Chapter 211: Breakfast Trial

Monday, July 12, 1971

“Ug-g-g...” I grunted as I opened my eyes to the first rays of light streaming through the open windows. It took me a minute, but I soon realized I had forgotten to close the drapes, or to get out of my clothes before I fell asleep last night.

Fortunately, I saw the bedside clock before I looked at my wrist for the time. It was 7:30.

“I wonder what time that is back home?” I thought to myself.

“He’s awake!” squeaked someone. It almost sounded like they were waiting on me.

“Good afternoon, my prince,” said Ileana as she leaned over to kiss me. When she did, the sheet slipped to reveal those almost perfect breasts. I couldn’t help but stare.

“Almost perfect?” she teased.

“Please, don’t make me explain this early!” I begged. “Besides, I’m starved.”

“Well, okay. But don’t think I’m going to forget about it,” she said with a smile. “Go jump in the shower and I’ll start you a cup of coffee. They have this cute little coffee maker right in the room.”

“Would you order me some breakfast from room service?” I asked as I turned on the water.

“Uh-huh,” Ileana said as she shook her head negatively. “You have to meet your fiancées in the dining room in twenty minutes.”

“Are you serious?” I yelled above the sound of the water. “I didn’t think they were speaking to me.”

“They weren’t,” Ileana said calmly as she slipped into the shower with me. This was the Sheraton’s largest suite and the shower was correspondingly sized. “But now they have something to tell you. I’ll say no more, so shut up, and let me bathe you.”

As she toweled me dry and fussed with my hair before watching me don the clothes she had laid out, I told her, “I feel like the condemned man being led to the gallows.”

“You’re being silly,” she laughed. “We don’t use hanging anymore. We have a guillotine.”

Somehow, that didn’t make me feel better.

As I exited the bedroom, I found Robert, Hanna’s dad, waiting. And I could tell he was armed. This was not good. I found myself wondering how much he knew and why he was here, and armed.

“I’m helping Kip with security this morning. He, Beth, Luisa, and Karla are with the girls in the dining room,” Robert offered. “I don’t think that Anna feels very good this morning.”

“You alright?” I asked as I quickly connected with Anna.

“I’ll be okay. It’s just a little morning-sickness,” she replied.

“Well, okay then,” I said. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. After all, I have to take care of the few people who are still talking to me.”

“Quit that, Michael. They all love you. It just surprised them to discover that Mr. Sensitive could be so insensitive sometimes. And they didn’t know how to deal with it.”

“Did YOU know I had an insensitive side?” I asked her directly.

“Of course! Like Sandy says, you’re a dufus. But you’re our dufus!” she thought, laughing merrily.

“But...” I started.

“Just listen to them, Michael. Listen with your heart and all will be fine,” she told me.

“Uh ... thanks, I guess,” I thought as the elevator arrived in the lobby. With Ileana on my arm and Robert behind me, I took a deep breath and stepped into the lion’s den ... er, the dining room.

The Sheraton had given us one of their smaller, private dining rooms and assigned a half-dozen or more servers to wait on us. After they took my order, I did a quick security scan out of habit.

“All clear,” I announced to Kip and the other security personnel.

As I waited on my breakfast, I tried hard not to focus too much on the dozen girls that sat at the table across from me. I didn’t dare to scan them though, as I didn’t want to piss them off any more. However, that didn’t stop Vickie from scanning me, AND connecting all the other girls as well.

This was one area that Vickie’s ability had seemed to pass my own. She had become the master at handling multiple connections with emotions and thoughts going both ways at the same time. That was a lot harder than handling hundreds of one-way connections.

“Thank you, Michael,” Vickie thought to me. “You’ve taught me well.”

“You’re welcome,” I replied. “Can you give me a clue about what’s going on?”