Chapter 4: Full House

“Alright, I’ll do it,” I said. I could feel his suspicion through my phone.

“What...?” Davee replied hesitantly.

“The advance thingy,” I replied, “and the other thing too.”

“You mean the book signing...?” He was pushing the disbelief thing right now.

“Yeah, that. Just tell me when and where I have to be and I’ll do it.”

“Okay ... what the hell Alex,” he snorted, “what has changed?”

I looked over at the twins as they sat on the floor coloring in their books, using Gunner and Libby as backrests. Lupi was placing hers and the girl’s clothes in the wide dresser against the wall in the master bedroom. She was still quiet and reserved about the whole thing but her mother’s insistence pushed her to accept my offer.

“I just thought it might be nice to have a little extra capital handy. And it would be nice to be able to meet and greet some of my readers,” I tried to sound sincere but he clearly wasn’t buying it.

“You want to meet me at Starbucks tomorrow or would you like me to come over there?”

“Why did we have to meet up?” I asked curiously. I was rewarded with one of his patented, ‘I’m So Gay’ sighs.

“Oh Alex,” he crooned, “you have so much yet to learn about this business.” It would have been patronizing coming from anyone else. “Look, big guy, numero uno — I need you to sign the contract and a million other little things, and numero dos — I’m not about to put a check this big in the mail.”

Wait ... what? “You already ... how did you...?”

“You think I got this far without knowing how to plan for all contingencies? Please, you insult me!” his drama just didn’t cut it for me.

“How much is the check for?”

“Well now, you will just have to meet me at Starbees tomorrow and find out now, won’t you?” he teased, “oh and be a sweetheart and email me what you have completed for your new book, won’t you?”

I cringed when he kissed my ear through the phone. I set it down and looked up to find Lupi gazing at me from the hallway that led to the bedrooms. She was wearing an oversized button-up flannel shirt that fell to her mid-thighs. It was easy to imagine that she wore nothing beneath it. I tried not to gape at her tanned legs and bare feet.

“Is everything okay, Alex?” she asked quietly.

I shook myself out of my rapture and stammered, “Yeah, yeah. We’re good.” I opened my laptop and went about calling up my story and converting it to.pdf. “I um, have to go meet with my uh ... colleague tomorrow.” Once it was converted, I attached it to an email to Davee and sent it off. Closing the laptop, I glanced back over to her and invited her to sit on the loveseat next to me. She padded over and delicately sat in it drawing her feet up beneath her. So much leg...

“Tomorrow is Saturday,” I said, “do you have any clients?”

She shook her head and looked over at the girls. Lulu was still coloring while Didi appeared to be drifting off. “You are my only client so far,” she offered quietly.

I considered that for a moment. “So, you just started doing the cleaning gig?”

She nodded. “Dante didn’t like my last job and made me quit,” she replied.

‘Oh boy, gotta ask... ‘ “What was your last job? If I may ask?”

She looked up. “I worked at a Health Spa as a massage therapist,” she answered, “I also did facials and mani/pedis.”

That’s it? Here I thought she was a stripper or exotic dancer ... I cleared my throat. “Uh ... wow!” I stammered, “I’m sorry he did that to you. I ... um. You don’t have to keep cleaning just for my sake you know...”

She sat upright and shook her head. “Oh, I will certainly keep cleaning, it is the least I can do...” her voice faded off as she bit her lip, “I was wanting to ask ... you,” The conflict was written all over her face and I held out my hand to catch her eyes.

“Lupi,” I said reassuringly, “I think I know what is bothering you, so can I just put this to rest right now?”

She swallowed and nodded.

“I don’t know what ... arrangements you had with Dante,” I looked over at the girls and she guiltily followed my gaze, “but you are not expected to pay me back ... in any way. I am offering you my home free of rent or ... obligation.”

She looked as uncomfortable as I felt.

“You are free to stay for as long as you want, and if you say it’s time to go tomorrow, I will do everything I can to help you relocate, but I hope you will stay a while.” I sat forward, “Anyway, about tomorrow, I was going to ask if you wanted to go with me to take care of a few chores. I need to stop at Starbucks and meet with my buddy in the morning. We can bring the girls and maybe go out for breakfast.”

“That would be nice,” she admitted, “My mom wants to come over and see what our living arrangements are like,” She frowned, “she can be...”

“A mother,” I finished with a smile, “after breakfast, I think we need to swing by the AT&T store and see about getting you a new phone of your own.”

Her eyes grew wide. “But I can’t...” I held up a hand gently to stop her protest.

“This may feel awkward, but I just want to put you on my current plan and add another line — then no matter what happens in the future you will keep it. If you want to eventually put it under your plan, we can do that.”

“I ... don’t know what to say,” she hesitated, “you are being so wonderful and generous.”

I shrugged. “For now, I just want you to take it easy and get back to the important things in life,” I nodded at her little girls, “later, we will work on getting you set up for success.”

The 747 wide body was only 2/3 full as it carried us across the Atlantic toward our chosen destination for our 30-day medical leave. After our rescue, we were taken to the battalion aid station and from there promptly air evacuated to the USNS Comfort which sailed around the Gulf of Oman; receiving and treating casualties from all over the Middle East. Our physical injuries were far less concerning than the psychological trauma we endured. Fortunately, the hospital ship was well prepared for our mental recuperation and we were segregated from most of the common sick bays and wards. They kept us close together because of the unique bond we had, by nature of our shared experience.

After two weeks of intense therapy and counseling, we were encouraged to take an extended leave. We chose to spend it together and decided to go as far away from the ‘sandbox’ as we could get, so we decided on Hawaii. We were given priority booking at the Hale Koa military resort in Waikiki. But first, we had to fly for more than a day to get there. We enjoyed virtual isolation as we sat together right behind First Class. The cabin was darkened and we slept for most of the transatlantic flight. I reclined with the window to my right while (Olivia) Gomez stretched out across the remaining seats with her head on my lap. She took advantage of all the extra blankets and essentially disappeared beneath a pile of covers.

I woke suddenly to the sensation of small warm fingers opening the fly of my khaki shorts and caressing the flesh of my swelling cock. I jerked awake and looked down only to see several blankets strewn across my lap. Somewhere beneath them she reached inside my skivvies and gripped my dick with sure fingers. I groaned involuntarily as she stroked my length. I lifted my hips and she pulled my shorts down until I was free and exposed. Then she took my head into her mouth and began sucking me eagerly. My mind burst with erotic sensory overload as she lavished my shaft and balls with her gentle hands and tongue.

Looking about the darkened cabin I saw no sign of other passengers or flight attendants. I groaned urgently and sighed as she took me fully into her mouth and began bobbing and sucking on me hard. I placed my hands under the covers until I felt her hair and scalp and gripped her head tightly, pushing her further and further onto my length. She moaned, sending tingling sensations through my groin and into my brain. I began moving my hips in time with her as she swallowed and gripped me with her throat muscles.

I felt myself gasping shallowly as I tried to resist my imminent climax. It was no use however, and I began jerking erratically as my balls lurched up inside my pubis, pumping my seed down my shaft and into her drooling mouth. For her part, she valiantly struggled to swallow and gulp as I flooded her with cum. Her groans and gasps pushed me over the top as I completely dominated her. After several bursts, my orgasm began fading and I felt myself wilting under her sucking lips.

Once my breathing returned to normal, I found her sitting up and smiling brightly at me in the dark. She was pressed against me and I found myself enveloping her in my arms. She pressed her warm mouth against mine, kissing me deeply and passionately.

“Oh my God!” I whispered panting against her mouth, “What was that for?”

She rested her head against my chest. “I needed that as much as you Bishop,” she replied, “I need you even more.” Her hand reached down and began gripping and stroking me again, slowly coaxing my cock back to attention. “I need you to make love to me,” she panted into my ear, “please ... I can’t explain it,” she nodded her head towards the unoccupied lavatory across the aisle from us, “we have a whole month together and I desperately need you to fuck away all the bad things they did to me.”

I didn’t need her to explain. No words could describe the bond we shared through our mutual experience nor my sense of compassion and longing to share her burden and relieve her of it any way I could. I shifted myself enough to hike up my shorts and button them before following her into the aisle and the cubicle beyond.

I woke up on the full-sized bed in the office, laying on my belly, in naught but my simple olive-green PT shorts. I became aware of a small presence pressed into my side and turned to find one of the twins sprawled on her back between me and the wall. She wore a soft one-piece jumper for her PJs and her legs and bare feet were draped across my bare back. I was surprised that she was able to come into the room, climb onto my bed, and over the top of me — all without waking me. Glancing at my watch I saw it was still way too early, so I re-fluffed my pillow, repositioned the tyke so she could share it, and nodded back off.

Two hours later it was still dark out, but that was typical for my early morning routine. I felt stiffer and achier than yesterday and quietly padded to the utility room on the other side of the house, where the other toilet was. I moved my shaving kit and meds to this half bath to avoid disturbing my guests(?) when I got up. Taking my medications with a swallow of tap water, I went to the kitchen and let Gunner and Libby out to take care of their business while I made a pot of coffee. Neither of them seemed interested in breakfast when they returned. Instead, they wandered back to the bedrooms, splitting forces as Libby headed into the master and Gunner the office. I followed quietly and watched him sidle up to my bunk and sniff around then gracefully climb up and make a few circles before plopping down next to the blissfully unaware 6-year-old.

I finally dropped into my recliner and sipped my coffee, taking stock of my aches, pains, and issues. I realized that yesterday was the last day of my steroid pack so the prednisone was likely wearing off. Damn, it sure felt good while it lasted. I swore I would not let myself get back to the point where I relied upon the walker just to get around. I got up and went back to my bathroom to swallow an 800mg Motrin just to be safe. It took two swallows of coffee to get the horse pill down.

I thought a great deal about Lupi and how little I knew about her. Eventually, we would get to know each other better. In the meantime, I wanted to set her mind at ease so that she could focus on the important things in life, like raising those two incredible girls she was so blessed to have. I opened my laptop and began scrolling through used vehicles for sale. I couldn’t very well expect her to hop behind the wheel of my Bronco with its 4-speed manual transmission. And even that two-door beast wasn’t big enough to haul around the four of us and two giant dogs. ‘I wonder if she is more of a Suburban girl or a Prius girl?’ For some reason, I just couldn’t see her behind the wheel of a Humvee like ... shit!

The pain crept out of nowhere and sucker-punched me when I least expected it. Goddammit! I closed my eyes tightly and took several breaths before I exhaled and looked about the darkened room. It was the first time I had done that and not found my Springfield fitting comfortably in my dominant hand.

We spent the first week of our leave almost entirely in my bed. We had separate rooms but mine was better because of my rank, so we slept there on those rare occasions when we weren’t fucking each other’s brains out — and we were constantly fucking. Our sex was intense and as physical as combat. We used each other without guilt or regret as we coupled and thrashed about. Nor were we quiet about it as we drove each other to incredible sexual heights. The resort staff never said anything to me about it, but I noticed the looks from a few of them whenever we stepped out for fresh air or food.

It wasn’t until our second week there, that we found the time and desire to do something other than just bone each other. We began walking on the beach in the sun (and often at night under the moon as well). We enjoyed the sights and found ourselves in a place where the people and places around us mattered once again. Sometimes we sat together and just held hands quietly as we people watched. Other times we relaxed in a café with coffees or at a bar with tropical fruity drinks. Mostly we just talked. Over time we discussed everything about what happened to us and how we were going to be able to get over it. That we would, was never debated — we were Marines. But the flashbacks, dreams, and sudden chills that shook us from reverie — those we talked about and analyzed why they had such a grip on our psyches.

It was me who finally stepped up to the plate and took a swing at the big white elephant that neither of us was willing to address — us. We were holding hands on the beach one evening. The gentle off-shore breeze was warm against our skins and we were far enough away from the high-rises that the stars seemed brighter than usual. We left our shoes behind at the beach gate. Neither of us had spoken for some time and when I stopped in my tracks Gomez turned to look back at me curiously. She saw my troubled look and touched my cheek. “What is it Bish?” she asked with concern.

I stared back at her and swallowed nervously, causing more anxiety as she tried to ascertain my unease. “What?” she asked again, “what’s the matter?”

I held her hand tightly and took a deep breath. ‘Soldier on Marine.’ “Um, Olivia,” saying her first name alone made her eyebrows rise, “I know we have talked a lot. I mean about everything,” why was I sounding like such a pussy? “But I need to tell you something I haven’t brought up yet.” I swallowed and took her other hand. Could she tell they were sweating suddenly?

“Alex goddammit what is it? You’re starting to freak me out?” she blurted.

“I’m sorry I’m not trying to,” I replied uneasily, “it’s just that ... this whole thing has really fucked us up. You know?” I didn’t wait for her to answer, “I’m probably gonna be fucked up for a long time and you probably will be too.” I decided now would be a great time to cop a squat, so I sank down to rest my butt in the sand and invited her to sit on my lap. “What I am sure of is that you and I are the only two people on the planet who get it and understand just how fucked up we are. And I um ... I don’t want to give that up.”

Once she understood my mumblings, I felt her relax and she pressed her lips against mine for a second before wrapping her arms around me. “Oh God Alex, I thought it was something bad!” she breathed against my ear, “God baby I will always be here for you no matter what happens. Even after we get out...”