masonic
are better bets
If little pets get big baguettes

Time rolls on and youth
is gone and you can’t
straighten up when you bend
But stiff back or stiff knees
you stand straight at...
Tiffany’s...

Diamonds ... Diamonds...
I don’t mean rhinestones...

but Diamonds ... are a girls best
... best friend!”

Leading the applause was Michael T, but Katherine was giving her a nice big hug and said, “That was fabulous, Dear, and better than Me!”

“Jennifer Guthrie, come on up please, and sit by me and help me sing ‘Like We Never Loved Before,’ does that sound OK to you?”

“I will sing anything you want me to, Lover boy.” Many giggles and chuckles came out to that. I started playing...

JENNIFER
You never looked so good
As you did last night
Underneath the city lights
There walking with your friend
Laughing at the moon
I swear you looked
right through me

BOTH
You just walk on by
Without one tear in your eye?
Don’t you have the slightest
feelings left for me?
Maybe that’s just your way
Of dealing with the pain
Forgetting everything
between our rise and fall

JENN (MICHAEL)
Like we never loved at all

You, I hear you’re doing fine
Seems like you’re doing well
As far as I can tell (tell)
Time is leaving us behind
(leaving us behind)
Another week has passed

BOTH
And still I haven’t laughed yet
JENN
So tell me what your secret is?
MICHAEL
I wanna know, I wanna know, I wanna know

JENN
To letting go, letting go like you did, like you did
BOTH
How can you just walk on by
Without one tear in your eye?
Don’t you have the slightest
feelings left for me?
Maybe that’s just your way
Of dealing with the pain
Forgetting everything
between our rise and fall

JENN (MICHAEL)
Like we never loved at all
Did you forget the magic?
Did you forget the passion (passion)
Did you ever miss me
Ever long ... to kiss me?
Maybe that’s just your way
Of dealing with the pain
Forgetting everything
between our rise and fall
Like we never loved at all (at all){br}

My Princess stood up and gave Jenn and me each a big hug. I kept Princess up, setting her down and said quietly, “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” to her.

“First, I want to thank everybody here today for being in my life. I really need a long nap because I ate so much, so this will be our last song of the afternoon. We will see most of you on the Tour, in a few days...”

MICHAEL
Each Time The Wind Blows
I Hear Your Voice So
I Call Your Name...
Whispers At Morning
Our Love Is Dawning
Heaven’s Glad You Came...

You Know How I Feel
This Can’t Go Wrong
I’m So Proud To Say I Love You
Your Love’s Got Me High
I Long To Get By
This Time Is Forever
Love Is The Answer

PRINCESS
I Hear Your Voice Now
You Are My Choice Now
The Love You Bring
Heaven’s In My Heart
At Your Call
I Hear Harps,
And Angels Sing

You Know How I Feel
This Thing Can’t Go Wrong
I Can’t Live My Life
Without You

MICHAEL
I Just Can’t Hold On
PRINCESS
I Feel We Belong

MICHAEL
My Life Ain’t Worth Living
If I Can’t Be With You

BOTH
I Just Can’t Stop Loving You
I Just Can’t Stop Loving You
And If I Stop...
Then Tell Me Just What
Will we Do

PRINCESS
‘Cause I Just Can’t Stop
Loving You

MICHAEL
At Night When The
Stars Shine
I Pray In You I will Find
A Love So True...

PRINCESS
When Morning Awakes Me
Will You Come And Take Me
I’ll Wait For You

MICHAEL
You Know How I Feel
I Won’t Stop Until
I Hear Your Voice Saying
“I Do”

PRINCESS
“I Do”
This Thing Can’t Go Wrong
MICHAEL
This Feeling’s So Strong

PRINCESS
Well, My Life Ain’t
Worth Living

BOTH
If I Can’t Be With You
I Just Can’t Stop Loving You
I Just Can’t Stop Loving You
And If I Stop...
Then Tell Me, Just What
Will I Do

MICHAEL
I Just Can’t Stop Loving You

PRINCESS
We Can Change All The World
Tomorrow
MICHAEL
We Can Sing Songs Of
Yesterday

PRINCESS
I Can Say, Hey ... Farewell
To Sorrow
MICHAEL
This Is My Life And I,

BOTH
Want To See You For Always
I Just Can’t Stop Loving You

PRINCESS
No, Baby

MICHAEL
Oh!

BOTH
I Just Can’t Stop Loving You
PRINCESS
If I Can’t Stop!
BOTH
And If I Stop...
PRINCESS
No
MICHAEL
Oh! Oh! Oh ... Oh...

PRINCESS
What Will I Do? Uh ... Ooh...
(Then Tell Me, Just What
Will I Do)

BOTH
I Just Can’t Stop Loving You

A call from Ken woke me up the next morning at ten am. The song I recently attached to his phone number was “Building the Barricade” from LES MISÉRABLES.

“Yeah Ken, what’s going on?

“Do you want to take a walkthrough at the Mansion? I can get you up-to-date on everything if you’d like?”

“Sure, sounds like fun. We can be there in fifteen minutes.”

“We?”

“I’m not allowed to drive by myself, yet.”

“I understand, see you in fifteen, Boss,” as I heard a light chuckle on his end of the phone.

The naked body that was laying on me stirred, “Who was that, Michael?” my lovely fiancée asked.

I explained, and then I texted Jennie and Isabel I would be gone with my girl for a while.

We had a quick shower together and were on our way to the Mansion. It was empty of people working, so this would be quiet and hopefully interesting. I had told Jenn to wear flats, to which she was thankful. She was on my arm.

We took the elevator up to the top, so he could show me what was going on. Jenn gripped me rather tightly.

“Are you afraid of heights?” I asked her.

“A little,” she answered.

“Go ahead Ken, show us what we are looking at besides a butt load of steel.”

My lady giggled as he explained and pointed everything out. Afterward, he said, “I have been approached by all the national carriers wanting to put a cell tower on the building.”

“By all, you mean Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint?”

“Yes, Michael. Only AT&T has towers anywhere close to us, but the other three want to get in on this tall building we have.”

“I don’t want four towers, that would look ugly and garish,” I said. “Maybe on the hotel, when it’s finished.”

“I agree with you, and there is a new generation of tower technology that they can share. AT&T has a tower on Executive Boulevard on the northeast side of town.”

“That’s the side of town that is expected to grow very quickly,” I said. “Would they take it down after this one was up and running?”

“Probably not, these guys are very competitive.”

“How much would we get from these overcharging corporations?” I asked.

“How about, $2,000 per month, from each of them?” Ken said.

“I would prefer $2,500 per company, that rounds up nicely to $10,000 a month in income for the corporation. What do you think about that, Jennifer?”

“I’m out of my depth of knowledge around you two, whatever Michael thinks is good, probably is,” she said. “Can we go back down, please?”

“Sorry about that. I wanted to give Michael some perspective of the whole project,” Ken said.

We headed down, then did a slow walkaround the perimeter of the complex.

“I had no idea this place was going to be so big,” my pretty lady said.

“With the tower, this ‘Mansion’ will be over one 155 feet tall. The outside dimensions are right at 1175 feet from north to south and 788 feet east to west,” Ken explained. “The large theater should hold between 23,500 and 26,500 people ... while the smaller theatre will hold about 400 or so.” He also pointed out where the walkover would be from the hotel.

“Wow,” We said.

“Here on the east face is where the offices will be, six per floor, on all six floors. All planning to be nice enough to earn two grand each per month in leasing income,” Ken said.

“Wow,” I said. “That’s another seventy-two grand a month in income.”