Chapter 10

"That nice old man you two were flashing was Judge Hawthorne, of the State Supreme Court, and his wife," I explained to my two girls as we drove away. "He was a partner in the law firm with my father before his appointment to the bench. I, uh, dated their daughter for a long time when we were in college. Our families are close, or at least they were, until today."

"And you didn't even introduce me! Aren't I your fiancé? Are you ashamed of me already?" Sally asked, astonished.

I stopped the car and pulled off to the side of the road. They had switched seats, with Sally sitting in the back.

"Well, I have never been more proud of you," I said. "It's just that, well, their daughter is kind of possessive and still thinks of me as her property sort of, and they were expecting her to arrive at the restaurant at any moment. Her mother supports her daughter fully in that fantasy, too, by the way. And you know how it is with mothers and daughters, right?"

"You mean if we had stayed, I could have met a piece of your past?" teased Sally.

"She was never a 'piece' of my past. I was a 'piece' to her, like a trophy or furniture. And no, I never got a 'piece' from her. First she played hard to get, then hard to lose," I remembered ruefully.

"So, that old broad didn't look too spry. Whatsa matta, don'cha think we could take 'em?" said Janey.

"Believe me, I would almost pay money to see you two tangle with those two," I laughed. "WWF would lose rating points that night. Seriously, when you do meet them properly, and you will, don't turn your back on them if you're near the serving line; there are too many knives lying around. And always stay close to at least two witnesses."

Janey's eyes were as big as saucers as she followed this conversation. At least she didn't think I was joking.

I made a mental note to schedule a lunch with ol' Thorny for the next week. He'd already gotten a good rise out of this story. I'd just fill in a few blanks, beginning with Janey's attack, to help him smooth it out at home. He understood daughters. He just had no idea how to control his own.

Following breakfast we headed to a much larger city about an hour away, but again it was in the wrong direction from the stadium. Sally and Janey were back to behaving like perfect brats. If not clean, at least it was a lot of fun. Comments about "taking the long way," "are we there yet?," "is this the right road," "is this an away game?," 'and "I have to stop and go potty" came out of the passenger and rear seats with increasing frequency the farther we got from the night's destination.

Both girls quieted down, however, as I pulled into the parking area of a very exclusive section of the city. Both of them knew exactly where we were. It was a shoppers' paradise, a ten-square block area of downtown filled with boutiques and specialty shops. Both had hinted strongly over the last year or so that this was 'the' place they would really like to visit, e.g. to spend my money. What they didn't know was that I had put this whole area together personally, and knew all of the shop owners very well. The owners were not just owners, but skilled craftsmen.

This exclusive area was known as 'The Guild' and that is exactly what it was: A throwback to the times when the guild craftsmen established the acceptable levels of workmanship and art, not Wal-Mart or K-Mart shoppers. It had been hugely successful, even to the point of being frequently and occasionally fairly well imitated in other cities. The waiting list to get into my shops was long and getting longer. The quality of the work done here was becoming world renowned as the standard to meet. The prices of the pieces crafted here were understandably and justifiably exorbitant, and best of all, it made huge returns for my real-estate investment and management company. And, of course, me.

I had been awarded a sizable stake in the project based on its success, and I had received additional incentives as I continued to manage it to greater heights - and profits. My share had grown to a small fortune over the last 5 years. It wasn't all paper profit, either. I made sure I got cash flow out of it. Today I was going to start plowing a pretty sizable chunk of that cash back into the shops, but if what I had planned worked out, it would be well worth it.

For the next several hours, we wandered up and down the narrow cobblestone streets, apparently just shopping. We were actually on a very organized schedule. Sally began to suspect something after about the third shop I specifically guided them into.

The routine was the same in each shop. As we entered, the artist or shopkeeper would welcome me warmly by name, making the effort to come out and greet me with unrehearsed enthusiasm. The other customers, if any, would be gently, but quickly, ushered out, and a "Private Showing, Please Return in One Hour" sign set in the window. Shades were drawn to shut out the curious passersby, and then both girls would be measured in a manner appropriate to the craft of the artisan. The persons measuring them would always be women, never men, though there were a couple of women whose orientation I wasn't sure about. Sally made sure Janey was never left alone with those two clerks.

In the boot-maker's shop they had two plaster castings made of their legs and lower torso, one with their toes pointed straight down, the other standing normally. At the dressmaker's shop, a whole body cast was made of each of my girls. Similarly, at the foundation shop, another cast was made, but of only the torso and upper thighs. For each cast, some or usually all of their minimal clothing would be removed, they would be powdered, placed in molds, the quick-dry plaster poured and dried. Afterwards, they would be offered a shower, refreshment, and then efficiently ushered back to the waiting room or back office where I would be talking to the owner.

We were right on schedule as we turned into the third to the last shop on my agenda for the day. These last three stops would be tricky. I pulled Sally to the side.

"I need to speak with Janey for a moment. Will you please cooperate and not have as much fun as you have been having so far today? It is important," I told her seriously.

Her eyes danced as she considered her answer. With a nod of her head, she reached up and kissed me on the cheek.

"You're in charge today, remember that Stud? All you have to do is ask. I will do whatever you say," she told me lightly.

I could hear the devil in her voice. Then she got serious and her voice got tight.

"I do love you, you know. I don't know exactly what you're trying to do, but I am having a hell of a lot more fun than I thought I would. Best damn ball game I've ever been to. Hint, hint?" she pleaded.

"Oh, we'll get there, all in good time. Now, please send your lovely daughter over here so I can speak with her," I told her.

I paused, still holding her close to me.

"I love you, too, Sal, more than life. Cross your fingers that what I have planned works out."

I think that last part shook her a bit. One thing, I only called her 'Sal' when I get dead serious. It was the kind of signal that develops between two people when they get close. My signal told her I was scared and on unfamiliar ground. I wasn't at all sure of the rules of this game or of their reactions to what I had planned. I hoped beyond hope I had not miscalculated the course of the day's events or the roles I had them playing.