Chapter 15

The next morning Ali and Bill were having breakfast when Jennifer came out of the bedroom wearing one of the hotel's short terry bathrobes. She came up to Ali, kissed her, and said, "Good morning, Mom!"

Ali smiled at the girl and said, "Jen, you've been telling me that you owe me. Do you really mean it?"

The girl looked shocked. "Of course I mean it! Why? What can I do for you? Anything at all!"

Ali smiled her sunshine smile. "Jen, it seems you've adopted me as your new mother. Nothing has ever made me happier or more proud. Now could you unbend your pride a little more and apologize to your father, too? Darling, you hurt him far more than you did me. And he's known you far longer, too."

Jen looked startled. She turned and gracefully went down on her knees in front of her father. "Dad, can you find it in your heart to forgive me?" Tears began to run down her cheeks as she said, "I know I hurt you. I also hurt your wife — my new mother — who I now know loves me. In spite of all I've done to her, Dad, she really loves me and forgave me! Could you forgive me, too?"

Bill got up from his chair. Ali could see the moistness in his eyes, too. He lifted Jennifer up and held her in his arms. He said, "Pumpkin, I've always loved you and always will. You're my little girl. Now are we back on speaking terms?"

"Oh God, yes! Thank you, Dad!"

"Then would you please do me a favor? Tear up that letter and the copy on file? Jen, I'll tell you a true story: Your mother is probably the best money manager in the world today — doing it in her spare time, of course. She's making money far faster than we can possibly spend it. Can't I get you to take a couple of bucks from time to time? It would be a big help to both of us if you took some of it off our hands."

Jennifer looked from her father to Ali and then back. Then with a bright grin she said, "Well, as long as you recognize the sacrifice I'll be making. And we understand I'm only making the sacrifice because you're my parents and I love you both so damned much. Okay, Dad, I'll take some of your excess money."

Ali got up and kissed Jen warmly. She said, "Jen, welcome back, darling. We've missed you!"

Ali called and ordered breakfast for Jennifer. Then she asked Jen what she and Steve were planning.

"Mom, I guess I'm flying out to Chicago to meet Steve's parents." Jen looked worried as she said, "Mom and Dad, I forced Steve to make me a promise. The only way I'll marry him is if he allows me to tell his parents I've been working as a stripper. Dad, because his father's a friend of yours I'm also going to tell him how I tried to destroy your marriage — as well as the finest person alive, my new mother. If they say no — and they should — I told Steve I'll be his mistress for as long as he wants me."

Bill looked at Ali and said, "Darling, why is it I think she must be your daughter? That's exactly what you would do, isn't it?" Ali just smiled and gripped his hand. He asked, "Jen, when do you plan on leaving?"

"I guess in a couple of days. I told Steve I'm not going to quit my job until I come back — and then only if we're going to get married. I told him that as his mistress I would continue to work. He can bring his friends over to see what he's sleeping with. The boss won't like me taking a leave of absence but there's not much he can say. He claims I'm really packing the house."

Ali asked with a grin, "Bill, could you go out and play with Steve? Do the things little boys do when the girls aren't around? I have something very important to do with our daughter. And she's the only one we've got."

She turned to the girl and said, "Get your tail in gear! Take a shower and get dressed; your breakfast will be here in about five minutes. Now scoot!" Ali gave the girl a pinch on her bare bottom under the short skirt of the robe. The girl yelped, rubbed her bottom, but ran for her room.

Bill took Ali in his arms and kissed her. "Darling, you still never cease to amaze me. You have transformed that girl. And, darling, she really loves you! I think she loves you more than she loved her real mother — honest! You're much more loving and warm. Now what are you two going to be doing?"

Ali grinned and said, "Just girl things. As I said before, you and Steve go out and play like good little boys. Bill, I'll bet you can clean his clock on the golf course. How about that?"

Bill grinned and went to take a shower. Then Ali called the office and Judy Jeffries answered. "Judy, it's Ali. Something very important has just come up. I need the entire staff in the office to meet with a new client in the conference room in an hour. Are Ginger and Sandy both in town today? I really need them both to be there, too."

"Ali, they're in town and should both be in. But you know how it is when you make your living on your back with your legs spread!" Judy yelped and said, "Oh God, Ali, I said that and then moved my own legs — it's excruciating! I guess I'm not fully used to taking Mike yet. Now I understand why Sandy could hardly walk! I'm not in condition yet, but I'm sure trying! We'll see you soon, Boss."

Jennifer came out of the room closing the door softly behind her. Like Ali, she was dressed in tight jeans and a chambray shirt. She shook her head in mock disgust. "Men! They just can't take it. Mom, Steve took me this morning and then just rolled over and went back to sleep. What can we do?"

"Get a vibrator?" Ali asked innocently.

Jennifer hugged Ali and said softly, "God, I love you, Mom!"

The breakfast cart appeared and Jennifer quickly devoured a huge breakfast. She said, "I'm all set, Mom. What now?"

"Now we get going. Come on."

They went out front where Ali's convertible was waiting, then roared off and headed downtown for Ali's office while Jennifer just reclined her seat back and soaked up the sun. Her hair was blowing in the wind and the girl seemed to love it. She seemed completely unconcerned about their destination. Ali parked in her reserved space and they went up to her office. When they reached the thirty-eighth floor and got off the elevator, Jen saw the office entrance and stopped in her tracks.

"Oh, Mom! It's gorgeous. My God, what an idiot I was. This law firm is for real! But what are we here for? Do you need to get something?"

Ali just grinned and the two went in. Judy was behind her desk and Ali winked at her. She asked, "Are the others in the conference room?" Judy said they were. Ali told her to lock the door and come on back. Then she led the way back to the conference room and opened the door. The girls were talking but quieted as soon as Ali appeared with the new client they had heard about. Asking Jen to take a seat, she then went to her usual place at the head of the table. Both Sandy and Ginger looked at Jennifer with mixed emotions showing on their faces. The dominant emotion was scorn.

Kathy and Joan served coffee and the girls waited for Ali to begin. She smiled at Jennifer and said, "Jen, from the looks my partners are giving you, you're as welcome here as a skunk in church." She turned to Ginger and Sandy and said, "Please do me a favor? My daughter has reformed. And I mean, my daughter! Please give Jen a chance?"

Ginger and Sandy both got up and went over to where Jennifer was sitting. Although Jennifer was looking abashed she rose to greet them. When she held her hand out diffidently, Sandy, reaching her first, took it in a firm grip. "Jennifer, we've never formally met. I'm Sandy Harris, one of your mother's reclamation projects. I'm very happy to meet you. I want to apologize for being so hard on you at the trial."

Jennifer extended her other hand and gripped both of Sandy's. "I'm not! Sandy, I am very proud to meet you. What you did was the bravest thing I have ever seen in my life! You were sacrificing yourself to try to save the marriage I was trying so hard to destroy! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so good!" Jen pulled Sandy to her and hugged her tightly, then kissed her on the cheek.

Ginger came up and Jennifer took her hands. "Ginger, I've heard so much about you! In the brief time in the courtroom I didn't realize how gorgeous you are. Mom tells me your mother is prettier than you are. But seeing you, I just can't believe it. And you, too! You helped save my mother's life and my parents' marriage. I owe you and Sandy both more than I can ever repay. You are both brilliant attorneys."

Ginger had been holding Jennifer's hands and looking first at her figure and then into her eyes. She said, "And you are beautiful, Jen. You've changed ... You..." She turned to Sandy who nodded and then to the other girls who nodded too.

In chorus, the girls all said, "Jennifer, you look well fucked!"

Jennifer reddened and then began to laugh. She held up her hands in a sign of surrender. "I give up! If I do, it's because I am. I'm not yet in my mother's class, but I'm working hard."

Ali smiled as the girls sat down again and looked at her. Now the earlier tension had been broken. She said, "I called Judy and asked her to get you all in here to meet a new client. I'm serious. Our client is Jennifer Clifford. Because the work has to be done immediately, our fee will be substantial. However, she's rich as hell! She can afford us. Jen is going off to meet her potential in-laws in Chicago. I say potential because my daughter is working as a stripper ... No! As an exotic dancer; she's not a stripper because she's naked when she begins her act..."

"She's Jenny!" Joan exclaimed. "Jen, I've seen your act. I never thought ... You are absolutely spectacular. You have the finest exotic act in the country today." The girl grinned and said, "I saw it written up in one of the trade papers. But no one knows who you are."

Jennifer smiled and thanked Joan for the compliment. Ali said, "She'll be stripping soon enough. It seems her fiancé, Steve Chapman, is the son of one of Bill's buddies, Dave Chapman. Dave is somewhere in the top ten on the Forbes list, too. I don't know if we're talking about a marriage or a merger," Ali said with a grin.

"At any rate, we have to get my daughter a trousseau... and fast! It's got to be completed in only two days. I want you to take her measurements and go hunting. Meanwhile, I'm going to take her over to Henry at the studio and have him do her hair. When she goes off to Chicago with Steve, I want her to look like the daughter of one of the richest men in the world — which she is. She's also a Phi Beta Kappa from Princeton and a doctoral candidate in political science at UCLA. She intends to tell her in-laws she's a stripper. I want to blow them away first. Understand?"

Ali smiled, and turned to Jennifer. "Jen, get undressed. I want my colleagues to see you and take measurements."

Jen looked at Ali with a bewildered expression but got up and quickly stripped. The girls looked at her appreciatively. Kathy said, "My God, another candidate for partner in the Firm! Ali, your daughter is exquisite! Her body is almost as perfect as yours." They started to take measurements and looked at her carefully to fix her coloration in mind to use for color suitability. Finally, they agreed Jen could wear any color or style at all. Ali went to her office to call Henry while Ginger and Sandy made assignments.

The girls scattered and Jen came into Ali's office. Ali hung up the phone as the girl looked around. "Mom, this office is spectacular! Do you know what I would love to do? I would love to have Steve take me on your desk with the backdrop of the mountains and the sea. It would be so wonderful!"

Ali slowly shook her head. "Dear, you're a little late. I think nearly every girl in this office has been taken on my desk with the drapes open ... at all hours of day and night. Since it's mine, it most particularly includes your father and me. Why do you think I rented this office, anyway? Jen, I rented it after we were married but before we had ever made love," Ali said with a soft smile. "I wanted your father to take me here so badly!"