Chapter 38

Todd rolled out of bed and stumbled his way to the bathroom, pulling at his shorts on the way. It was early, way too early for Kelly or even Laura - even Cara and Ami were still asleep. After relieving the pressure from his bladder, he stepped into the shower and woke himself up with a cold shower. A look at his watch on the vanity verified that he was still early. It was just ten after five. He could have done without the cold shower, but Kelly had been exceptionally creative in bed the night before and Laura was always game for something a bit out of the ordinary. Wrapping a towel around himself he tossed his shorts into the hamper and quietly opened the door to the younger girl's bedroom. Not surprisingly, both girls were nude and cuddled so tight that Todd had to check to make sure he was touching the right girl.

"Ami," he whispered softly. "Time to get up, Sweetheart."

Cara groaned in her sleep and Ami's eyes fluttered open. "What time?" she mumbled.

"It's a quarter after five, Honey. We've got to go to the studio and load up film."

"Sleep," Ami moaned, rolling over.

"You can sleep on the plane," Todd promised.

"Ugh," was her response as she rolled on to her back slapping her hands down beside her. Without any pretext of modesty, she gave Cara a quick peck on her cheek then crawled out of bed, staggering a little as she tried to stand on her own. "Do I have time for a quick shower so I can wake up too?" she asked.

Todd smiled and said he'd have coffee waiting for her when she was done.

As Ami shuffled off to the bathroom, Todd gathered some clothes, got dressed, and headed to the kitchen. Coffee was his drink of choice when he needed the caffeine rush and he knew that while Ami preferred tea, she would welcome and appreciate the morning wake-up rush as well.

Ami was still yawning when they pulled into the studio parking lot. It was still before six and the sky was just starting to lighten with the promise of a beautiful day. They entered very quietly so as not to wake up Vanetta and Robert, hopefully still asleep upstairs.

The night before, they had carefully and totally cleaned the two major cameras and the K-1000, stripping the bodies to their basic components and cleaning every surface with care. Todd's work counter had reeked of alcohol by the time they were done, but all the cameras and their lenses as well as the focal prisms were spotless, and all moving parts had been checked. Ami had been amazed at Todd's shutter sync apparatus, commenting on how uncanny it was to have a machine read off one thousandth of a second.

"It's not like we'll ever have any need for that kind of speed," Todd had told her, "but if it's not accurate at that speed, how will we know if the 125^th setting is working. We have to meter through the lens and compare what we see to what the hand held and spot meters are telling us. Some shots you don't get a second chance at."

The film cooler was loaded with freezer packs. Todd and Ami spent two hours loading up all the available cartridges for the two 'Blads they were taking to Brookhaven, and were greeted by three smiling faces when they emerged from the darkroom.

Cara had woken up shortly after they had left the house and had convinced Laura and Kelly that they should all get up and join the two shutterbugs for breakfast. Kelly had a good idea of how long it would take Todd, even with Ami's help, so after a leisurely cup of tea they had packed up the vitamins they would need on this trip and enough for breakfast time this morning. Laura drove the Elantra while Kelly continued to yawn in the passenger seat trying to reconcile why in God's name she was up and out the door before eight in the morning!

Brookhaven! That was the reason they were all up before normal human beings! They were flying out at eleven o'clock to spend 10 days at the resort island taking 'summer' pictures for the new brochure the mayor of the incorporated town had commissioned.

"What are you guys doing here?" Ami asked. "We thought we'd get back to the house to pack before anybody knew we were gone!"

"We did your packing for you, Sweetheart," Cara said. "At least what you didn't pack last night."

"And we've got your morning vitamins, which you should take now," said Laura. "Cara convinced us to get up so we could have a company breakfast meeting."

"A company meeting?" Todd asked.

"Just as soon as Vanetta and Robert come down," said Kelly.

"Well, I'm hungry," said Ami, and before anyone could stop her, she bolted up the stairs to the apartment above the studio to make sure that Robert and Vanetta were awake.

Everybody heard a thud, and Ami came tearing back down the stairs flushed with embarrassment. "They were busy," she mumbled, her head down.

"Busy doing what?" asked Kelly ever so innocently, knowing full well, if Ami's blush was any indication!

"They were doing the nasty!" said Ami. "Vanetta was riding him, and when I ran in on them, Robert kind of went spastic and bucked her right off."

"Poor Baby," Cara cooed. "You shouldn't be exposed to something so traumatizing this early in the morning." That just caused Kelly and Laura to start laughing.

"What was the big thud?" Todd asked.

"That was Vanetta landing on the floor," Ami said and started to laugh herself.

"That wasn't funny," shouted Vanetta from the stairs. "I'm going to have a bruise on my ass, and I wasn't finished yet!"

"Well, hurry up so we can all go out and eat," said Cara.

"Ten minutes," Vanetta shouted down. "Hold your horses!"

It was actually 15 minutes before the young lovers came down, both with still-damp hair from their shower and Vanetta rubbing her butt.

"This worked out pretty good," said Todd as they slid into chairs at the International House of Pancakes. "We'd be overstuffed in just the Tracker, so this way we can ride to Chris's in the TNG van. I don't really want to leave the Tracker at the airfield for that long. You guys don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all," said Robert. "We'll take Kelly's car back to the house and I'll keep the Tracker parked behind the studio."

The group dove into the large Belgian waffles piled high with whipped cream and downed their vitamins with huge glasses of fresh-squeezed orange juice. During breakfast Kelly went over a few of the details with Vanetta again about where they would be staying and how their cell phones were all charged in case something came up, though nobody thought anything would. Vanetta could easily handle the business as she had done before when Todd and Kelly were out of town, and Robert had the TNG project to work on.

"Publicity is the key," he said between mouthfuls. "The more interest I can build in the project the more revenue will be produced as sponsors clamor to get on board. Nearly everybody in business has a parent or grandparent in an assisted living facility or a nursing home. This is something they can all relate to, so all I need to do is keep the interest alive. I've upped the ante a bit as far as the students go."

"How's that?" asked Todd.

"Well," said Robert. "Just talking about what the students are doing would become old news fairly quickly. My dad's always saying that if it's a repeat it goes to the back of the paper, so I've added a few bonus prizes for students who write a short essay about something they learn while visiting with the seniors. Between the various weekly papers and the dailies, I can provide them all with new stories every week. Since we anticipate a lot of short essays, we won't have anybody duplicating anything seen in the other papers, it's fresh, and I'm targeting specific areas where schools are located. That keeps it local as well, and the students who make it to print get a $25 gift certificate that they can spend at a local audio-video store. The nice part is that the papers are paying for the gift certificates, so it doesn't cut into our budget at all."

Vanetta beamed. Robert had really taken to this project and was covering all the bases. From what she could see, Todd was extremely pleased with the results he had delivered so far.

"It sure sounds good to me, Robert," said Todd. "How many performances is the band scheduled for while we're gone?"

"Just one a week while school's on," he answered. "I'd like to book them for more, and I've been talking to their teachers who say they will give extra credits to the members of the TNG band, but I don't want it becoming a chore for them either. We'll schedule extra performances through some of the holidays and especially at Christmas, but if I see that they're not enjoying it, I'll cut back the schedule."

"I don't know," said Laura. "I always enjoyed performing for the seniors because they appreciate it so much. I doubt the kids will get tired of the ego stroking," and then she laughed, "but, seriously... If it looks like they're getting tired, you should consider taking them as a group to do something that doesn't involve performing. Treat them to a day out. Take them to a few movies in between and a few meals out. Remind them that what they're doing is a great service and that they are appreciated, and I think you'll see nothing but positive results."

"I agree," said Ami. "Our coaches used to take us to game arcades between meets so that we could have some serious downtime."

"By doing it as a group," Cara added, "we built camaraderie with the rest of the team, but since we weren't practicing or competing we didn't feel pressured. I think it helped keep us fresh."

"That's a good idea," said Robert. "I know they've enjoyed the times we've gone out to eat to discuss band stuff, and they still haven't stopped talking about the trip to Disney or the fun they had at Carowinds. I'll see if I can't get them together for a few Saturday outings."

"Or break up the week," said Todd. "Take them all out on a Wednesday after school. Maybe catch a movie or something."

Kelly looked at her watch and quickly gulped the remainder of her juice. "I think we better get moving, guys," she said. "I know Chris will wait for us, but his planes are booked pretty solid, and I don't want to cause anyone else to be late because of us."

"Can you imagine that?" Laura asked with a smile. "Kelly hurrying to catch a plane. Will wonders never cease?"

Todd paid the bill and the group headed for the airstrip.

Even with the soft, near-textbook landing of the plane, Kelly was glad to step foot on terra firma again. Laura laughed as she took Kelly's hand and guided her off the tarmac. "Jeez, Kelly. The first time I had to fly I nearly peed myself I was so afraid, but you talked me through it. Now, it seems like I'm spending every other weekend on a plane going someplace. I guess that when I go to Australia, you won't want to come with me."

Kelly turned and gaped at Laura. "Twenty hours on a friggin' plane? Honey, I'd love to go with you, but I wouldn't want to fly! Can't we go by boat instead? Hey... Just why do you want to go to Australia anyway?"

Laura smiled that smug smile of hers. "Well, Sweetheart, you know I just love to go down under!"

"Smart-Ass! Just you wait till later on tonight and we'll see who can last the longest down under! I'll make you squirm and beg for mercy before I'm done with you!"

"Promise?" Laura coyly asked.

Todd and Cara were laughing at the exchange. Ami, however, had had her eye glued to the viewfinder of her camera ever since the island came into view of those in the plane. She had asked for and gotten to sit beside the pilot, and Todd could smell the gears turning in Ami's mind. Aerial shots of the island was a good idea. Pictures of the runway would come in handy as well. Todd smiled with satisfaction and with pride in his young apprentice.

"Looks like our ride is here," said Cara, pointing to a rather large Argo ATV. The tires on the 8-wheeled vehicle were large as was the man driving it. Todd smiled as the slow-moving boat on wheels got closer. It was the mayor of Brookhaven himself at the controls. The letters TKO were boldly painted in gold on the sides and front of the dark green vehicle, and Todd was quite sure they would be on the rear as well. For its size, the ATV moved smoothly, and the blimp-like tires absorbed any bumps in the field as it lumbered over them. Todd realized from the lack of noise that this Argo was a custom built one - the engine was purring as quietly as a kitten. Al waved as he got closer and Todd could see a small outboard motor visible on the rear. He knew the tires would propel the small craft through water, but a proper propeller would make it go much quicker.

"Hi, Al," said Kelly when the Argo came to a stop. "Nice ride!"

"I hope you like it," said Al shaking Todd's hand. "The trailer is parked off the island if you decide to take it home. But, at a recent council meeting it was decided that TKO would be recognized as a resident business operating on Brookhaven and as such afforded all rights and privileges, which includes a mailing address and reserved parking in the citizen's lot and a berth for a boat at the marina should you get one."

Kelly laughed. "That's nice, Al. You can never have too many homes or friends."

"What's this, Al," asked Laura pulling on a wrapped section of canvas.

"Ah, the joys of outdoor life," said Al. "That's a collapsible canopy sunshade," he said as he undid the hurricane snaps, unfurling it, and snapping the braces in place. "Sun blocker and tanning lotions work fine, but under these sweltering skies and this proximity to salt water, nothing beats a bit of shade, especially when you're neck deep in the water!"

"It was good of you to meet us here, Al," Todd said. "Did you get the time of our arrival from the control tower?"

Al laughed as he nodded. "As soon as your pilot radioed in for clearance to land, I got a call at the office. The Hampton was my first stop just to confirm that your suite is ready, and then I went as fast as I could get this puppy to go to try and be here when you landed."

Cara and Ami had already transferred all the luggage to the cargo area of the Argo and parked themselves on the molded bench in the rear. Ahead of their area were four more molded seats on which there were vinyl-covered cushions for backs and butts.

"Can we give you a ride back, Al?" asked Kelly.

"I think that might be a good idea. That way I can answer any questions about the operation of this particular model."

Todd got into the driver's seat, turned the key, and set the switch for land mode. As Al explained it to him he gently eased the two handles back, setting the Argo moving forward. To test the controls and refresh his memory he pushed the one forward turning the eight-wheeled vehicle on the proverbial dime. Satisfied with the quick response he straightened back out and headed for the road.

"She's as fast as any of the golf carts," Al said laughing, "but you won't have to look for a crossing at any of the water hazards."

Using one hand to hold both drive handles, Todd stroked the deep green molded body. "I like it, Al. Nice color, and a comfortable ride. After we get settled in, I think I'll take it to the beach and test it on the sand dunes and in the water."

"Just remember to be back in time for supper," said Kelly. "We're going to the boat restaurant tonight if I can get us reservations."

They dropped Al off at the Short Creek Marina and rode on through to the Hampton, pleasantly surprised to see a reserved parking sign with their company name on it. Since there were no cars on the island, there really wasn't much of a parking lot except for the area where golf carts could be stored along with the Hampton Inn's own courtesy shuttles. The reserved area was close to the front, and a bellhop came out to help carry in their luggage. Kelly stopped at the front desk and got keys for the suite and stayed to chat with the manager. Cara stayed with Kelly while the others took the elevator to the sixth-floor penthouse suite. The Hampton was the tallest building on Brookhaven, and Ami was on the balcony while Todd was still busy tipping the bellhop. Laura was pointing to the dock where she had spent the morning romancing the dolphin that Ami had seen in the photograph at the studio.

"How can I get on the roof, Todd?" Ami asked. "They must have some kind of access to it, and it would make for some wonderful panoramic shots of the island from up there."

Todd had thought the same thing and told her to call the front desk and ask for permission. "I'm sure that there'll be an access route close to the elevator," he said. "Find out how and make sure they don't mind us going up there. We'll take a look at it as we'll want to see when the best time is to take shots from up there."

Kelly and Cara came in while Ami was on the phone. Kelly was holding a sheaf of papers and wearing a smile. "The manager is an active member of the Brookhaven council and chairman of the board of tourism. He gave us copies of some of the previous catalogs for the island and a list of 'must shoot' businesses. They're giving us free rein over how and who, but a lot of the businesses on the island are nationally or internationally, owned and they've got corporations to answer to."

"But they're not going to stifle or dictate creative content," Cara added.

"Then I don't see a problem," said Todd. "I can understand their concern, but I'll make sure that we get good shots of them." He flipped through one brochure after another before adding, "And better than what they've had before. Some of these look like real estate photos."

Kelly laughed. "That's what the manager said as well. A lot of the businesses here are looking forward to seeing what you can do for them. They've all seen the shots you sent back from our last visit. The one of Laura on the Hampton's private dock is one of the most popular on the island business-wise, but the most popular of all is the one of Laura and me that's hanging in Ray's T-Shop!"

Todd wrapped his arms around Kelly and said, "You have to love a place that has such good taste!"

"Speaking of good taste," said Kelly, "Ron - that's the manager, Ron Perry, by the way - he called up the boat restaurant while we were talking and got us a table for five at eight o'clock. Jim Fredy is the owner of the restaurant, and he's delighted that we're back. Rebel Heart starts playing at nine, so we should be able to eat and then dance away the calories."