Chapter 16

They took both vehicles and the whole crew to meet the plane. As soon as it taxied to a stop, Jeff and Diana moved the cars as close as they could. Laura had told them she was bringing her computer, all her software and enough clothes and personal items to stay for a while. She had said that she and Jeff hadn’t even talked about salary, but she knew he wouldn’t cheat her. She joked that job offers certainly were not piling up, anyway.

As the copilot put the stairs down, Laura appeared in the doorway. With short, very red hair, and a matching redhead’s complexion, including freckles across her nose and larger, rounder breasts than Diana’s, she was a stunning woman as she hesitated for a second, looking from her daughter, to Jeff, to Diana. Her daughter got the first hug, though. Jeff distinctly heard Ann tell her mother, “I’m a woman now, Mama.”

The Captain had just come down the stairs and was in the midst of giving his usual half-salute to Jeff when he suddenly came to attention and performed a textbook salute, instead. Reflexively, Jeff returned it.

“Cut that crap out,” Jeff said, laughing. “Neither of us is military anymore, and even if we were, I’m not in uniform.”

Instead of laughing at what Jeff thought of as a little joke between them, Madison only smiled a little.

“Mr. Matthews, if you have a moment after we take care of the baggage, I need to speak to you in private.”

Jeff wondered what was up, speculating if Captain Madison had heard what Ann told her mother. If he did, it was unmistakable what she had meant. She’s of age. Eat your heart out. Shrugging, Jeff said, “Sure, be glad to.”

The copilot had already opened the baggage compartment, and the flight attendant was bringing things out of the passenger compartment. The pilot’s comment that Mr. Wainwright would have his ass if Jeff were allowed to carry his own luggage went by the wayside this trip. The girls, Diana and Laura were already loading the vehicles before the flight crew could object. Jeff looked at the process and grinned. After just one turn at moving Ann’s belongings from the plane to the vehicle, Jeff motioned to Madison, “I don’t think we’re needed just now. Why don’t we step aside for a moment?”

As the men walked a few feet away, Captain Madison turned to Jeff. “Mr. Matthews, I hope I’m not in trouble, but I did something. Without having meant to pry into your business in any way, I can assure you...”

Seeing that the man was stressed, Jeff broke in. “Okay, what’s happened? I’m not the kind of guy who flies off the handle at every little thing. So, just spit it out. You’re obviously uptight about this.”

Taking a breath, Madison said, “I heard around the company that you were an ex-military man, and you had been on some bad-ass missions. All hush-hush stuff. So, like the idiot I am, I asked a buddy who is still in the service to check around some. Shit, Sir, I swear I was just curious because I like you. Some of the people we fly treat us like servants, or worse, and you and your family have always treated us as equals, and with respect. Well, my buddy must have checked – apparently too much. I haven’t heard from him, but when I got home after my flight, two guys were waiting for me. They had military IDs that showed one to be a Major and the other a Lieutenant. They were not pleased. They read me laws about official secrets, the result of violating those laws, and gave me an intensive questioning – hell, almost an interrogation. They scared the shit out of my wife, and believe me, she wasn’t the only one. I want to apologize. I swear I didn’t mean anything by it. If this gets back to Mr. Wainwright, I’m liable to get fired.”

Jeff looked Madison over for a moment without saying anything. A part of Jeff was pissed that Madison would try to check on him, but he could understand the temptation, especially a just-ask-around type of thing. Jeff cleared his throat, “They haven’t been in contact with me, and you’re not in jail,” he said with a grin that Madison didn’t reflect, “so I think we can assume that they believed that you were not trying to get into any military secrets. If they say anything to Mr. Wainwright, let me know, and I’ll take care of it.”

The captain stuck his hand out and they shook. “Thank you, Mr. Matthews. I’ve learned my lesson. And once again, Sir, you and your family are a pleasure to serve.”

Jeff assumed that Madison had just been curious, but he wasn’t going to let it go without a little checking of his own. He changed the subject. “The scenery certainly is nice around here,” he said, looking pointedly at the women as they stood chatting with the copilot and flight attendant.

“Yes, Sir. Boulder is a nice city, and the mountains in the background are splendid.”

“Bullshit. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“Uh, Sir, I...” shrugging, Madison finished, “Yes, Sir. They’re all beautiful women. And very pleasant, besides.”

On the spur of the moment, feeling a connection with the Captain, somehow, Jeff asked, “Why don’t you and your crew come up to the house for dinner? We have plenty of room. We will bring you back first thing in the morning so you can fly back tomorrow.”

“You mean that, don’t you, Sir?”

“Certainly, I do. We would all enjoy having you.”

“We have been up to the Conference Center, uh ... your home, before. And I would love to take a rain check on that invitation, but we have a flight early tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Jeff said, “but you’re invited on the next trip. And there should be one soon. Laura is going to be my assistant, and will probably be flying out shortly to pick up some equipment for me, plus Diana and I will need to go back to Georgia to tie up some loose ends there before too long.”

“We will be waiting for your call, Sir. And if we don’t have to hurry back, we’ll be very pleased to take you up on your invitation.”

“See you then,” Jeff finished, turning back toward the vehicles.

The girls had gotten into the Escalade, but Diana and Laura were standing next to the Expedition waiting for him. Laura quickly came to Jeff and hugged him. “Thanks for the job, Boss,” she said, smiling at the title.

Jeff grinned and hugged her back, extremely aware of the soft breasts crushed against his chest. “You are most welcome,” he joked.

After Laura stepped back, Diana said, “I assumed that Laura would ride with you, since you probably need to talk.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s a good idea. We’re going to stop in Winter Park for lunch, right?” Jeff asked Diana.

“Yes, that sounds good to me.”

Turning to Laura, he explained. “It is sort of a tradition. We introduce everyone to this little restaurant on their first trip, if possible. Besides, we love to eat there too. It’s some of the best simple cooking on the planet.” Straight-faced, he asked, “Would you mind driving, Laura; I’m a bit sleepy for some reason.”

Before Laura could answer, Diana interjected, “You do not want to drive, Laura. He’s setting you up. Trust me. No one wants to drive the first trip – maybe not the tenth.”

Laura looked inquisitively at the two of them – Jeff trying not to grin – and at Diana’s frowning face. A couple of hours later, she understood why, when with a death grip on the seat, she stared into the seemingly bottomless abyss alongside the switchbacks of the drive.

She did manage one quiet, but very sincere, expletive. Jeff thought the comment was very creative.

As they pulled into the back of the house, Laura, eyes wide, said, “You call this a house? And that a fucking driveway?”

“Well, I’ve heard the building called everything from a Conference Center to the Retreat. Now, we just call it home. It kinda grows on you. That’s why I told you that there would be plenty of room for you and Ann. And... you will get used to the driveway. Well, mostly used to it.”

Laura grimaced, then said, “Right now, I doubt it about the driveway, but the house – oh, I know, Diana has told me about this place on the phone since right after you came out here. And Ann went on and on about it. But seeing it is something else altogether. I’ve seen motels, big motels that were smaller than this.” Looking in the direction of the drive again, she continued, “And now that I have my voice back, what are you going to do about that ... that... thing we just came up when winter comes and it snows?”

“It doesn’t wait for winter around here. We had snow last week.”

“What did you do?”

Jeff laughed and opened his door to get out. Looking back at her, he said, “Hell, I sat and watched it snow. No way was I going to drive down that driveway before it got plowed out, or the snow melted.”

Laura remained sitting in the vehicle for a moment, then got out and met him as he raised the hatch. “I’ve never even seen a real mountain before. The ones we have in Georgia are toadstools compared to this, as you know, since you lived there too,” she said while nodding toward the snow-covered peaks above them.

“Yeah,” Jeff laughed, “we have mountains here, but I’ll bet a lot of the people who live out here have never seen a beach before, let alone, the snow-white sand ones we used to visit in Florida.”

The crew piled out of the Escalade, pooh-poohed their help, and started the production of getting Laura’s bags and other paraphernalia into the building.

“Jeff, I appreciate what you said in the vehicle, and I’m certainly not going to turn down the money. But are you sure that you’re comfortable meeting my salary from my old job, and letting me live here rent-free? As I said on the phone...”

“I know,” Jeff teased, “No charity. But it doesn’t cost me anything for you to live in one of the apartments. Even the power is taken care of by the wind generators. I would be a total ass to charge you rent. Besides, I’ll be getting the best of the deal as it is. You’re going to work your butt off.”

Laura picked up her computer, refusing to let anyone else touch it. Jeff managed to get the monitor before the girls did. “I have computers,” Jeff commented as they started inside. He paused as Melissa held the door open for them while they entered the house, then continued, “Besides, we’re going to start a company, probably incorporate, and the company could buy whatever you need.”

“Nope, my computer is just the way I want it. It is literally state of the art. Computers were my living, and I did a fair amount of work at home just to stay ahead. We can update it as new, faster processors, and other peripherals come out, if you like. But there is no need to buy me a new computer. My laptop isn’t the best in the world, but it will do.”

Jeff made a mental note to take care of that little problem with the outdated laptop.

Looking around her, Laura asked, “How long are these hallways, anyway? It seems like we’ve been walking forever.”

“We’re here now,” Jeff commented as Diana held the door to the apartment open for them.

As she walked down another hallway, Laura stopped and stared. “This is an apartment?”

“Well, Wainwright tends to do things in style,” Jeff said, grinning.

“Oh, the furnishings are beautiful, at least what I’ve seen so far, but I’m talking about the size. This is bigger than my house.”

“Yeah, there is that,” Jeff said, not even trying to hide his grin. “I guess you tend to discount how big the Retreat actually is after you live here for a while. But let’s put this stuff down in the den so you can look around for real.”

A few minutes later, Laura, Ann and Arlene had gathered in Laura’s kitchen. Laura opened a pack of vacuum-sealed coffee she had found. Jeff and the others had gone off somewhere. There wasn’t any food in the kitchen, but apparently, someone had left the coffee, knowing it would not spoil. Ann started filling the pot when Laura teasingly said, “You do walk a bit tentatively. Still pretty sore, Hon?”

Before Ann could answer, Arlene giggled and said, “Quack, quack.”

Ann started to laugh but grabbed her stomach instead. “Stop that.” she said in a tight voice, “You know my stomach hurts when I laugh. And I do not walk like a duck.”

“I’ve heard it called a lot of things,” Laura laughed, “but never a stomach.”

“No, Mom, that is sore too, but it doesn’t hurt there when I laugh. My stomach muscles are sore.”

Finally finding a coffee measure in a drawer, Laura scooped coffee into the filter. “Why are your stomach muscles sore? How could Jeff have made them sore?” Laura asked, frowning.

When Laura closed the filter door, Ann began pouring the water in as she continued. “I suppose my stomach muscles knot up when I have an orgasm, and Mom, I had a bunch of them,” she said, blushing. “Actually, he fucked me unconscious,” she blurted, spilling some of the water, her face turning crimson.

Arlene pulled a paper towel from the rack and wiped up the spill as Ann finished filling the reservoir. Looking at Laura, Arlene offered, “I’ve fainted more times than I can remember. Dad kinda gets into making you come until you pass out.”

Laura didn’t respond immediately, but looking thoughtful, took cups from the rack, put them on the table and started searching for cream and sugar. “Diana has told me about what you guys are doing, but I’m having trouble hearing you talk about your father having sex with you, Arlene. Hearing it over the phone from your mom and hearing you talking about it in person is different. I’m not trying to be judgmental, and I know that what Diana did to save her marriage brought this on, but it is still going to take a little getting used to.”

Arlene beat her to the condiments and put them on the table while Ann put out spoons. “Ms. Kinsley, Jack had us so far under his thumb that we were afraid to say no to anything he wanted. We were scared to death. But what Jack did to us really tore my dad up. Dad saved us, and I guess we saved the marriage. ‘We,’ meaning all three of us. Dad told me to be cool around you and not to offend you. Ann knows everything, and Mom told me that she told you, so I just blurted out something that maybe I shouldn’t have. Please don’t be mad at my dad or mom. They’re the greatest.”

“He did it with his tongue,” Ann said into the stillness.

Laura just stared at her daughter as she continued, “He had already fucked me. Then we ate and took a shower. He picked me up, carried me to the bed and fucked me with his tongue. I had about a jillion orgasms, each one building from the last. I must have fainted. I woke up the next morning in his arms.”

Laura pulled out a chair and sat down. “I thought you told me everything on the phone,” she teased. “Just how many orgasms did you have?”

“Oh, uh, about twenty, I guess, from his tongue that is, then they just blended into one that wouldn’t stop. I had already had a bunch from his taking my cherry, and from his tongue, before.”

“Tonight, we’re going to talk. I want to hear everything about this. My first time certainly wasn’t anything like that,” Laura said, musingly. “I think I’m jealous,” she grinned at her daughter. “My stomach has never been sore from having orgasms.”

The kitchen door burst open, and Jeff walked in, followed by everyone else, all carrying sacks of food.

Diana put her two sacks on the counter, motioning for the others to do the same, and said, “We raided the freezer and pantry for enough to get you started. We’ll leave it up to you and Ann to put things away; otherwise, you won’t know what you have. Make a list of things you want and we’ll go into Boulder or Denver tomorrow and give Wal-Mart a little business,” she said, grinning.

Laura stood and started looking through the sacks as the others piled the counter full. “Good grief, Diana, did you leave anything in your kitchen? I’ll pay you back for this when I get my severance check.”

Diana hugged her. “You will not. Most of this, and a lot more, was already here when we moved in. They had stocked the pantry for conferences, I suppose, and the freezers have so much stuff that a lot of it will freezer burn before we can use it. They special-wrapped the meat, but even so, it will never be used up quickly enough. You haven’t cost us a thing,” she added, catching a package of frozen vegetables as it slid out of one of the sacks and seemed destined to wind up on the floor. As she snatched for the errant package, she bumped the sack, causing several other frozen items to spill out. One package hit the floor, bounced and slid under the table, two more slid into the sink. By the time everything was retrieved and the sack upright again, everyone was laughing.

“Okay, gang,” Jeff said, rounding up Jennie and Melissa, who had started exploring the apartment. “Let’s get out of here and let Laura and Ann get settled in.”

As Diana started out the door with her husband, Laura called to her. “Di, could you stay awhile. I would like your input on something.”

“Sure, see you later,” Diana said to the others as she started to help with the frozen food after all.

When everyone was gone, Laura turned to Diana. “I can’t go grocery shopping tomorrow; those assholes didn’t give me my severance pay when they let us go. They are going to make everyone wait until Friday week. It should be a direct deposit, but even so, I have over a week before I dare spend that kind of money.”

Diana picked up a sack of food. “Let’s get this stuff put away. Then we can sit and talk. That coffee smells heavenly. We’ll have a cup of your first coffee in your new place and have some girl talk.”

Laura looked at her and shrugged, “Girl talk or not, I’m not taking charity. There is plenty of food here, and whatever incidentals we need can just wait until my check is in the bank. I live on a budget, and I’m going to continue to do so.”

After finishing with the food, Laura put out another cup, poured, and they took their coffees into the den to relax. Diana sat on the couch, and kicking her shoes off, propped her feet on the coffee table. After taking a sip, she sighed and said, “Ah, my feet feel better already.” She looked steadily at her daughter until she caught on.

Arlene looked at Ann. “I think we’re getting a hint to go check out your room, so the adults can talk.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right,” Ann said, smiling. In a stage whisper, “They’re probably going to talk about fucking or something equally as bad.”