Chapter 68

It was three days later when Kris alighted from her Lexus four-wheel-drive vehicle. After opening the rear door to let Sasha out, the two went up the front walk to the door of the house overlooking Malibu Beach. The house was utterly magnificent but there was something missing. Although everything was well-tended, it was as if the owner had suddenly lost interest in everything after having previously been interested in the tiniest details. It certainly looks like Josh got that one right, she thought. With Sasha by her side, she rang the door bell and waited nervously.

When it was opened by a tall, good looking man, Kris's heart rolled over. At that instant she wanted to take him in her arms. He's the one! she thought. I just know it!

Bill Warren was startled. As soon as he opened the door, he recognized the woman as Kris Bradley. Along with her incredible purple eyes, there was a giant tiger sitting beside her who could only be the famous Sasha. The word around town on Kris Bradley was that she was the original ice goddess. And in case anyone was a little slow in getting the message, Sasha was always by her side to communicate the message more forcefully.

Extending his hand he said, "Hi! You're Kris Bradley. But what brings you out here? Car trouble?" Looking beyond her he saw the glistening vehicle and shook his head. "It looks brand new. What happened? Did they forget to put gas in it when they delivered it?"

The smile she gave him was the most brilliant he had ever seen. "No, nothing like that," she replied. Then after swallowing hard, she continued, "I understand you're looking for a cook and housekeeper. Is that true?"

Warren was utterly stunned. He shook his head to try to clear it and then said, "As a matter of fact, I am. I even went so far as to talk to a couple of agencies, and I even interviewed a couple of women, but..." He just shook his head.

"May I come in?" Kris asked softly. Then she glanced at her watch and added, "It's almost seven. Don't you have to be at the studio? You start shooting today." Then glancing at the tiger she said, "By the way, this is Sasha. Sasha, are you going to say hello to Mr. Warren?"

Sasha, sitting up in his house-cat pose extended a paw and said, "Good morning, Mr. Warren. I'm very pleased to meet you."

Bill Warren was so stunned he was speechless. After shaking his head again he murmured, "But it's impossible! He can't—"

"Can't talk?" Kris asked. "But as you have just seen, he can communicate — at least he can with some people. But aren't you going to shake his paw? He's just trying to be friendly."

Moving as if in a daze, Warren shook Sasha's paw and then retreated inside. Going to a chair at the breakfast table, he just collapsed. Sitting across from him was the most beautiful little girl Kris had ever seen. She had a bowl of dry cereal with milk in front of her, but she was just stirring the cereal around listlessly.

When her father sat down, she didn't even look up. Dropping to her knees beside the little girl, Kris said, "Hi, Susan. My name is Kris. Will you be my friend?"

The little girl looked up for the first time and then looked at Kris incuriously. "Hi, Kris," she said softly and tonelessly. Then she returned her attention — such as it was — to the cereal floating in the milk.

Dear God! Kris silently prayed, please help this child! She's exactly like I was. Her eyes are just as dead. And she's so young! Her life has scarcely begun.

You'll have to do that yourself, Kris, came the immediate reply. There is no one alive better equipped for the task than you, the Voice said to her silently. If you can't do it, it can't be done. Then she will rejoin her mother, Mary, with Me for all Eternity.

"Hadn't you better be going?" Kris repeated. "I'll stay with Susan and look after things."

Slowly shaking his head, Bill said, "I was going to call in sick. I ... I..."

"Bill Warren, snap out of it!" Kris exclaimed. "You're the very best in the business and you're noted for always bringing a picture in on time and under budget. Now how can you possibly justify having a full crew sitting around the sound stage with absolutely nothing to do? Get your ass in gear and get out of this house!"

Looking around she found an insulated coffee mug and coffee in an automatic maker on the counter. Sniffing it, she quickly decided it wasn't very good coffee but it would have to do. After filling the cup she put it in his hand and pushed him out toward what she concluded was the garage door.

Moving almost like a zombie, Bill followed her directions. He activated the garage-door opener and moments later backed his Porsche out of the garage and headed off. Kris closed the garage door and returned to the kitchen where Susan was sitting in the same position with the same expression on her face — or lack of one.

After communicating with Sasha to look after the girl, Kris went out to her car, retrieved her guitar case and returned to the kitchen. There she emptied out the coffee pot, searched around, found some very good coffee that had never been opened and made herself a fresh pot. After pouring a cup for herself while the rest continued to brew, she returned to the table and opened her guitar case.

Very quietly she began to strum. Then she began to sing Shenandoah. Kris Bradley had a magnificent singing voice and was also a virtuoso guitar player. As she let out her incredible power, the little girl looked up but in wonder, this time. One after another she sang folk songs from the American heritage. In no time the little girl was just looking on in fascination at the beautiful music Kris created.

Putting down her guitar but still continuing to sing unaccompanied, she took the bowl of soggy cereal away from the girl and dumped it into the garbage disposal in the sink. Finding the necessary ingredients — and rejoicing in the care given to the kitchen layout — she prepared bacon and an omelette for the little girl. After putting it in front of her, she picked up her guitar again and continued to sing. But now the girl was actually eating, while still fascinated by Kris's incredible singing voice.

Kris concluded her concert with The Battle Hymn of the Republic. She almost cheered when the little girl joined in on the last chorus, "Glory, glory, hallelujah!"

By this time the food was all eaten, so she cleared the plate and then said again, "Hi, Susan. I'm Kris." Looking at Sasha she added, "And this is my friend, Sasha. He's a Royal Bengal tiger, and he would like to be your friend, too."

Susan Warren had been so fascinated by Kris's singing, she had not even noticed the giant animal. Prior to the singing, she had been so sunk in despair and hopelessness she had not been aware of anything. Now she looked at Sasha whose great head was only a few inches from hers.

"Hi, Sasha," she said in a wonderfully warm and melodic voice. When she leaned toward him, he moved in her direction and very gently kissed her. "That was really neat!" the little girl exclaimed. "I didn't know that tigers could kiss people, though."

"Most tigers can't," Sasha replied. "But a few of us can." With his huge green eyes wide he added, "I think it's time for a bath, Susan. Would you like a ride on my back?"

The little girl was thrilled at the prospect, so Sasha lay down flat on the floor while Susan climbed up on his back. Pacing so smoothly that Susan really had no sense of motion, he carried her to where he had earlier figured her bathroom must be. Seeing the bathroom, Kris's eyes widened. Better and better, she thought. It was like the one at the Carlson's and her own home, almost as big as a living room.

As a result, Kris shed the Levi's and work shirt she was wearing and then slid off her bikini. The tub was a small swimming pool which Kris filled with warm water. After taking off her pajamas, Kris lifted the girl off the floor and climbed into the pool with her. There she just floated for a few minutes while she held the girl to her breast.

Susan just rested her head between Kris's very firm tits and sighed while Kris gently caressed her back. Then after carefully bathing the girl, she washed her golden hair, conditioned it, and then lifted her out of the tub. Putting her on a massage table she worked some musk oil she had with her into the little girl's skin. While her fingers moved gently over the little girl's body, Susan just made warm happy noises. For Kris's part, she found she loved it. The little girl was utterly perfect, albeit quite thin.

After dressing her in a pinafore, she locked up the house and drove downtown. There she parked in the basement of the building where Clifford & Jamison was headquartered and then took the little girl upstairs. On the 38^th floor she took her around to the school where she was welcomed by Samantha Conroy who introduced her to the other six-year-olds.

This was the part that Kris had been most worried about. She had been frightened at the prospect that she had discussed the day before with Sam, because while all the Clifford & Jamison students were brilliant, she had no idea how intelligent Susan Warren might be. When Sam introduced Susan to Kristin Clifford, Kristin immediately took the girl — almost her physical twin — under her wing and took her around to meet the other kids.

When it was time to begin school, Kris Bradley led the classes in singing The National Anthem. Then the classes knelt in three circles and prayed. Kris's eyes were open as she prayed, too. Watching carefully she breathed a sigh of relief when the usual golden glow appeared, and breathed a prayer of thanks when she saw that it was particularly bright over Susan's head.

Surely you didn't think I would let you down, did you? the Voice said in her brain. Then He grumped, What's wrong with you girls, anyway? You're certainly bright enough. Why do you have so much difficulty with such a simple concept?

What concept is that, Lord? Kris thought.

That I must answer your prayers in the same fashion you must breathe! Now is that simple enough for even your pea brain to understand?

Yes, Lord, Kris mentally replied, but after all, you could always change your mind. Women do it all the time.

Maybe that's why I'm not a woman! He exclaimed. And if I didn't love you all so darned much...

That afternoon, when it was nap time, the children all stripped off their clothes. Most took their naps on the bellies of tigers. But today it was Kristin Clifford's turn to nap with Samantha Conroy, and Kris Bradley was waiting to nap with Susan Warren. When the little girl came scampering up, Kris could see that the change in the child was incredible. Now her eyes were sparkling with excitement and she was incredibly beautiful. And at lunch — one that Kathy Carlson had made personally — she had eaten more than any of the other children.

Looking up at Kris she said, "You're incredibly beautiful, Mrs. Bradley!" But then she looked puzzled and added, "But which of these children is yours?"

"I don't have a child, Susan," Kris replied softly, "so will you nap with me? I'll try to keep you nice and warm." With that Kris unzipped a sleeping bag, crawled in, and then lifted the girl in with her. Lying on her back, she rested the girl's head against her left breast, and just gently caressed her little body. Meanwhile, Susan was utterly fascinated by Kris's tit. With her head against her left, the girl's little hand was gently stroking her right, but stayed away from her nipple. But the erect nipple fascinated her and then very gingerly she touched it.

"Thank you, Susan," Kris said. "That feels lovely."

"Will I ever have tits like yours?" the little girl asked.

"Well..." Kris replied, "that depends."

"Depends on what?" the girl asked, now looking up toward Kris's face.

"It depends on whether or not you start eating well. Darling, you're too thin. I saw that you ate a very good lunch today, and I'm so pleased you did. But if you don't eat, you won't get nice tits."

Changing the subject, the girl said, "But if you don't have a child in the school, Mrs. Bradley, why are you here?"

"First of all, darling, it's not missus, it's miss. I'm not married. And as far as a child is concerned, Susan, you're my child. At least you are today. Do you like it here?"

"Oh, yes!" the little girl exclaimed in a now-sleepy voice. "The kids are so neat, and there's so much to learn." She paused for a moment and then asked, "Will you be my mommy? I love your tits."

"I hope so, sweetheart," Kris responded in a voice so low the girl couldn't hear it. Since Susan had already fallen asleep, it didn't matter much anyway.

Leaving the school, they returned to Malibu after first stopping at a supermarket. Going into the study, she touched two keys on the computer and waited. "It can't be!" an electronic voice said. "You're Kris Bradley! And you're really here?"

"I'm here, Josh," Kris replied softly. "Ann and Mary sent me. I hope you don't mind?"

"How could I possibly mind?" the computer replied. "But can I do anything for you?"

"Yes, you can," Kris responded. "I have a couple of things to take care of. Would you entertain Susan for a while? I have a software CD here. It's Robin Hood and most kids Susan's age — mental age — seem to love it. Could you run it for her, please?"

She opened its CD tray, put the disk in and closed it again. In just an instant the screen came to life. Putting Susan in the chair, she left the girl happily following the adventures of Robin Hood and Maid Marion.

Returning to her car, she retrieved her luggage and unpacked in the master bedroom. As she expected, Mary's dresser was completely empty as was a closet which had obviously been designed to be hers. Then she began to spotlessly clean the whole house assisted by Sasha. Finally, she put out fresh flowers that had been delivered in response to her order. Going back to the study, she found that Josh was about to close out the software. Kris spent the rest of the afternoon playing games with Susan and finally teaching her to play the guitar.