Chapter 17

Ed drove the Jeep into the driveway as the garage door opened. He pulled into John’s normal space. Turning off the Jeep, he sat back in his seat and rubbed his eyes. He and Leroy had taken turns driving home while John slept in the back seat. Leroy stretched and yawned. Ed looked in the back of the Jeep at the sleeping form of John. He reached back and shook John awake. “We’re home, John.”

Yawning, John sat up and stretched his arms, as much as was possible within the tight confines of the Jeep. He looked around at the garage. “Oh, we’re home. Why didn’t you wake me earlier?”

Leroy laughed at the suggestion and answered, “We weren’t brave enough to return home with a tired John. Ling would skin us alive.”

The men got out of the Jeep and headed into the house. They were met at the door by Cathy. Looking over her list, she said, “John, you’ve had another invitation to the White House. I turned it down as per your standing order. You have a date tomorrow night with one of the wives in town. She’ll be here around seven for dinner. The University called and wanted to know if you still intended to take a semester off from your lectures. I told them that your intentions had not changed. I’ve put your tax forms in your inbox. You need to look them over, but Jack and the IRS agent have both okayed them.”

John mumbled, “Thanks, Cathy.”

She turned to Ed and recited, “Your tax forms are in your inbox. A check arrived from the New York Diamond Exchange. They gave you a nice bonus. I deposited it in your account. A box of samples arrived from Antarctica. I put it on the table in front of your workshop. You have a date tomorrow night with Rosa. She’ll be here for dinner around seven. A rather persistent student has called several times a day wanting to know if you’ll be his adviser for his dissertation. I told him that you would be available to talk to him tomorrow at three.”

Smiling Ed said, “Thanks, Cathy. You’re a lifesaver.”

She turned to Leroy and recited, “Your thesis adviser called while you were out. I told him you’d be available tomorrow at three.”

Leroy hugged Cathy. “I think you’re the greatest.”

Cathy smiled and returned to her office. The three men looked at each other. John said, “Nothing to do until tomorrow afternoon. How about a swim?”

Leroy answered, “Sounds perfect to me.”

The three men entered the poolroom laughing about crazy John. It took them a minute to realize that the room wasn’t empty. Mrs. Hayes, Ling, Kelly, and Linda were lounging on the chairs beside the pool. Dr. Hayes was in his wheelchair next to his wife. There wasn’t a stitch of clothes on any one of them. Kelly asked, “What’s so funny?”

Leroy took a quick glance in Linda’s direction and then answered, “We were laughing about ‘Crazy John.’”

A confused look crossed Ling’s face. She had never heard anyone refer to John in that fashion. “What about John?”

“Not ‘John’, ‘Crazy John!’” Ed asserted.

Laughing, John got a crazed look on his face. “I can see by all of the nipples in the room that these are all earthlings. You two, I’m not sure about. Do you have nipples? I have nipples, very good nipples. I bet you’re from Chro. Are you Chronians?”

Ed and Leroy laughed as they took off their shirts. Ed answered, “We have nipples.”

John frowned and looked crazy for a minute. He asked, “Are you sure those are nipples? They might be painted on. I’m not going back into space.”

While Ed and Leroy laughed, they slipped off their shoes and pants. John took off his cloak. Kelly asked, “So what is all this talk about Chronians?”

Leroy answered, “We found some car thieves in Denver. John went over to them acting like Crazy John and watched them until the police arrived. The car thieves were quite confused by all of the talk about Chronians, too.”

Dr. Hayes smiled at the image. “Very nice. I bet they thought you were mad as a hatter.”

“Yes they did. They even asked me if I was an undercover cop. I told them I was FBI. They didn’t believe that, either.”

Linda still looked puzzled. She asked, “Why would you watch them until the police arrived?”

As the men finished undressing, Ed explained about the car theft ring they had broken up that night. By the time Ed finished telling the story, all three men were naked and standing by the pool. John quipped, “Last one in is a...”

He didn’t get to finish as both Ed and Leroy jumped into the water. Leroy kept his cast out of the water. John added lamely, “great guy.”

Everyone laughed as he finally got in the water. Ed and John took a couple of laps, while Leroy walked around. He couldn’t wait until he would be able to swim and splash water like everyone else. He looked over at Dr. Hayes and realized that he was actually very lucky in comparison.

The men got out of the water and sat down with the women. John asked, “So what has everyone been up to the past few days?”

Dr. Hayes said, “Well, I’ve been talking to Kelly about opening that clinic here in town. She’s basically got it all set up. I think we’ll try to open it in two weeks. I’ll be working out of a wheel chair, but that shouldn’t matter.”

Kelly added, “I’ve rented an office. It’s not much, but it’s a start. I’ve been over there every day fixing it up.”

Smiling, Ling said, “I arrested my first drunk driver. Outside of that, everything has been very quiet in town.”

Mrs. Hayes said, “I’ve been over to the house watching them finish the interior. It should be ready in a week.”

Everyone looked at Linda waiting to hear what she had done. She blushed as she looked away shyly. She found her courage to say something, “I got a job at the library.”

“That’s great,” John said pleased that she was thinking about staying in the house.

Leroy asked, “Why at the library?”

“I like books. I realized there was one thing that I really wanted to do. I want to write a book. However, I knew that I needed to work while I was doing that. The library sounded perfect for me.”

“I’m really happy for you. It sounds like a perfect choice.” John realized that some fundamental changes had occurred among several key people while they were in Denver. He was still having a hard time believing that Dr. and Mrs. Hayes were lounging around the pool naked. They didn’t look too bad without their clothes. Their pubic hair had turned gray and Mrs. Hayes breasts sagged a bit, but they were both in good shape for their ages.

He glanced over at Linda. There was no doubt that she was gorgeous. Her breasts looked young and full. The areola of each breast was a dark brown tipped with a very large nipple. She had a luxurious growth of pubic hair.

He turned to Kelly and asked, “So how’s the ‘mother to be’ feeling?”

“I’m feeling great. I don’t have morning sickness or anything.”

Dr. Hayes remarked, “She’s doing perfectly fine with her pregnancy. I’ve never seen one progress so nicely. She’s very healthy.”

John sat back and enjoyed the company around him. It was nice to back at home and surrounded by a loving family. Linda finally burst out, “Hey, aren’t you guys going to say anything?”

Leroy asked, “About what?”

“About the fact that I’m naked.”

Ed laughed and said, “So is everyone else.”

“I told you they wouldn’t say anything. They’d treat you like you were fully clothed.”

Mrs. Hayes snorted and said, “I can’t believe they didn’t make any remarks about this old wrinkled body.”

In a very serious tone of voice, John replied, “I only see beautiful people in this room. Mrs. Hayes is glowing with a newfound confidence. Dr. Hayes looks happier than I’ve ever seen him, accepting a lifestyle that he’s probably always wanted. I see a young woman that has found her passion and is about to unleash it on an unsuspecting world. Leroy sees himself as a human being that can embrace all that life has to offer him. Kelly has that glow that a woman achieves only in the creation of a new life. Ling, well, she’s following her path to happiness.”

Dr. Hayes said, “You’re quite perceptive.”

“He’s much more perceptive than you would credit him for. He’s worked hard to bring everyone to this point. He’s offered me a chance to explore my personal boundaries without pressure. He’s kept from sleeping with Linda until she’s found herself. You don’t think it was an accident that Bob and Sarah were always naked when it was their turn to watch over you?” Leroy offered. He knew he wasn’t fully aware of all that John was doing to help people become all that they could be.

John stood up and walked over to where his clothes were laying on the floor. He picked up his robe and slipped it over his arm. He turned to Leroy and corrected him, “The only thing I do is love the people around me. It’s that simple.”

John left the room and headed to his bedroom, where he dropped off his robe. He picked up a large box and then left to find Marguerite. He found her in the kitchen and asked. “Marguerite, is there anything special planned for dinner tonight?”

Marguerite turned and looked at John, her eyes spending most of their time on his package. “No, nothing special.”

“Could you prepare an intimate dinner for two to be served in my room this evening at about seven?” John shifted the box under his arm.

The grin on Marguerite’s face went from ear to ear. “So, you’re finally going to give that poor girl the relief that she’s been wanting.”

“Could you add a simple snack to be brought by the room around ten?”

Marguerite asked, “Would you prefer finger foods that you can feed to each other or something a little more formal?”

“Finger foods, please.”

A meal of finger foods was a tough order as there aren’t many meals made of just finger foods. She smiled as she had an idea of the perfect meal. She smiled and said, “I have an idea, it’s not exactly finger foods, but I think it will have the appropriate effect.”

“Surprise me.” John grinned at Marguerite and left to locate Cathy.

Cathy was in her office working on family books. She was to meet with Jack the next week to go over the finances, and to file the quarterly taxes. She didn’t notice John enter the room until he cleared his throat. She looked up and apologized, “Oh, sorry, John. I was working on something.”

“Must be interesting.”

“Not really.”

John smiled as he asked, “Well, how about something a little different?”

“Like what?”

“I would like you to print up an invitation to Linda for a private dinner this evening at seven in my room. I would also like this box given to her with the invitation.”

Cathy grinned and said, “So, you’re going to give the woman what she needs. It’s about time.”

John shook his head in denial. He said, “I’ve been giving her what she needs for a long time, now. I’m going to give her what she wants, tonight. Okay?”

“Sure, boss,” Cathy snickered. She turned to the computer and typed up a very quick invitation.

John looked over her shoulder at what she was typing. He frowned and commented, “That should be ‘intimate dinner’ rather than ‘rousing good fuck’.”

“You’re no fun at all.” Cathy laughed. She made the change and then continued working on the invitation.

“That should be ‘his room’ and not ‘pleasure pit of the greatest stud on earth’.”

Cathy made all of the corrections and then printed it up on a heavy paper. It looked appropriately formal. She put it in an envelope and sealed it. She taped it onto the box that John had set on her desk. John thanked her and went back to the poolroom.

Cathy watched John leave the room. She immediately turned back to her computer and made a second invitation that read as she had intended. She wrote a note on it that John wouldn’t let her send out that version, but it was probably closer to the truth. She taped that one onto the package as well, knowing that Linda would appreciate it.

There was a knock on the door at exactly seven. John answered the door to find Linda wearing the emerald green dress that he had purchased for her. He invited her into his room. She smiled at him and entered slowly. There was a table set in the middle of the room. On it were a fondue set and some long forks. Soft music played in the background setting a comfortable atmosphere. Linda wasn’t familiar with the artist, but she liked the music.