Chapter 18

Jill was astonished at the level of security at the Corcoran apartment house. The receptionist checked her ID, determined she was who she claimed to be, and, moreover, was at the top of the Corcorans’ list of closest friends who were to be granted access to the Corcorans’ penthouse at any time. To facilitate matters, the man picked up an electronic camera and took Jill’s picture. She was welcomed and ushered over to a private elevator by an armed security guard.

The armed receptionist had apologized for any inconvenience and noted that in the future she would probably be entering from the garage below. She had entered the main door only to first take care of the security matters.

The elevator had only three floor buttons: P for penthouse, L for lobby, and G for garage. The garage button required a key to activate it. Presumably the car was set up that way so that casual guests wouldn’t find themselves in the garage by mistake. The car was fully paneled in furniture-grade fruitwood and even had an upholstered bench at the rear. The rear wall of the elevator car was mirrored and had a beautiful Christmas wreath hanging along with Christmas greens in flower holders in the corners.

The car rose quickly but very smoothly in its shaft and then came to an equally smooth stop. As it came to a stop and the doors opened, Jill was grateful that Nita had sent her purchases on ahead. Her acquisitions — she was still fighting with Nita over whether or not she would be allowed to pay — were so voluminous, Jill realized there wouldn’t have been room in the elevator car for them all.

She found herself in a small elevator lobby that appeared to be an extension of the car itself. The paneling was the same, the mirror was the same, and even the Christmas decorations matched. Because she was feeling grubby after her trip and the day-long planning for the fashion show, Jill had chosen not to wear any of her new outfits. Rather, she was still wearing Levi’s, a sweatshirt and a parka.

Before she could even ring the bell, the door was opened by a beautiful young woman who appeared to be even younger than she was. The girl had sun-streaked brown hair and incredible gray eyes. Her hand was extended in greeting as she said, “Hi, Jill Barnes. I’m Susie Sloan and I’m delighted to meet you. Won’t you please come in?”

Although Jill didn’t know it at the time, what had just happened was truly remarkable. For she had just become only the third person — Bill and Caitie Corcoran were the first two — to ever see the full-size Susie. And as was often the case, Susie was wearing skin-tight low-rise Levi’s along with a truly ratty chambray work shirt with the tails knotted below her braless tits.

Susie looked at Jill up and down. Her parka was open and her University of Kentucky sweatshirt was showing. Then with her eyes wide Susie said, “Golly! Caitie didn’t warn me that you would be so formally dressed. Do I need to change?” Then she ruined the effect by giggling. “Caitie’s out in the kitchen. Shall we?”

While Susie was hanging her coat, Jill was looking around and her eyes widened. Beyond the entrance hall was an incredible living room with a cathedral ceiling. Beyond the glass wall facing her was the pool deck with all of the shrubbery hung with tiny Christmas lights.

“It’s pretty cold and windy out there,” Susie commented, “but the pool’s heated, of course, so if you really want to... ?”

Jill just shivered and grinned, “I think I’ll take a pass for right now. After all, I’m from the Sunny South.”

“South?” Susie asked skeptically with an eyebrow raised.

“Yes, South!” Jill replied emphatically. “It’s south of the Ohio River, so...”

Susie just giggled again and led the way to the kitchen. There Jill got her first look at Caitie Corcoran, and she gasped. She couldn’t help herself. Like Jill herself, Caitie had golden blonde hair, brilliant blue eyes and an all-over tan. All she was wearing were a pair of Levi’s cut-offs and an apron. She was about an inch shorter than Jill.

Seeing the look of amazement on Jill’s face, Caitie looked down at herself and giggled. The sound was lovely. “I’m still playing cow for my daughter, Andy,” she explained. “And can you believe it? There’s another bun rising in the oven already!”

Jill couldn’t understand what happened next. She felt as if she were moving by remote control. She found herself stripping off her sweatshirt and then slipping off Caitie’s apron. Taking the girl into her arms, she mashed her tits into a pair at least as firm as her own. The kiss the two exchanged was the most powerful and loving Jill could ever remember.

When she eased away, she felt herself being turned slightly to find the experience repeated with a now-half-naked Susie, the girl having taken off her top in the meantime. There was the same love in Susie’s kiss that Jill had experienced with Caitie’s, without quite the power but with the same love.

Even though Jill hadn’t said a word, Susie remarked, “You’re right. Caitie’s kisses are much more powerful than mine. And it’s just not fair!” As she said the last words, she glanced upward, but there was no explanation of her fairness comment.

When Caitie asked Jill what she would like to drink, Jill was nonplused. The fact was that even though she had worked for half her life where liquor was served and had even tended bar on occasion, aside from a very occasional glass of wine, she never drank. Slowly she shook her head.

“You’re cooking,” Susie said, “so I’ll tend bar. How about a nice single-malt?”

Caitie enthusiastically agreed so Susie poured Cardhu over ice in three glasses. Again, although Jill didn’t know it, this was another first. It was the first time ever that Susie had had liquor since her tortured death. Since Caitie had reached a point where her dishes were just simmering, the three sat around the breakfast table.

Susie raised her glass to Jill and said, “To one of the two bravest women in the world: Jill Barnes! You will find the happiness that you have so long deserved.”

While Jill just looked down at her glass, blushing, Caitie was astonished. Softly she said, “Jill, I’m sure you can’t recognize the significance of what Susie just said. You see, you are sitting with Saint Susan Sloan: saint, martyr, angel, and now archangel.”

Jill was stunned. Then Caitie proceeded to give her Susie’s background in detail. She concluded by saying, “Incidentally, there have been at least two firsts in the last few minutes. You’re only the third person ever to see the full-sized Susie. Normally, when she appears she’s about two feet tall. Second, this is the very first time I’ve ever seen or heard of her taking a drink.”

Susie just stuck out the tip of her pink tongue. “I love Cardhu. What can I say?”

Jill was in a state of shock. She was in the presence of one of God’s angels.

As if she could read Jill’s mind, Caitie said, “The fact is she is the closest to The Boss ... and possibly the most powerful.”

Caitie continued, “I have a confession to make. I’m sure it’s obvious to you by now that I know a great deal about you. When we talked, I think I probably implied that the information was obtained as a result of a very detailed investigation. Well, it was ... and it wasn’t. The ‘detailed investigation’ consisted of talking with Susie. She knows everything about you. And I mean everything! So, when I heard the toast she offered, particularly in light of her own incredible torture and death...” Caitie just slowly shook her head.

“What I did — or endured —” Susie responded, “took a matter of hours. What these two young girls did ran for years. Furthermore, as I said before, I endured. I had no control. These girls did! They could have walked away at any time.” After a pause, she continued, “A number of people have said that your two boys are as good as they are as God’s reward for your self-sacrifice. Well, that’s exactly the case. It was and it is.”

Jill had started to cry. Shaking her head slowly she demanded, “How can you say that? Mel and I are a pair of sluts! I ... we ... have tried our best with the boys. We want them to achieve eternal salvation. Unfortunately, as a result of our life choices, that’s out of the question for us.”

Susie started to speak but then stopped. Instead, she called out, “Shari! Pasha! Get your furry tails in here!”

Suddenly, the very large kitchen became crowded as two giant tigers appeared. With Pasha at 650 and Shari at 550, the two represented 1,200 pounds of ferocity. Jill would have been scared stiff had she not met Andy and Rachel Jackson, the tigers living at the Farm. Instead, she giggled softly as the two took their house-cat pose in front of the table.

“May I kiss them?” Jill asked.

Caitie giggled and replied, “Be my guest. But you had better ask them, not me.” After a pause she continued, “By the way, this is Sir Pasha and Dame Shari. Both are Knights Commander of the Military Order of the Bath. Both were knighted by Her Majesty for distinguished service. The service in question being saving Her Majesty from an attempted assassination. The result was a number of dead bodies — although I was present at the time, I’ve forgotten how many — and one survivor, missing a hand, who proved helpful in eliminating the entire terrorist group.”

To Jill’s amusement, she could see both tigers reddening in embarrassment at Caitie’s words. “She’s only telling me what you two did,” she remarked. “Why should that be a cause for embarrassment? I think it’s pretty great myself.”

Then she asked, “May I kiss you two?”

Shari was the first to respond. “Of course you may!” With that the great cat sat back on her haunches and held her body erect. Jill moved between the cat’s widespread forepaws and started to move her nipples against Shari’s soft belly fur. It was something that Jessie had mentioned to her the day before but she had not had a chance to try. She found it heavenly.

As she was moving to repeat the experience with Pasha, Caitie rose from the table with the comment, “Time for me to play cow again.”

As Jill began to move her nipples against Pasha’s soft fur she asked, “How did Caitie know Andrea was awake? I didn’t hear a sound.”

“There wasn’t one,” Susie replied. “Caitie has a sort of mommy filter. Whatever Andy is doing, Caitie just knows...”

“And the dumb thing seems to reinforce the daddy’s ear thing,” Caitie asserted as she rejoined the others. “I don’t think Bill would hear it if the whole roof fell in!” Already the baby was locked on one of Caitie’s luscious nipples.

When the baby finished nursing, Caitie passed her to Susie who had the baby gooing, cooing and laughing happily. “Andy just adores her Aunt Susie. And Susie being Susie, she knows exactly what makes her happy and does it perfectly.” Caitie paused and then said softly, “Susie is also Andy’s guardian angel. And, unlike Bill or me, Susie never sleeps. With Susie watching over her, she couldn’t be more safe... from anything!”

With the baby back in her bassinet, Caitie finished their dinner, apologizing in advance for such simple fare.

Jill took one bite and just savored the taste. Rolling her eyes and making happy sounds, she announced that it was the finest beef bourguignonne she had ever tasted. Caitie had served it with french bread still warm from the oven and a very fresh green salad. “What’s your secret?” she asked. “This is incredibly good!”

“The secret is simple,” Caitie replied. “It’s the wine.” Shaking her head, she continued, “A lot of people use the cheapest wine available for cooking. Big mistake. The fact is that the cheapest wines offer only one thing: alcohol. And guess what? Since alcohol is highly volatile, it cooks off in nothing flat leaving ... whatever the base of the wine was. And typically that isn’t much.

“In this case, the wine is Romanée Conti.”

“But ... but isn’t that the finest burgundy in the world?” Jill stammered.

“It’s supposed to be,” Caitie replied casually. “My aunt keeps us supplied.”

“Your ... aunt?”

“Oh, sure.” After a pause Caitie added, “Aunt Maria also happens to be Duchess of Burgundy. On the recreation of the Province of Burgundy and the duchy, she was given all the land. Of course, no one — much — was evicted; however, all the Burgundians are now her tenants ... and that includes Romanée. She takes her Romanée rent in wine and buys the rest. I guess now she’s taking more than half their annual production.” Caitie grinned and added, “It’s her all-purpose gift. You know how some people send cookies? Aunt Maria sends cases of Romanée Conti.

“She is so damned funny, too. Aside from a Nobel Prize in Physics, she’s a princess of Bohemia, duchess of something or other in England, along with a string of active titles a mile long. Nevertheless, when she comes to the States, she enters on a U.S. passport as Mary Campbell. Everyone at Customs & Immigration know who she is, but she’ll raise forty kinds of hell if anyone lets on.

“She’s just so neat!”

Since the dinner was served with perfectly presented Romanée Conti, all three women stuffed themselves. Finally pushing away from the table, Jill remarked, “I’ve never eaten anything so good in my life! Along with everything else, Caitlin Corcoran, you’re an exceptional cook!”

By this time the tigers were napping in the corner with Shari resting her head on Pasha’s great chest. Susie remembered why she had called them in and asked them quietly, “Okay, guys, what do you think of Jill Barnes? She insists she’s a slut and her soul is irretrievably damned.”

In less time than it had taken Susie to speak those few words, the great cats were again sitting side by side in their house-cat pose. “The purity of her soul is in a class with our mistress ... and you,” Shari replied softly.

Jill was stunned.

Susie continued quietly, “There’s something you probably don’t yet know, Jill. Aside from being the Corcorans’ protectors, these tigers are also agents of the Holy Spirit. In matters of this nature, you’re hearing it straight ... from up there.” She pointed straight upward.