Chapter 37

February 1^st, 2007, Wednesday

Yan

“Good idea...” Yan said around a mouthful of ice cream and strawberry syrup.

“Hard to go wrong with ice cream,” Jason said.

Yan watched him go somewhere else as he fell into a thousand mile stare.

She was patient, enjoying her ice cream, letting him be wherever he’d gone to.

When he blinked and smiled and refused to meet her gaze, she said, “So, where were you?”

“Uh ... well ... whenever Mom ... was inappropriate ... she’d apologize over sundaes. And ... and she’d tell me being the way she was, she did a lot of wrong things...”

“But it was hard to go wrong with ice cream,” Yan finished.

“Yeah...” Jason raised his eyes to Yan’s face. “So ... sometimes ... tasty sundaes can get a little bittersweet.”

“Husband ... god, I don’t know quite how to ask this...”

“Just ask,” Jason replied, smiling at her.

“How fucked up are you by the whole thing with your mother?”

“I don’t know. Pretty sure it’s more fucked-up than most of you think ... more fucked up than I’d ever want to be.”

He went back to his fudge sauce on Rocky Road.

“Don’t get the wrong impression,” Yan said. “You’re more together than I would be under similar circumstances ... it’s just ... it’s like your memories are a minefield – and while I’ve never seen you blow up, sometimes you have to turn and go around certain memories or you get that distant look and you’re sad all of a sudden.”

“Yeah ... do I stay sad?”

“Sometimes. That’s when we all work a little harder to make you happy again. And trust me, we don’t mind ... we just wish ... your memories weren’t such a minefield.”

“Me too. Pretty sure snuggling up with you tonight will help, though.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Harry

When he woke, Camille was close by, as she was his body servant. Otherwise, his companions weren’t the usual.

Martha was beside him, an arm and leg thrown across him. Andrea’s angelic face was on the pillow next to his as she spooned with the top half of Martha’s body. He could hear Galena and Regina talking softly from close to the foot of the bed near him. From the wet sounds and slight shaking of the bed, he was pretty sure Javier and Patrick were entertaining several of Harry’s wives.

“Did you really enjoy me last night, Sir?” Martha whispered.

“Yes I most certainly did,” Harry replied at the same volume. “You need to conquer your self-doubts. You’re soft and warm and passionate. Those are all wonderful traits in a lover. If you’re not careful, I’ll urge Galena to transfer ownership of you to me.”

“You wouldn’t, Sir. Don’t tease...”

“Galena,” Harry said, slightly louder, “what would you want in exchange for Martha?”

“You can’t afford her, Harry,” Galena replied. “Carol would be an equal trade ... but you’ve got nothing else I want badly enough.”

“She’s our hearth-fire, Master,” Regina said. “Please don’t take her.”

“See,” Harry said. “Plus, you’re going to be in close proximity to my son, who is even more of an ass man than I am. That big soft bottom of yours is going to hypnotize him, I promise. He’s going to be all up in your firmament. From what I know of my daughters-in-law, they’ll be fascinated by your soft breasts. And all of them will treat your sweet pussy very well indeed.”

“If you say so, Sir.”

“Next week, you see if I’m not right. You’re lovely, Martha, and our House has plenty of people who appreciate it.”

“I did feel very appreciated last night, Sir...”

“If you’re still here when I get back from the bathroom, you’ll feel appreciated this morning.”

“Sir, not until I’ve cleaned up...”

“Then you’d better get that luscious ass in motion, woman, because I’m about to be up and moving. Camille!”

“Yes, Master, ready to assist you.”

“They did a number on her,” Harry murmured to Galena an hour later as Martha was away getting coffee service for them.

“Yes they did,” Galena replied. “She wasn’t young and pretty anymore so her House cast Martha aside. Didn’t use her in any capacity whatsoever. Told her she was a waste of skin.”

“Sometimes people in our Society make me want to set them on fire.”

“I agree. You’ve enjoyed her considerable physical charms, she’s a damn fine cook, housekeeper ... and like Reggie said, she’s our hearth-fire. When any of us need comfort, she’s who we go to first.”

“Really, how much do you want for her?”

Galena gently slapped his face.

“No, Harry, you can’t have her. Martha has a place with me for the rest of her life.”

“Good ... how much for Regina?”

“Enough, Harry ... developing a taste for younger women too?”

“Silly question. I’ve always had a taste for younger women ... or did you not notice that last night?”

“Oh, I noticed. Reggie’s another one. Her parents should be beaten to death – slowly. A lot of the kids in school bear blame as well, but it started at home. Kids just reinforced what she heard every day of her life.”

“I see her being much like Jackie in a few years.”

“I hope so ... I can’t believe you gave up Jackie and Lisa!”

“Didn’t want to, but Jason and his crew need them ... thought we were going to have to sedate Kelly though...”

“I imagine so,” Galena replied, chuckling. “How’s Esther doing?”

“There’s another one the world kicked the shit out of,” Harry said. “She’s comfortable with us, I think she’s gotten over being frightened we’ll hurt her or throw her away ... but in her dreams? No such security. About every other night now, a great improvement from several times a night, the nightmares come and in that moment when she wakes up? All the insecurity and terror fills her head. She doesn’t recognize any of us, can’t believe she’s not back in the bad places in the bad years.

“Doesn’t last long, not anymore. But even after Esther knows where she is, that she’s safe and loved ... it takes a while for her to calm down.”

“Harry ... tonight you’re going to be entertaining Jessica and her group. I know you want to fuck Jessica’s brains out...”

“Oh yeah, gonna enjoy it.”

“And Quan ... swear to God that woman would – and could – pretend to be hating everything being done to her while climaxing constantly. She’s fun ... but at times having that fun feels a little ... rapey?”

“Yeah, Jessica told me about that. It’ll be okay after we have a talk with her beforehand.”

“Which brings me to Wendy...”

“Yeah...”

“You can be affectionate with Wendy, hug her, hold her ... but poor Patrick found out the hard way that if you’re a guy and make a romantic or overtly sexual move toward her ... she freezes up. Now, I think the day is coming when that changes – I believe Wendy’s bisexual as they come – but she’s got some hard-wired fear in her head. Just be careful.”

“Thanks for the warning. Any words of wisdom about Chatsirree and Jamnit?”

“Yeah,” Galena laughed. “You know Chats, intimately, and you’ve played with Jamnit a time or two. Chats is very open to new experiences, you know that. Jamnit? Oh my God ... absolutely ready to charge into anything just to see if she likes it. And from what I’ve seen, she likes everything.”

“Example...”

“Okay, we were visiting them one night and the conversation turned to fetishes...”

“The way it does around here,” Harry laughed.

“Yeah. Anyway, someone mentioned foot fetishists, and Jamnit pops up and wants to try it. Well, end of the work day, Andrea and I hadn’t bothered to clean up – it was gonna be a short visit, and she decides to start with our feet. No washing, nothing, just straight out of the shoes and socks and into her mouth.

“Ends up with Andrea sitting in my lap, Jamnit between our legs, my left big toe and Andrea’s right stuck in Jamnit’s mouth – tiny as it is – and she’s making love to our toes. She’s holding our feet together, licking and sucking our big toes, periodically leaving them to bathe our feet with her tongue, stimulate our other toes, and the little slut orgasms, without touching herself.

“Neither Andrea nor I were far behind her. Before the night was done, she had Javier’s big toe – ‘cause he’s got the biggest feet – in her cunt and my big toe up her ass. She’s placed everybody else’s feet against her body in various positions she liked, and is tonguing Martha’s toes like they’re lollipops.

The dear little freak is writhing and twisting, hemmed in by feet and legs, grinding on Javier’s and my toes, fucking herself with them ... it was ... okay, it was very erotic. Everybody got off multiple times that evening ... thank God it was a Friday night and I didn’t have work the next day. Andrea did have work Saturday and she got there late.

“In the moment ... I thought the foot funk was going to be a turn-off, but the smells of horny men and women completely ... changed it, I guess. I mean, I barely noticed it, but Patrick, for example, it hit him hard and he damn near fucked Chats’ ass out!”

“So ... don’t bring up anything unless I want to watch Jamnit take it to the extreme...” Harry said.

“Yeah ... the girl is fearless and freaky beyond my ability to describe.”

“Good to know.”

“Coffee is here, Master, Madam, Mistresses...” Martha said, wheeling in the cart.

“Seriously, Galena, how much do you want?”

Eddie

“Of course they’re all fired up and ready to do it,” Eddie grumbled. “They’re gawddamn crazy...”

“No way of getting them home sooner?” Shaun asked.

“No. They’re in Atlanta through Friday, will fly home that afternoon. The final meeting with the clients is over lunch. They’re heading home after that.”

“So ... I can have them Monday?”

“Yeah ... the boss says we don’t have any assignments for the next two weeks so it would all be in-office-make-work.”

“What’s this going to cost your team?”

“How do you mean?”

“Time away from work...”

“You don’t worry about that. Bossman’s gonna call it ‘paid time off’ ... pretty sure he’s still feeling so guilty over the whole Pyanmar thing that our family could ask him for anything and he’d agree.”

“I’ve been authorized to pay your team’s wages for the duration of this project, plus bonuses should things be judged ‘hazardous’.”

“I am gonna beat Harry’s ass...”

“No, ‘fraid not. You’d have to beat Madam’s ass ... that would go poorly for you. So inform your employer he doesn’t need to pay your team, unless he chooses to. In that case ... bonus cash.”

“So my love, is it good to be home?” Tamara asked, sitting on the edge of his bed.

“Yeah ... really want outta these gawddamn casts...”

“Husband, you will not rush this. You will follow your doctor’s orders or all of the women in your life, and I do mean all of them, will beat you everywhere you aren’t already hurting.”

“I am soooo pussy...”

“The sentence stops there.”

Eddie grinned.

“Yeah it does. It’s good to be home, it’s good Rachel’s calming down...”

“Now that you’re a daily part of her life, beloved ... her reactions to your absence are getting worse.”

“Shit...”

“She wants to behave,” Tamara said, “but it rarely works out that way when you’re out of town.”

The two of them were silent for a while, Tamara’s hand on Eddie’s side.

“You know you could work for Harry as security here...” Tamara said softly.

“No. I understand, baby, I really do. I don’t want to leave ever again. But ... hiding here for the rest of my life...”

“But you could,” Tamara replied. “I don’t mean no trips to Waterloo, once things calm down. I just...”

“I know.”

They sat in silence yet again, listening to the hum of the House around them for another half hour.

“How scared are you?” Tamara asked, her voice soft and timid.

“Terrified. I’m ... honey ... I haven’t been this scared since I crippled Rachel.”

“And how will you handle this fear,” she said.

“I’m going to make Wolfgang Anson pay and I’ll cheat to do it. And it’s not some macho toxic masculinity “I have to beat him so I’ll feel like a man again” ... if I let this fear rule me, control me ... I’m no good to you or anyone else.”

“There are other ways you could manage your fear...”

“There are,” Eddie said, “and I’ll be talking to Chess about that. But in the end, Anson needs to go down, and if that also helps me, it’s a bonus.”

Jason

Li Biming finally put in an appearance at breakfast. He didn’t look ancient, but Jason’s best guess was he could be anywhere from thirty to sixty ... maybe even older.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir,” Jason said.

Li Biming smiled and nodded.

Jason was at a loss as to what else to say, but was saved by Yan’s arrival at the table.

“Biming, good to see you again,” she said, hugging him.

“Good to see you as well, Ms. Yan,” he said, returning her hug.

She sat down next to him.

“So, what’s the plan? I know Grandmother wants this done quickly...”

“Yes, she’s most insistent and for good reason. This afternoon I plan to speak with the three of you,” Li Biming said, turning to Jason. “It will not be pleasant as I wish to ask about your kidnapping, torture, and escape.”

“I’m glad you understand it will be unpleasant for us, sir.”

“I do and I truly wish it weren’t necessary. By tomorrow, I should have preliminary sketches. The three of you will look them over, offer feedback. Hopefully final designs will be ready by tomorrow evening ... however, if they’re not, don’t worry. We’ll take as long as we need to get them right.”

“And then you’ll do them?” Jason asked.

“The first stage, yes. Unless you are particularly enamored of pain, the work would best be spread out over several sessions. These are going to be large and intricate.

“But the most important parts will be finished in these initial sessions.”

“The parts...” Donna said.

“That show you are Scions of House Plum Blossom.”

“I wish we all weren’t so worried those would be necessary,” Yan said.

“Your grandmother wishes that as well,” Li Biming said. “But your spouses-to-be seem to be dangerously adept at attracting the wrong kind of attention.”

“An unfortunately true story,” Jason sighed.

“You are blessed with an excellent chef,” Li Biming said over after-breakfast coffee.

“Yes we are,” Jason replied.

Across the table, Estrellita blushed.

“Whomever gifted her to you should make a good ally,” Li Biming said. “They obviously want to be viewed favorably...”

“Master Ruiz and Mistress Pena were courting my step-parents’ favor more than mine,” Jason replied. “All of the gifts of ... staff ... are excellent with one exception, and that issue’s been taken care of.”

Jason smiled at Evangeline.

“Not to argue the point, but Estrellita?”

“Yes, Master Biming?”

“What was your price, before any deals were made?”

“One-hundred-and-fifty-thousand dollars, Master Biming.”
“I assert if Master Ruiz and Mistress Pena were spending that sum to curry favor with your step-parents, Estrellita would be serving them instead of you.”

“He has a point,” Yan said. “I could see writing off a third of that, fifty thousand dollars, as currying favor with the Grimes. The rest...”

“Let’s table this for the moment,” Li Biming said. “It’s something for you to think about, not worry over.”

Evangeline

She was pleased by their testing results.

“Jason, you’re ahead of where you should be at your age, and that’s wonderful.

“Donna, you are a strong case for arguing your Karghold’s educational system should be adopted elsewhere. Way ahead of your age group.

“Lizzy, no problem at all with starting you on college courses.

“Abby, you can catch up with Jason in a year or less. You’re nowhere as behind as you feared, and far more intelligent than you believe.”

She tried not to smile at the looks of relief on her students’ faces.

“Friday we can start you on your studies, but today let’s talk about what excites you, what you most want to learn...”

Damn but they were good kids ... well, young adults.