Chapter 308

St. Louis

Kathy and Jill both wore nice dresses, but they had forsworn their finest tonight, not wanting to take the chance of being better dressed than Eileen. When the cab pulled up to the front of the tall building, both women were relieved that the entrance was totally clear of snow and ice, since they were wearing heels. Their intent was to look good without overdressing or taking the risk of projecting arrogance.

"You okay?" Jill asked her sister-wife as they entered the building and walked toward the elevators.

Kathy didn't respond immediately, but waited for the few seconds it took them to reach the elevators. "I'm as nervous as that proverbial long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. I've wished a thousand times that I hadn't snarled at this woman. She's pretty and she obviously has a lot going for her since she's managed to become a commercial pilot. Unless she's a bitch, Bill should like her, and he surely seemed to that day before I snatched her out of there."

Jill squeezed Kathy's arm momentarily. "Relax, Hon. There are plenty of pretty women. If this one doesn't work out, we'll find another for our husband."

"Yeah, I know," Kathy quietly said as several other people walked up and the elevator doors opened. As they stepped to the back and turned around, she quietly continued, "Somehow ... I just know that she's the one for Bill."

As they entered the restaurant a few moments later, Jill glanced at her watch. "The ride over didn't take as long as we expected. We're fifteen minutes early."

"I suppose we can leave word at the desk and tell them we'll be in the bar until our table is ready," Kathy responded, nervously.

"Sounds like a plan. And calm down, we've both been here several times with the Wainwrights."

"It's not the restaurant that's making me nervous," Kathy quietly replied.

When Kathy gave her name and mentioned that she had a reservation for eight o'clock, the receptionist called the maître d' before Kathy could say she and Jill would wait in the bar until the table became available.

Within moments, François was there. Kathy had expected him to be nice to them because of her association with the Wainwright's, but he treated Jill and her exactly the same way he always did when they were with the wealthy couple. "Welcome to Kemoll's. It is very nice to see you again," he greeted them. "I trust that the Wainwrights are well?"

Kathy smiled at him. "They're just fine. Uh, Margaret sends her greetings. I'm afraid we're a little early..." but François just smiled and ushered them to their table.

After seating them, he offered the wine list. They both declined and ordered soft drinks, instead. If he thought anything of it, it didn't show in his demeanor. "Martin will be your server tonight, and I will return occasionally to make certain your evening at Kemoll's is a good one."

Kathy caught his eye. "There is one more in our party, a Ms. Eileen Murray."

"Yes. Mrs. Wainwright has informed me. I shall escort Ms. Murray to your table upon her arrival."

Their drinks came, and with both women tense, they sat sipping them for a minute or two as they stared out the window at the famous St. Louis skyline from forty-two stories up. "What's he doing with a French name? He's obviously an American," Kathy wondered aloud.

Jill smiled as she looked around at the beautiful restaurant. "His mother and father were French, but he was born in the States after they moved here. Margaret said he speaks both languages without accent, but I haven't heard how he wound up in an Italian restaurant."

Kathy glanced toward the front of the restaurant and tensed. "Here she comes."

Jill turned a little to better see. "Ooh, my," she quietly hissed out. "That green dress fits her well, indeed, and it complements her beautiful red hair. She certainly is stunning. You're absolutely right about that. Bill is going to love to play with those boobs," she managed past a mostly-suppressed giggle, "and she also has a beautiful face to go with that figure." Reaching to touch Kathy's hand, she continued, now whispering, "Just be yourself and remember that you were only protecting your man. Every woman has a right to do that. And if she was as enamored with him as you say she was, she'd be a fool to come here tonight with an attitude."

Greetings over with, Eileen gave her drink order to the server, the three women chatting until he returned with it. "I will give you a little time to peruse your menus," he remarked before leaving.

Kathy, in a subtle effort to inform Eileen that she could choose anything on the menu, tried to casually say, "I've had the lobster here, and it was excellent. Jill and I are really hungry, so we're both going to go with steak. Neither of us has ever had anything here that wasn't absolutely delicious."

Eileen looked over at Kathy, still feeling annoyed as she remembered Kathy's cutting remarks at the airport. "So, you're saying I can order anything on the menu?" Uptight herself, both from her day, and anticipating the meeting with Kathy, the "so" had sounded harsher than she intended.

Kathy forced herself to smile back at Eileen. "I'm saying I'm sorry for the way I acted. I'm not sorry for protecting my man, but I certainly could have done it in a more gracious manner. Eileen, I sincerely apologize. Believe it or not, Jill and I want to be friends. We want to hear all about you, and we're willing to tell you about ourselves. So, certainly, order whatever you wish, just please, let's have a nice conversation while we eat and, hopefully, become friends. Okay?"

Eileen could see the sparkle of unshed tears in Kathy's eyes, making it obvious that she was both sincere and probably as nervous as she was. Back at her apartment, Eileen had decided that she was going to order the most expensive items on the menu to get back at Kathy, but after realizing that the woman was sincerely trying to apologize, she had changed her mind, but ... she had never had lobster in a restaurant as nice as this.

"The lobster is truly delicious here," Jill prompted when she realized what Eileen was probably looking at on the menu. "Neither of us is eating it tonight because we only had a light lunch and we have a taste for steak. Both of us eat a lot."

Eileen noted the last comment, but considering their figures, was hard pressed to believe the women were heavy eaters. She almost commented, wondering why Jill would make a remark like that, but hesitated, not wanting to cause confusion this early in the conversation.

When their server returned, Eileen said she wasn't quite ready and told Kathy to go ahead. Since she and Jill had decided to have the same thing, Kathy ordered for both of them. "Jill and I," she said, indicating her sister-wife, "will each have the Choice Filet Mignon with the tart cream sauce and green peppercorns," then nodded to Eileen.

Well, I said I was going to order the most expensive thing on the menu just to get back at her, but they've both been super nice to me so far, and ... those roses are special. Hmmm, that lobster tail sure sounds good, though, and it's almost the most expensive, she thought. Turning to the server, "I would like to try the Risotto Frutta del Mare with the lobster tail, scallops, mussels and baby spinach."

"Excellent choice, Ma'am, and your beverage?"

Eileen had already noted that Kathy and Jill were sticking with soft drinks, so she did too.

"The dessert cart will be brought to your table and you may choose from that, unless you wish to order your dessert now."

Kathy glanced at the others. "We'll wait for the cart."

"Very good. Your food shall arrive shortly."

When their server left, Kathy quickly spoke up. "You don't have to shy away from alcohol just because we have..."

Eileen smiled back at her. "Sometimes I like to have a glass or two of wine, but since I work relief, I never know when I'm going to have to fly, so I've gotten in the habit of staying away from alcohol unless I'm certain I'll be off for several days. If something should happen during my flight, I don't want even the hint of alcohol in my bloodstream. Although I don't actually have a job right now and I'm not going to fly, I think I'll still stick with soft drinks for a while."

The three continued with light conversation while they partook of the varied appetizers as they waited. By the time the food arrived, they were much more comfortable with each other. Eileen locked eyes with Kathy for a second. "I noticed the way you signed your name on the letter. So, you're married to Bill now?" she asked, hoping against hope that there was somehow another reason for Kathy's last name. Maybe she's his sister or something.

Kathy's face lit up as she thought about her husband, Eileen immediately noticing the change as Kathy's expression softened. Suddenly, Eileen strongly suspected that Kathy really loved him. Crap. There goes my last hope, but both women have the same last name. Is Jill the sister that I had hoped Kathy was? she wondered. She almost asked, but was distracted as the conversation continued. Eventually, she just assumed that was probably the case.

As the meal and conversation progressed, much to her astonishment, Eileen realized that she was beginning to like both these women. Since Kathy was a pilot, they had a lot in common, even though Eileen had been flying for several years, but Kathy for only a few months. Jill was a flight attendant, but already had her private license and was working toward her instrument rating, and eventually toward her commercial license.

"So, what are you going to do for the Christmas holidays? Did you manage to get off work?"

Eileen sat her glass down and forced a grin. "Oh, I'm definitely off. My best friend, Sheila, and I are both off. She told our boss to shove the job up his ass, and I got fired when I refused to fly for the third Christmas Eve and Christmas in a row."

Kathy and Jill stared at Eileen. "What happened?" Jill wondered aloud, "I mean, why would they treat you like that?"

"It's a long story, and ... there's no use boring the two of you with it."

"Do you have any prospects?" Kathy wanted to know, hoping that Eileen wouldn't or couldn't guess what she was thinking.

"Well, actually, I don't. I'll probably ask the same outfit that hired Sheila if they need another pilot. If that doesn't work out, there are other companies based here in St. Louis that use commercial pilots. If I can't find anything here, I might wind up having to move to another city, but it shouldn't be too great a problem to find a job – somewhere. Since my apartment lease is up for renewal in a couple of months, I could get out from under that without too much hassle, I suppose."

Kathy and Jill looked at each other, coming to a silent agreement. Kathy hesitated, then cleared her throat before responding. "Uh, Eileen, I think you will agree that the three of us have gotten along really well tonight, especially considering the way I snarled at you at the airport. I'm so sorry for that, but..." She glanced at Jill before turning back to Eileen. "Look, Jill and I want to continue this conversation with you, and we hope you want to know us better, too. Our hotel isn't far away. We'll take care of the cab fare to take you home if you will come and visit with us for a while. We both would like to hear more about your life, and we would like to tell you about ours – and Bill's – but this isn't the place to do it. What do you say? And oh, yes, the bar in the suite is stocked with some very nice wines, in case you're interested."

Eileen took the last swallow of her drink, glanced out the window at the beautiful lighted arch, dabbed at her mouth with her napkin, folded it and put it beside her plate as she stalled. What's going on? First she sends an expensive bouquet of roses along with an invitation to a very nice restaurant, and ... a limo to get me there, then without blinking, offers anything on the menu. In addition, she's talked about Bill, expounding on his virtues while somehow not sounding as if she is bragging that she managed to land him. Both she and Jill seem sincere in whatever they're up to, but just what are they up to? From their conversation, it seems that they have flown all the way here, using Frank Wainwright's plane, just to have this meal with me and apologize. Something is definitely going on, but for the life of me, I can't figure out what.

True, she growled at me in the airport, but I was putting the make on her then fiancé, now husband. But darnit, the guy's a hunk. Surely I'm not the only woman who has stuck her tits out at him. There has to be more to this. Hesitating mentally for a second, she made her decision. What the heck, I surely don't have to go to bed early, considering I no longer have a job. I might as well go with them and find out what's going on.

"Okay. I'm having fun. I'll go with you, but I'll pay for my own cab home."

Kathy turned to look for their server, and he was almost instantly there with their bill. She gave him her credit card with instructions for a nice gratuity.

A few minutes later as they walked toward the entrance, François met them and turned to Eileen. "I have taken the liberty of notifying your driver, Ms. Murray. He is waiting at the front entrance."

Turning to Kathy, "Shall I summon a cab for the two of you?"

Eileen was shaking her head. The limo driver had said he would wait, but she was still a bit amazed, although she attempted to cover it by inviting Kathy and Jill to ride with her to their hotel.

"Very well," François said after hearing the exchange. "We would be honored for the three of you to visit again," he said, starting to turn away. Startling him, Kathy tiptoed to kiss him on the cheek, expecting to finally frustrate the perfect maître d'. Although he blushed slightly, there was no other indication that his demeanor was in any way compromised. "I'll tell Margaret and Frank how well you treated us," she whispered into his ear. "Thank you."

As they walked out the door, he discreetly noted the superior posteriors of the three beautiful women. What he was thinking would have made all three women blush.

Jeremy, Connie, Denise and Paulette's Home

After supper, Van, Adriana and Lillian returned to their house to do basically the same things that Jeremy and his women were now doing, namely making beds, putting clothing back into drawers, plus hanging drapes and eventually artwork.

Jeremy, standing on a stepladder with a drill in his hand, griped, "Why do we have to change the drapery rods, too? They seem fine to me."

"Because they're old, Husband dear," Paulette said as she stood holding a new bracket for when her brother/husband would need it.