Chapter 6

The months flew by. At least it was nice to get into summer weather. With my work schedule, it was my first time to be in summer for almost two years.

The market turned very choppy on my model, we were down 6% in October. New York called me back to the U.S. for a week in November, to calm the investors. I don't think anything I said made a bit of difference. We made 7% in November. That made a bit of difference. December was quiet, with some additional profits. Carlotta and I went out to a New Year's Eve party to celebrate the arrival of 2009.

Our dating is very sweet. We spend lots of time on the phone together, and I'm often a guest at her family's home for dinner. Carlotta and I go out on Saturdays and buy groceries for the family for the week. She's reluctant to let me keep picking up the tab, but it's the least I can do.

Her extended family is really nice. Her two nephews are a junior and senior in high school. Emilio is working hard to provide them both an option for college. Carlotta, Isabelle, and Carlotta's niece, thirteen-year old Francisca, are all sleeping in one room, with a partition for Carlotta. It's a crowded house...

Carlotta and I have been managing to go out at least once each weekend, dinner and a movie or concert or play. She's been to my hotel room occasionally. We've begun to pet each other, nothing too sexy. Carlotta really wants to move slowly on this, and that's fine with me.

I've only been seeing A'moth once a month. I asked her if she'd like to get together more often, but she doesn't want to get in Carlotta's way. I'm still feeding A'moth, one pint a month, building a buffer for her. Her feedings remain intensely sexual. I sometimes find myself dreaming about her tongue. I dream of her tongue sliding up into me, after she feeds. The physical pleasures are that intense, almost addicting...

The first week in 2009, I asked Carlotta if she'd like to go house hunting with me. She hesitated, making very sure I wouldn't let her tastes influence my decision. I promised, but I slyly avoided making the same promise about Isabelle. I managed to convince Carlotta to bring her along.

It was a beautiful warm summer Saturday, January 10'th. The three of us spent the day touring mansions in the most exclusive parts of Santiago. Carlotta was aghast at the prices and kept giving me odd looks. I just smiled back. Isabelle went wild with delight looking at all the private swimming pools.

That evening Carlotta and I had a simple dinner at my hotel, and then we went up to my room. We were sitting on my couch, kissing and lightly petting each other.

Carlotta kissed and licked my ear. "Gary?"

"Hmm?"

"Those mansions... Did you do it just to give Isabelle a good time?"

"Huh? No, of course not."

"Right... So, did the two of you find something you liked?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. The second house this afternoon. It was the favorite for both of us. When you weren't looking, Isabelle told me to buy it."

Carlotta laughed heartily. "My daughter certainly has good taste! Expensive, but good! I remember her gaping at the swimming pool and barbeque area."

I nodded. "But it was her future bedroom that sold it to her."

"Oh, really?!" Carlotta was laughing so hard, tears were flowing from her eyes. "Let me guess! The one with the northern bay windows, overlooking the gardens and the pool!"

I nodded. "The very one! Isabelle loves the light. She wants to fill the room with stuffed animals that will enjoy it with her."

Carlotta tried to control her laugher. I went on. "The place is very private, 20,000 sq feet of land, about 6,000 sq feet of built space if you include the pool. High walls, beautiful gardens, the automatic sprinkler system is a plus. Top-of-the-line central heating and cooling system, and I love the solar panels! All in all, I think the place will suite Isabelle and me very nicely."

Carlotta kissed me again, continuing the game. "And what else do you remember?"

"Everything. Five bedrooms, the master is a cavern. Three full baths... Beautiful hardwood and stone floors, large living room... Excellent workmanship... The dining room will seat twelve easily. Isabelle loved the play room. I liked the inside parking space, enough for five cars... The street is very quiet, and there's easy access to downtown. I like that too."

"And did you also like the price?! It was close to a million U.S. dollars!"

"Well, $950,000. But that's just the asking price. The owner said he would negotiate. If I made an offer, 90% or 91%, to show I'm serious, I'm sure we could close the deal at $900k."

"Oh yes! Indeed! Very serious!" Carlotta burst into laughter again.

"What I really love is that it's only a block away from the international school. I've checked them out. They have such a unique program for gifted children. She's so bright Carlotta! So incredibly bright! It's where Isabelle should be. It's really where she should be."

Carlotta frowned at me, and then gave me a sad smile. "Ah Gary... Don't joke about Isabelle like that."

"Dearest, I'm not joking."

Carlotta looked at me and blinked, and then shook her head. "Really? Gary, do be serious!"

"I am serious."

"Gary, for one thing, we're not married... But more to the point, even if we were, we could never afford a place like that. I know you build models for the bank. You're not the bank president."

"Carlotta..." We got lost in a kiss for a while. I was dying to get physical with her. She was a passionate kisser, and my head was filled with fantasies of undressing her, stroking her, mounting her... She finally broke the kiss when she realized how sexually aroused we were both getting.