Chapter 13

Slowly waking, Kelly rolled over. The light from the windows brought her mind up from the depths of sleep, the thoughts of their lovemaking the night before bringing a smile to her lips. She sighed with contentment at the memory of both her lovers suckling her at the same time.

She opened her eyes to see the sun well up, and checked the time on the bedside clock.

Ten o'clock!

Moving quietly so as not to wake Todd she slipped out of bed and padded silently to the bathroom where she relieved herself.

She didn't bother dressing. She was looking for Laura.

Laura was on the balcony wearing nothing but a smile. She was lost in thought, her eyes closed, basking in the morning sunlight, when she felt soft hair caress her face and softer lips attach themselves to hers.

"Mmm... Good morning, Sweetheart," she said opening her eyes and kissing Kelly back.

Kelly straddled Laura's lap facing her lover. She held Laura's face with her hands, "How'd I get so lucky?" she asked with a kiss.

"Gosh, Kell, with all the shit you've had to put up with." Laura's eyes moistened. "I wish I could have been there for you when you needed me."

"Shush now, Laura. No tears from you for me. I've shed enough and I have you now."

The two girls hugged tightly. Laura rested her head against Kelly's chest.

"What time did you wake up, Sweetie?" Kelly asked.

"Just after 8:00. I thought I was going to burst, my bladder was so full!"

Kelly laughed. "So why didn't you come back to bed?"

Laura sighed. "I got thinking of what you told me about Todd's childhood and yours, and how lucky I've been. Life's not fair, is it?"

Kelly kissed Laura on the forehead as she slid off her lap. "Fair? Maybe it isn't, but think about this, Honey... If I hadn't gone through this life the way I have, we might never have met. Don't you believe in kismet?"

"I guess I never really thought about it till now. What do you believe, Kelly?"

"What do I believe, or what do I believe in?"

"A little of both I guess," said Laura.

"Hold that thought," said Kelly who went in and grabbed her cigarettes.

After lighting one up, she sat facing Laura putting her feet into Laura's lap.

"I believe there is a Supreme Being, but I also think that She is too busy with the rest of the universe to bother watching me all the time."

Laura laughed.

"As you've probably discovered, Todd follows the Buddhist's philosophy of moderation in all things."

Laura nodded.

"While I agree with Todd on the moderation, I also believe that life goes in cycles and what we do to, or for, others comes back in the form of karma. That's why I try hard not to screw anybody over or hurt somebody even unintentionally. I believe that how I live my life will in some way affect how others treat me."

Laura was silent for a minute, remembering what Vanetta had told her. "Kell, would you like a cup of tea? No, no, you stay put, I'll make us a cup."

Laura went inside and prepared tea for the two of them. Her mind was busy trying to remember exactly what Vanetta had said to her. They had been talking about an old Jamaican fortuneteller that Gloria had gone to see. Vanetta had told her: "He said something about you being the missing piece of the puzzle and now that you are here, you'll make both Todd and Kelly whole again."

Her head was spinning. She knew that she often 'saw' things or 'felt' things others didn't but wow... A chill ran up her spine. That man had said this before the three of them had become so involved! Maybe she was with both of them to make up for the suffering both had endured when they were younger. She hurriedly finished making the tea and took the two mugs out seeing Kelly looking peaceful and content sitting there.

"Tell me more, Kelly."

"Okay," Kelly took a sip of the tea, smiled at Laura and continued on with her story. "I'm not sure how much you know about Judaism, but they have this yearly ritual called Yom Kippur. It means 'Day of Atonement' and on that day they fast and spend the day in reflection of all they have done in the past year. They are very critical of themselves and look for guidance on how they can be better people. From those they can, they seek forgiveness for any wrongs or slights they may have committed, and where they can't, they vow to God to set things right. They also forgive all wrongs done to them in the hopes of understanding."

"That's a pretty heavy trip," said Laura.

"Yes, well, I guess it helps you to face up to and deal with your own shortcomings. I really liked the idea, but a year in between... That wasn't going to work for me, so at least once a week I set time aside to reflect on what I might have said or done to hurt someone and then I set out to rectify it if possible. I'm not saying that I'm a better person for it, but I often think twice before I speak."

Laura nodded and sat back thinking as Kelly lit up another cigarette.

"Hey, Sweetheart... don't get bummed out by my belief system okay? It works for me, but I don't try to convert others."

"It isn't that, Kelly. I know both you and Todd well enough now to know what kind of people you are. You're both kind and generous to a fault. You do so much to help other people and you don't brag about it like most people I know. If it hadn't been for my dad, I wouldn't have even known about the summer camp you guys sponsor, and I'm willing to bet that there's a lot more you guys do that I haven't even heard about."

Kelly laughed and shrugged. "We do what we can."

Laura looked deep into Kelly's soft brown eyes. "Maybe God was watching you." She leaned further forward and gave Kelly a soft and sensuous kiss. "Now it's my turn to watch over you and keep you happy."

Kelly's eyes instantly filled with tears. "I'm so afraid, Laura," she said. "I've never been this happy and I pray like I've never prayed before that you won't just walk out of my life."

"What about Todd?" Laura asked. "He's your best friend and now you two can be so much more."

"Oh Honey, I love Todd, and it took you to show me just how much, but this thing we have going... It wouldn't work without you."

"I agree with Kelly," said Todd from the doorway. "We might have become lovers eventually but I'm afraid it might have ended our friendship." He sat down with the girls after giving each a good morning kiss.

"Growing up, I never learned what love was. Over the years, I just figured that it was for other people and not for me. And I know that Kelly has never been so free in expressing emotion as she has been since the two of you got together. You are the tie that binds us together, Laura."

Laura grabbed both of her lovers and squeezed them in a tight embrace. "Then I'm going to make sure this tie is double knotted and never lets loose. I love both of you so much!"

They hugged and kissed for a long time. Finally Laura said, "But you, Sir, have an appointment to keep and we need our 'mins and something to eat before you can face a hectic day."

It took a bit of coaxing to get Kelly into a bathrobe before room service brought up a fresh fruit plate of chilled melon slices, mango and more, along with blueberry crepes and a large pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice.

Conversation was light and easy, and they probably would have stayed in the room all day if Todd's phone hadn't rung.

It was Peter. He wanted to know when would be a good time to shoot the Monster Cuddy.

"The best time would be between 12:00 and 2:00. After that I have to work around the shadows. Can you arrange it? Good, I'll see you down at the marina then."

As he disconnected from the call, he told the girls that if they wanted to come along that he was going to meet Peter in half an hour.

The girls said it would be fun to watch the world's best photographer at work.

Todd blushed at the compliment. "Let's just say one of the best," he said with a laugh.

Kelly had decided to wear the new Starfleet issue underwear when she got dressed. It was nicely form fitting but as Laura pointed out, it left little to the imagination when it came to defining her "Final Frontier."

"No problem," said Kelly as she tied one of the 'Property of Starfleet' sweatshirts around her waist. "Now the arms cover my 'Twilight Zone' and I have something soft to sit on."

Laura sighed as she slipped off her T to put a bra on. "Damn, I hate wearing these things now. I wish I could go free like you all the time Kell."

"But Honey," said Kelly as she cupped the two full mounds, "they give you lift as well as support. Guys will notice you coming before you make it round a corner!"

Laura laughed and gave Kelly a soft kiss. She did project in the expensive bra, severely deforming the lines of Todd's T-shirt which otherwise hung loose on her. A pair of very short shorts and sandals like Kelly's completed her wardrobe.

Both girls carried small clutch bags.

"If we do go bicycling later, we'll have to change again," said Kelly.

"Gosh, after last night, I'm not sure I could ride a bike today! I'm still so sensitive down there that even the thought of rubbing it on a bicycle seat is making me horny!"

Todd, as always, was dressed in less than a minute. Scrub pants, one of his new T's and moccasins. It took him longer to brush his teeth. He had the camera bag over his shoulder ready to go but had to wait for the girls to carefully brush their hair so it wouldn't look like they had worked on it.

They walked to the marina at a leisurely pace, the girls getting plenty of attention on the way. Kelly and Laura flanked Todd and the three held hands all the way.

As they approached the office more than a few young couples had waved at them, but now, more and more were wearing caps, and dancing and waving on boat decks as the trio passed by. Kelly and Laura waved back good-naturedly with pleasant smiles. Todd blushed.

"How many people did you say were at that restaurant?" he asked Kelly.

"I'm positive the sign said licensed for 100."

"And of course they all ended up here, at this very spot, at this time," grumbled Todd.

"Don't pout, Todd," Laura said with a smile. "Look at the way the guys are looking at you. Envy doesn't begin to describe it!"

"I told you," added Kelly, "some legends are born but others are laid!"

She and Laura were still laughing at the joke when they reached the security gate.

Peter was just coming out of the marina office with Al and Sara. The two men were in deep discussion about something with Sara.

"Hi, Peter, Sara," said Kelly. "Good afternoon, Al."

After pleasantries and introductions were made, Todd started to question Peter about the boat. Kelly and Laura drifted away looking for a seat while Todd did what he did best.

Todd had put down his case, totally at ease in his own element.

"So, I see a boat," he said. "It looks nice, but obviously there's something special about this one or I wouldn't be here and the stock wouldn't be climbing through the roof."

"It is?" said Peter with feigned innocence.

"Let's cut the bullshit, Peter," said Al. "Todd and Kelly already know the market's been moving on IC stock. Let's get to what the man wants to know. How to show the performance of the Cuddy."

"Okay," said Peter. "Then you also probably know this boat is a speed demon, faster than anything else in its class. I know you can only show so much in a still picture, but that's what we need. A still image that will show off the power! Have you seen the wing JamPC designed?"

Todd shook his head. "Nope. I take it this is something under the boat? Like a hydrofoil?"

"Ah, you've got the idea, but it's not a foil. Hell, Sara, help me out here."

Sara laughed. "No Todd, it's not a foil. That would lift it out of the water. It's a small stabilizing wing that's mounted under the hull to prevent the boat from getting sloppy or hard to handle under all the power she now has."

"Okay, cool. I think I'm getting the drift. It holds the bow down, right? Does this 'wing' ever ride on the water?"

"Only if I want it to," laughed Sara. "But seriously, it shows well if it's cutting through waves or somebody's wake."

"And you don't want a showroom picture then," Todd said to Peter, "you want to show it in action."

"Exactly!"

"I can do a head on shot," said Todd after looking at the boat a while, "maybe do a close up of the wing when it comes out of the water, but otherwise, you're going to be seeing a lot of bow. I've got a lens that will get me good and clear and close up from..." Todd did some math in his head. "Probably 100 yards. Can this thing turn away in time in that short a distance? And can you get me on something stable so I can set up a tripod?"

Sara looked at Todd. "I can clear you with less distance than that if you're on a stationary platform."

"Something stable I can get you," said Al, "but only 100 yards? Damn. That boat's going to be doing around 70 barreling down on you. But the girls did something else yesterday when they were checking out the course. It put a rooster tail behind that boat that looked like fireworks. I think that would be a great shot."

"A show off shot. Okay, I can take a few of those, but if you want to show the wing and the boat properly, I'd say get me down to water level and I'll catch it at a 30 degree angle." Todd looked up at the sun and then at the channel. "Is this where you want the pictures done?"

Peter nodded.

"Okay, let's get moving on the angle shots first while the sun is directly above. The channel runs east to west, so I can do the close up afterwards. Now can somebody show me how this thing actually runs?"

"Todd, I can guarantee the 100 yard safety margin, but not if I have to throttle back to pull the bow up," said Sara.

It was Todd's turn to laugh. "How about we make some waves then? I wouldn't want it to look like you were easing up. Defeats the purpose of this picture. Besides," he added with a wink and a stage whisper, "these guys want to sell power!"

Sara laughed with him. "Okay, how about we get a decoy to run a wake at the 100 yard mark? All I need is something over six inches to slice through." They walked off together discussing the best ways to create the effects that Todd would shoot.

Sara was still laughing when they returned.

"Are you sure about this, Todd? I was only kidding when I suggested it."

"No. It's a great idea! The only problem I see is that when word leaks out, and you can bet it's going to, you're going to become hot property. There aren't a lot of female stunt drivers in this line of work. I'll bet that in less than three months you'll be offered more video work than you can dream about, IF you and I can pull this off."

"Okay. If you're sure."

"The only thing that does concern me is a possible conflict with Chuck." Todd said. "He's putting a lot of money into a magazine spread that clearly identifies you. Definitely not just by your name, as you saw on the pictures Chuck sent to you. You are very photogenic."

Sara sighed. "The price of fame and glory. Not to worry, Todd, before we left Max's, Peter was there with a video crew and James had me put a racing suit on with a helmet."

"That's good Sara, but a racing suit isn't going to look quite right on a boat this size for publicity shots. And a helmet might scare some people off."

"Well, I saw that Al has nylon windbreakers and caps for sale in his office. They've all got IC embroidered on them."

"That would be good! This won't be as close a shot of your face as Chuck's so if we get that blonde mane of yours tucked up, or maybe pulled through the back in a ponytail, and a windbreaker will conceal most of your body..."

"Why is everybody trying to get me dressed these days?" she pouted.

Todd laughed. "Well, I won't insist that you have to wear panties. Brenda and Amanda seem to think you're allergic to them or something."

"Those big mouths! Wait until I catch them." But her blush and grin gave her away.

Todd called Al and Peter over and explained what they would need.

It turned out to be quite a list, and Al was on the phone scrambling to get the needed supplies.

"I'm also going to need about 10 people for the test runs," said Todd. "I'll need them along the shore at 50 foot intervals from the position that I take." He held a special zoom lens spotting scope in his hand. Military issue.

Todd picked a spot that would allow him to stay clear of people and underbrush, but level with the water line. Al had supplied him with a two-way radio that Kelly now held as he had told the girls that he needed help with this shot. Kelly would relay his signals to Al who was coordinating things with Lucy who they had decided would ride as Sara's co-pilot and relay instructions. On Todd's word, Laura would note the position of the person who was standing closest to the point where Todd thought the boat would be captured best in a still life "action" shot. The background would be perfect from this location if Todd's calculations proved to be correct.

"Okay Kell, tell Sara to let it rip. When they pass our first human marker, Sara should be doing the speed they'll use for these shots, so make sure that they don't vary once they've settled on it. I want to run this twice before we actually start shooting."

Kelly relayed the information to Al and minutes later they heard the rumble of the Cuddy's heavy-duty engine.

Timing was critical. Sara was up the channel, and a Coast Guard tug conscripted by Al to create a good size wake started up, ready to cut a diagonal swath in the general direction of the marina office.

"They have to get the timing just right to avoid an accident and still to get the wake deep enough to let this wing come out of the water."

"Have you seen this wing, Todd?" Kelly asked.

"No, the boat was in the water when we got here, but Sara says it's gleaming silver."

"That's what Celeste brought them yesterday," said Kelly, "I thought at first it was some kind of trophy or a real shiny model. But JulieAnn explained what it was and what it was made of. Now that I think about it, I guess that it did look like a wing, but not a standard airplane wing."

Todd was looking through the spotting scope and he could see Sara coming down the channel.

"Sara promised me that as soon as she spotted me she would veer off at full speed to show that she could safely miss me. That's why the diver's buoy is here," he explained.

The tug ran across, coming from Todd's left from the far bank and was just as quickly out of sight from the center of the waterway.

As Sara tore through the course she hit the first leading wake and the boat remained stable as it tore through it and the next and then the first flash of silver shone beneath the hull. As she broke through the next, Todd hollered "Now!"

Laura quickly stepped to the closest human marker and held her spot.

Sara veered as promised and with no more than a ten degree course correction showed Todd that he would be pretty safe on the pontoon boat Al had commandeered.

"Have one of the guys drop a diving buoy into the water where Laura is standing and secure it."

Kelly relayed the information to Al as Sara, who had powered down after changing direction headed back their way. She waved at Todd who gave her the thumbs up. Sara throttled up and headed back to her starting point.

It took another ten minutes before everybody was back in place. The human markers were now gone and Laura stood with Todd and Kelly.

"Tell Al to let her go."

The second run went as successfully as the first so Todd unpacked his gear and secured the tripod and camera. He focused on the marker buoy, compensated for the diagonal cut and set the aperture to hyper focal.

The trial runs were over and this time when Sara cut through the wake, Todd had his eyes glued to the viewfinder. With the sunlight reflecting off the water, he had compensated his exposure time to 1/250.

"Snap!" went the camera.

"At the speed she's going I can't even use the auto winder to try for a triple exposure," said Todd. "Sara's only going 60 for my benefit, but she said that this boat has topped 85!"

"That's probably why the rush for the picture and why the stock is climbing," said Kelly.

The radio crackled and Al asked if they were ready for another run. Todd nodded and Kelly relayed the information.

Ten minutes later and a small adjustment to the 'Blad and another shot was in the can. Sara ran the gauntlet six more times before Todd said to Kelly, "have Al tell Sara that we'll be ready for her special run in 20 minutes."

Kelly relayed the information as Todd pulled out large rain slickers.

"Here you are ladies," he said with a grin. "Better put them on and cover up!"

"Todd Ayres... Just what have you got up your sleeve?" Kelly demanded.

"Peter and Al want a show off shot, and Al was gung ho on this thing that Sara and Sherri pulled off Friday. Peter hasn't seen it, but knows the terminology. I figured if it was that common, I'd want to do something uncommon, so Sara and I arranged for a little surprise."

"Todd..."

"Don't worry, Kell, Sara asked me if I trusted her. You can see that she handles boats with a natural skill and we came up with something really spectacular." He laughed a wicked little laugh. "Why don't you ask Al and Peter to join us down here."

Kelly radioed Al and passed on the suggestion, and soon, Al and Peter were on their way.

The thought of Sara asking Todd if he trusted her ran through Kelly's mind while she waited. That seemed to be a key line with the James Gang and every time Kelly heard it, she thought back to Brenda. Whatever was going to happen, she already knew it was going to be an experience nobody would forget.

"Just make sure you get those slickers done up tight or we'll have to go change."

"But Al and Peter aren't wearing slickers," said Laura.

"Yeah," Todd chuckled. "I know!"

"Are you sure this is okay?" asked Lucy.

"Trust me, sweetie. I know what I'm doing. Just be sure you hold on real tight."

"Okay. If you're sure."

"We're just going to have a little fun, that's all. We've been running the same course for over an hour and this will be the last time before we change for the head on shots."

Peter asked why the girls had the heavy rain slickers on.

"We've been catching a little bit of spray," said Todd with a straight face, "and the girls aren't really dressed for it."

"So why do YOU have one on now?" asked Al.

"You'll notice that mine isn't done up," said Todd, "I'll drop it over the camera just after I take the shot. Wouldn't want me to ruin this camera, would you?"

Both Al and Peter allowed that was good thinking. What they didn't know was that Todd had slid the lens back to a wider-angle mode.

Peter and Al stood close to Todd and on his word, Al notified Lucy and the tug.

The tug plowed by once again and seconds later Sara came barreling down the straightway but more towards the bank where Todd was standing.

"Sara... you're going too fast." Lucy shouted out.

"Ya think?" Sara shouted back. "Maybe I'll have to make an adjustment here."

"Has Sara been running this close to shore every time?" Al asked. "From the office it looked like she had been right down the middle."

"Listen to that engine!" said Peter. "That sounds faster than what she was running before."

Todd didn't reply, he had his eye locked on the viewfinder waiting for Sara's next move. With one hand on the shutter and the other holding the slicker ready to drop it over the camera, he waited.

As Sara hit the leading wake she checked for the buoy, and goosed the throttle to full open as she yanked on the wheel pulling away from Todd. As James had done on the ride over, she bounced off the next wave and pulled the boat into a sideways skid exposing the starboard side to Todd. "I hope you get this on the first take," she thought to herself as a wave of spray shot up and away from the Cuddy.

"Yes!" Todd thought before he pulled down the slicker. He had the boat perfectly in his sights when Sara had cranked the wheel. This really was stunt driving! The wing was mostly exposed as was much of the hull, and Todd had gotten his shot just as the fountain of water started to cascade up and towards them. Todd had caught it just as it was forming, and then yanked the slicker down to protect the camera. He felt the water hit like a wave. He knew that Peter and Al were going to be soaked. What he had failed to tell them was that by dropping the slicker over the camera, his own shoulders and front were well protected from the torrential onslaught!

Kelly and Laura, having been clued in by Todd as to what to expect had quietly slipped off their sandals and moved them along with all of the other camera equipment and Todd's moccasins out of harm's way. They watched as long as they could as the wall of water came at them like a tidal wave and turned at the last minute to protect their hair, but could hear Al and Peter cussing like sailors.

"Jesus Christ! What the fuck was that stunt?" Peter asked.

"God damn it, I'm soaked right to the bone," said Al. Then he started to laugh.

"What's so fucking funny," Peter demanded.

"Did you see the boat?" Al asked him.

"Yeah, I saw the fucking boat. I was damn near in it!"

Al grabbed Peter by the shoulders. "No. I asked you if you saw the boat!"

"Yeah, it skidded..." slowly it began to dawn on him. Brushing the wet hair from his forehead, he asked Todd, "Did you get that on film?"

Todd just smiled.

"You are one crazy mother... " He stopped himself as he realized Kelly and Laura were standing there.

"Anybody can do a rooster tail," said Todd. "Now how about we get set up on the pontoon boat so I can get a few head on shots? "

Sara radioed in as she motored back at a moderate pace, "Got to fuel up! Give me half an hour!"

Todd gave her a big two thumbs up, then picked up his camera and took it to where his moccasins and case were lying. The girls had already shed the slickers and Laura handed hers to Peter. "You might need this if you intend to stand so close to the water, Peter."

Kelly laughed.

It was nearly two o'clock by the time the Cuddy was refueled and the pontoon boat was in position. They couldn't overcome the rocking of the boat caused by the tug so Todd decided to shoot by hand without the use of a tripod. It was a bit trickier, but with a shorter, lighter lens, Todd was sure that he could make it work.

They had all the details worked out regarding the tug and the speed so it was just a matter of repeating the same motions, except this time Todd would concentrate on the silver of the wing. With the sun behind him it really gleamed in his eyepiece. He had switched the large open viewfinder for the single, closed eyepiece when he decided to change the lens.

It took less than an hour to complete the shots, the last of which was one of Sara's ideas. The tug dug in deeper and faster. Instead of the diagonal line it had run towards Sara on an opposing path before, now it was cutting and swerving seconds before Sara hit the huge whitecaps it had churned up, sending the Cuddy up and out of the water with barely the screws touching. It was an excellent shot showing the Monster Cuddy handling heavy waves with ease, remaining nearly parallel to the water. Todd was sure he could see water running off the wing as he snapped the shutter.

Sara headed in to dock the boat and the pontoon boat, though faster than most, took more time to reach the pier. Todd used the time to unload the film and had it safely on ice and the camera packed away when they tied up.

Kelly and Laura had waited on shore for this series of pictures and greeted Sara as she pulled the boat into its berth. A crowd of onlookers had gathered and cheered as Sara and Lucy got off the Cuddy.

"That was pretty impressive, Sara," said Laura. "Do you have to apply for a special pilot's license to fly that boat?"

Sara laughed. "You know, I've never gone that fast in a car! Well, except maybe one time when Celeste was driving. But on the water... I can't explain the rush."

"So," asked Todd walking up, "what do you do for your next number?"

"Actually, I've got to catch up with Celeste and Sherri. We're doing a few numbers during the amateur talent time while the 'cook-off' is taking place this afternoon."

"What kind of numbers?" Laura asked with more than a bit of curiosity.

"Well, Sherri plays the keyboard and Celeste kills cats," Sara said laughing.

"Celeste does what?" Todd asked.

"I think she means Celeste plays the violin," said Laura, to which Sara nodded.

"And I pretend I can sing. Aren't you guys going to be coming?" Sara asked.

"We never heard a thing about it," said Kelly.

"You've got to come!" said Lucy. "Sara's been helping Dave out with a secret recipe!"