Chapter 122

Thursday evening was interesting.

Megan got home first. She was wound up about her first day at the job and was telling me all about it when Nell came in and insisted that she repeat everything. Megan was really animated and it was great to see her so excited. Nell then told us about how she was going to surprise Sarah with the exercise room.

She said, “Dan just bought a special van for Sarah. I’m going to ask her to take me around the block and show me how it works after dinner. I’ll have her come in the back way. You guys go downstairs and we’ll meet there.”

We went to our bedroom to clean up after that. I was sure that Brandy had talked to her and I was wondering if she’d be angry about Dolores. I was waiting for her to ask me what happened, but she didn’t and she said, “Let’s talk about it tonight,” when I tried to bring the subject up. “Brandy said that she had a great time. I’m dying to have you tell me all about it, but not now. The caterer will be here in a little while.”

She didn’t seem angry, so we jumped into the shower together, and she giggled and groped me back when I tried to grope her a little, so things seemed to be okay.

We asked Megan to join us after we got dressed and went down to see the exercise room. Nell looked everything over, then she nodded and asked about the keys to the back door. I pointed them out and she said, “I did this for us and also for Sarah,” as she took one off the ring. “I think that she’ll use both it and the hot tub a lot. Sarah and her husband are close friends of mine. Would either of you mind if I gave them a key to the back door?”

Surprised, I looked at Megan, then at Nell when Megan shrugged “No,” and asked, “I don’t have a problem with it either, but why are you asking us about it? This is your house.”

“No, it’s our house and this is something that we should all agree on, so I’ll give them one since you two don’t mind. I doubt that Dan will use it much, but I’m sure that Sarah will.”

The caterer came at six o’clock. I was helping him bring things into the kitchen when Nell cried, “Come quick, Peter!”

Nell had been watching for Sarah and she went to the doorway to greet them when she and her husband drove up. Sarah got too close to the side as she was coming up the walkway, and the right side wheel of her wheelchair slipped off the edge. The sprinklers had just shut off and the ground was wet, so the wheel was in the mud and the chair was tilted. Her husband was trying to help her but Sarah kept pushing him away. She was rocking the chair back and forth, trying to get it back on the sidewalk by herself, but it wasn’t working and she didn’t look pleased.

I turned to Nell and asked, “Should I try to help?”

“You can try, but she’s stubborn. Give it a shot, but don’t be surprised if she won’t let you.”

I reached down to help Sarah when I got to them, but she waved me away and said, “Don’t worry, I got it,”

She was obviously in trouble, but I didn’t want to insist, so I stuck my hand out at her husband and said, “Hi, I’m Pete.”

He’d been watching her and shaking his head, but he turned to me, shook my hand, and said, “I’m Dan.”

He wasn’t what I expected. He was nice-looking and had a trim build, but he was only about five foot four or five, and probably didn’t weigh as much as Sarah.

I asked, “Can I give you guys a hand?”

Sarah growled, “No, go inside, I can manage this by myself,” before he could answer.

Dan was holding a box in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. He shrugged and handed the bottle to me. I had no idea what I was looking at, but I pretended to study it then I said, “This looks good, let’s go in and open it,” and we both turned toward the house. I wanted to see if Sarah would ask for help and I think that Dan did too, but we didn’t offer.

We had only taken a step or two when I heard her grunt. I glanced at her to see that her wrestling with the chair had made the wheel sink in deeper and that she and the chair looked like it was about to fall over. I pushed the wine bottle back to Dan and got to her just as the chair was going over and scooped her up in my arms. She started to complain, but I said, “Shhhh,” and the three of us headed for the house. Nell was standing in the doorway laughing. She said to me, “Make sure she lands on that hard head of hers if you drop her,” when we got close to her and we followed her into the house still laughing.

We went into the living room and Nell pointed to a sofa.

Sarah looked embarrassed when I set her down, and she didn’t look at me or say anything, but Dan was right behind us and he whispered, “Thank you,” to me and went to her.

I just nodded then I went outside to rescue the wheelchair. The wheel was caked with mud when I pulled it out, so I took it to the side yard and used a water hose on it. I had just finished rinsing it off when Dan came over with some rags.

I asked, “Was she always that hard-headed?” while we were drying it.

“Yeah, but it’s gotten worse since her accident.”

“Doesn’t it bother you?”

“She’s not that way when we’re alone. Being in this chair is the problem, and I’m not sure that she’ll ever get over it. I want to mention something while we’re talking. She told me what happened when she spilled the water at work.”

A little apprehensive, I stuttered, “She, umm, told you everything?”

He smiled, “Yup, even the part where she took everything but her panties off and it cracked me up.”

Surprised, I asked, “It did?”

“It sure did. Not because you saw her in her panties, but she told me how she teased you, how you teased her back, and that you were a gentleman the entire time, so I want to thank you.”

“You want to thank me for being a gentleman?”

“Yes, but mostly for having the nerve to tease her. People don’t usually tease her and it was a lot of fun for her.”

“Really? Why don’t people tease her?”

“She’s so beautiful that most guys can barely talk to her, much less try to tease her, but you didn’t seem to have a problem and she got a kick out of it.”

I thought for a minute before I said, “I’m curious about something. I understand that you and she have been together for a long time. Do you still think that she’s beautiful?”

“Of course, don’t you?”

“Sure I do but I thought that part wore off after a while.”

“Not for me, and it’s not just how she looks, there’s a lot more to her than that. She’s a beautiful person inside as well. You’ll find that out when you get to know her.”

“Really, that’s nice to know. You wouldn’t mind if I teased her some more?”

“I hope that you do. She deals with her accident pretty well, but it gets her down every once in a while. She’s been that way lately, but she was in good spirits because of what went on between you two when she got home the other night. She had fun with you, but I have to warn you that you may have started something. She loves teasing and practical jokes, so be prepared.”

We wheeled the chair into the living room when we finished with it. Nell was sitting next to Sarah. The box that Dan had brought was open, and they and they were looking at what appeared to be a cell phone. Sarah said, “Give me your phone, Pete,” when they saw us.

She said, “This is your new phone,” when I gave it to her. “It’s the same number as the other one, but you can send and receive e-mails and text messages with this one, and it has an updated camera. Everything is in the box.”

“Is it turned on?”

“Yes. Your other phone was turned off an hour ago and this one was activated. I know that it works because you already have a photo.”

“Really! Who sent me a photo?”

She pushed some buttons on the phone and when a picture came up she held it up so I could see it and said, “You tell me.”

The person in the picture was Kristen. She had used her cell phone to take a naked picture of herself in a mirror. She must have just returned from being on stage, because her hair was perfect and it looked like she was wearing stage makeup. She had the cell phone in one hand, and she was holding a sheet of paper in front of her crotch in the other hand. Scrawled on it in black marker was, “I love you, don’t forget it.”

Sarah winked at Nell, then said, “Not only is she gorgeous and has a great body. She also has a great voice. I have one of her records.”

I glanced at Nell, and she didn’t look angry, so I just said, “Uhh, yeah, she sings pretty well,” which caused both the girls to laugh.”

Dan was sitting off to the side and he asked, “Hey, can I see?”

Sarah and Nell both said “No,” in unison, and Sarah dropped the phone in the box and handed it to me.

Dinner was what Nell described as a ‘Mediterranean feast’, and the caterer stayed to serve us and describe everything. The first course was a platter full of things with weird names like Tzatziki, Barangaroo, and some little green things called Dolmades, that he said were grape leaves stuffed with rice, raisins, and ground meat. Next was a salad with goat cheese, black olives, and a wonderful dressing. The main course was something called Moussaka. He said that it was seasoned ground beef topped with eggplant, spices, and a lot of other things, but he smiled and said that it was a family recipe and that he was sworn to secrecy when Megan asked him what they were. Dessert was baklava with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I’d had baklava before, but nothing that tasted as good as this.

The meal was wonderful but something equally wonderful was watching Sarah and Dan. The way they looked at each other was soft and loving. It reminded me of how Mom and Dad used to be, and I realized something. Some part of that seemed to be missing the last time they were together. I miss Dad since he’s been gone fora long time. He’s supposed to be home this weekend, and I’m really looking forward to seeing him.

Nell said to Sarah after dinner, “I saw you drive up in your fancy new van. Why don’t you show it to me?”

Sarah grinned with excitement and said, “C’mon, everybody, let me show you my new toy,” and led us out the front door. She took us to see her van being careful to stay in the center of the walkway this time.

The thing was amazing. She pulled up behind it, hit a button on her key ring, the back opened, and a platform dropped down. The right side of the van had a row of seats, but the left side was open all the way to the steering wheel and it didn’t have a seat in front of it. She rolled up on the platform, it lifted, and she rolled the chair directly under the steering wheel when it reached floor level. She pressed a button on the dash, and two flaps rose from the floor locking the wheelchair into place. She turned to us with a big smile and asked, “Does anybody wanna go for a ride?”

Nell jumped in and said, “Let’s go, Hotrod, show me what this thing can do.”

Sarah said, “C’mon, everybody, hop in,” but Dan answered, “You two go ahead. Megan, Pete, and I will go help the caterer put things away.” She gave us an odd look, but she pressed a button on the dash that closed the back door and the two of them roared off.

The three of us were waiting downstairs in the exercise room when they drove up. We could hear Sarah good-naturedly complaining about having to come through the basement and that she had to get home to do washing, but her jaw dropped when she rolled inside and saw all the equipment. She then saw us standing there, looked at Nell, and asked, “Okay, what’s all this?”

Nell answered, “Have a look and tell me what you think.”

Sarah rolled over to the main piece, looked closely, and said, “Wow, this is the ‘E’ model. It has a place for a wheelchair and it automatically adds and removes weights. The spa I go to doesn’t even have one of these.”

Nell answered, “Well, there’s more,” and she pushed her chair over to show her the bathroom and to see the hot tub from there.

Sarah was shaking her head in wonder when she came back into the main room. Nell then added, “I’m sorry that you have to drive around the back to get in here, but there’s no way for you to climb down the stairs, and there’s no place for an elevator in the house.” She handed Sarah a key and continued, “This is for you and Dan to use whenever you want. I know that you have a big race coming up next month, so we expect you to be here almost every night.”

Sarah gasped, “Y-You did this exercise stuff for me?”

“Nah, I did it for everyone, we all need to exercise more.”

Sarah rolled over next to Nell and hugged her, then still holding on to her, she looked up and said, “I saw that the back entrance is new, so you put that in and got the E model machine at twice the price of the regular one in case you met someone else in a wheelchair, eh?”

Sarah put her head against Nell’s leg and closed her eyes when Nell looked down and smiled. Nell looked down at her, then bent down and kissed her on top of the head. Sarah held on to Nell for over a minute before she let go, and said, “C’mon, Dan, let’s go home. I have stuff to do and I don’t want to cry all over the boss’ pants.”

Dan winked at Nell, mouthed his thanks, and rolled Sarah out the door. Megan said, “They really are a sweet couple, aren’t they?” when it closed behind them.

Nell replied, “They sure are. They’ve been together their whole lives, and I’ve never seen two people who are more in love.”

“This room must have cost you a fortune!”

With a wry smile, Nell said, “Burgers International paid for it, and they were glad to do it. You’d be amazed if you knew just how important Sarah is to the company. We’ve offered her a Vice-Presidency a number of times, but she says that she can be more effective staying in the background. She’s so good at what she does that it’s scary. It would take four people and a year’s training to do what she does, and it wouldn’t be done nearly as well.”

I asked, “What about Dan, what does he do?”

“He’s the head of a research department at UCLA that apparently has to do with spinal cord injuries. Sarah says that he’s written a number of books on the subject, and that he’s actually pretty famous. She also told me that he’s turned down some amazing offers to relocate, but he won’t because of her.” She then added, “Let’s go upstairs and see what’s going on with the caterer.”

She led us to the kitchen and we got there just as he finishing up. He had put everything away and the kitchen was immaculate. Nell signed some things, thanked them, and she looked at us when they left and asked, “Coffee or hot chocolate?”

Megan and I both agreed on hot chocolate, so Nell put some water on to boil and got a container of something out.

Megan said, “Wait till you taste this. She gets it from India and it’s fantastic.”

We sat at the kitchen table, and while the water was heating, Nell said, “Now that I’m sure that you really want to be here, Megan, I want to talk to you about some things. It’s personal, but it has to do with the family and I want to know if it’s okay that Pete listens in.”

“Sure, we shouldn’t have secrets if we’re going to be a family.”

Nell put her hands on top of Megan’s and said, “I talked to your mother today. She said that you are going to be eighteen next February, is that right?”

“Yes, but why did you talk to my mother?”

“Because I want to become your guardian.”

“Y-You want to adopt me?”

“No, a guardian is someone who is legally and financially responsible for someone.”

“Why would you want to do that?”

“Your family finances are in bad shape. The home is nearly in foreclosure, and every credit card your mother has is maxed out, including the one that she opened in your name.”

“How can that be, I never use it?”

“It actually came with two cards. Your mother has been using one and signing your name to the bills.”

“But why aren’t they are paying the bill?”

“Your stepfather doesn’t know about it, and your mom has only been making minimum payments, so the bill is getting pretty big. She’s trying to keep it from her husband, and I’m afraid that you could be in financial trouble when you turn eighteen.”

“So what can I do about it?”

“Nothing, I took care of it and I cancelled the card. It was part of the deal I made with your mother in order to take over as your guardian.”

“But why are you doing this?”

“Because you’re a wonderful girl and I love you.”

Megan stared at the floor for a long time, and her eyes were wet with tears when she looked up. She shook herself, then asked, “So you’ve already made up your mind to do it?”

“No, the final say is up to you, but I strongly suggest that...”

Megan interrupted her with, “Stop, Mom! I’m for it if you think that it’s the right thing to do, but it comes with a price for both you and Pete.” It caught both of us by surprise, especially Nell, so she asked, “And the price is?”

“I know that you’re not that much older than I am, but you’ve been the kind of mother who I always wish that I had, and now you’ve added a brother. I have a home now, and I love it and I love you, so the price is that I get to call you ‘Mom’ when I’m home.”

Then she looked at me and added, “I’m not going to say anything to the people at school, but would it be okay to say that you’re my brother if a stranger asks?” I was smiling and nodding when Nell went to her and took her in her arms. They hugged for a long time.

It was an emotional few minutes for everyone, even me, and it took a moment when Nell finally let her go before she could gather herself together and say, “Good, I’ll get the ball rolling on the guardian thing first thing Monday, and I want to hire you at Burgers.”

“B-But I just got a job at the gallery.”

“I know and the experience will be good for you, so you can stay working there. It might take a while for me get the guardian thing handled, so I want to hire you so I can get you on our insurance plan if it’s okay with you.”

“What will you hire me to do?”

“I’m not sure what I’ll list you as, but you’re going to be Burgers’ in-house artist. I’m having pictures taken of John and me. I want you to turn them into portrait-size, oil-on-canvas paintings. I’ll frame them and put them in the lobby and every Board member is going to want theirs done as soon as I do. You’re a wonderful artist and you are going to be able to set your own price when the Board members see your work. It’s going to be high, and I’m afraid they’ll try to get hold of it if your family finds out about it. As a Burgers employee, it’ll be called ‘work product’ for the time being.”

Her eyes were big a saucers when Megan asked, “Gee, I don’t know what to say, Mom.”

“Don’t say anything, there’s more, and I don’t want an argument. I’m opening a bank account for you. I know that you already have one, but your mother signed for it and I want to make sure that she doesn’t try to tap into it, so we’ll open an account for you at the bank here in Malibu Monday morning. I want you to transfer the money from the other account into it. I’ll add some money to it, we’ll get you a credit card, and I want you to go shopping for some new clothes. I already talked to Brandy about it and she’ll be glad to take you to places for the best deal. Finally, I’m going to open an in-house account for the money you’ll get for your art work. We’ll let it earn interest until you’re eighteen, and I’ll turn it over to you then. You are going places, young lady, and this is only the beginning.”