Chapter 13: Welcome Home

I couldn't believe how nervous I was about the girls showing up. Twice I started to call and see where they were but stopped myself.

"Relax," Jamie said as I was pacing the kitchen. "We'd know if anything was wrong. You're just nervous to see how it's going with Christine."

"You really think that's it?"

"Well, that and seeing Lizzy in person for the first time in over a week. Just stay away from anything combustible until after the first kiss, and everything will be fine."

"That's not funny," I said.

"Good, because I wasn't joking; frankly I'm a little worried about what's going to happen. You got a standing ovation at Frankie's the first time. Of course, that's a lot better than a repeat of what happened when you proposed. Bringing everyone in the restaurant off just because they were too close to ground zero could have been embarrassing."

I could feel the smile sneaking on to my face. "Yeah, it could have been, but in the right setting it could be fun, too. Maybe when we take Amber to the club for her birthday. Wouldn't that get the crowd going?"

"Oh yeah, great idea," she said sarcastically. "Great way to keep a low profile; I'm sure no one would suspect a thing." She paused. "Now if we could do it without anyone knowing it was actually us ... Hmmm. I wonder, fantasies were running pretty wild that night; if I were to sneak around the room a little, time it just right ... This has possibilities."

"Okay, now you're scaring me," I said.

"It was your idea!"

"I was joking!" I exclaimed.

"Were you?" she asked.

I hate it that the women in my life are always right. "Mostly," I admitted.

Before she could answer an image of Lizzy wanting to talk to me intruded.

"Go ahead," Jamie said. "I'll keep pacing while you're gone, so the tile doesn't roll up."

"Funny," I said. But I did go.

Lizzy was waiting in her garden as usual, and as always the sight of her took my breath away.

"Are those new flowers in your hair?"

"As a matter of fact they are," she said, blushing prettily and smiling. "Thanks for noticing."

I just stood there grinning and biting my lip, not trusting myself to even touch her.

"Oh, Jimmy, you are just too special. Hug me! I'm not going to break."

I hugged her and spun her around so hard one of her silk slippers flew off. I wanted her. Suddenly nothing in the world mattered so much to me as having her.

"Whoa!" she said, pushing away slightly so I would set her down. "I can see we're going to need to do something about this soon. Do you want to skip dinner?"

"You're serious?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm serious," she said. "I know we've talked about it, but tell me what you want, and I'll do it."

That made me stop, and suddenly I knew it wasn't time. She saw the change as soon as it happened.

"Rats," she said. "I was half hoping you would go through with it."

"No," I said. "Not like this. No last-minute, mad dash to the altar. For one thing, I think Allison would kill me if I didn't let her attend."

"Jimmy, you know that's not possible. You two can't be together, not yet. Not for some time. Trust me; she understands, so if that's all that's holding you back..."

"No, it's not, not really. I just ... When you said that, I got this feeling that it just wasn't the right time, not yet."

"Okay, then let's get back to the reason for this little meeting. Christine says we're going to be hitting town in about thirty minutes. Here's the plan..."

Jamie was sitting on a bar stool drinking a glass of orange juice when I got back.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, just some last minute stuff she wanted to confirm. Like how to greet everyone without making Christine feel like she was intruding."

"Is that all? It felt for a second like things were getting..." She caught herself and let it go. "I'm guessing you got that all ironed out then. How long before they get here?"

"About half an hour, give or take," I said.

"Good, then you've got time to take care of the basics before everyone gets here. Maybe you should take a book..."

Thirty-five minutes later Christine knocked on the door. I was entertaining myself playing puzzle games on the internet at the time, and I felt myself take a gasping breath as my head spun toward the sound.

"You're pathetic," Jamie said.

"You didn't have to knock," I told Christine when I opened the door. "It's not like I wasn't expecting you, and you do have your own key."

I had given her a key to the apartment before she left, just in case I wasn't here when they got back. I took the little cat carrier that was the only piece of luggage she had brought in with her. I'm sure there was supposed to be some kind of joke there, but I let it go.

"I know, it's just ... this is all a little strange, and it's going to take me a while to get a grip on it."

I set the cat carrier on the floor next to the couch and opened the door, so Widget could come out when she was ready.

"Would you like to talk about it?" I asked. "My guess is that's why Lizzy dropped you off first. Might have been nice if they'd sent the litter box with you, though."

"Yeah, she said to call when we were ready for them. They're going over to Fountain Park; Lizzy said she wanted to walk around and stretch her legs before she has to fly home, and you don't have to worry about Widget; we let her out about forty minutes ago."

"So, did you want to talk?" I asked again.

"Yes, but I really don't know what to say," she said. "I mean, the whole thing is just so ... strange. I still don't understand how she can be so comfortable about us having sex when you're engaged."

"That's easy; she's not threatened by you, and she knows that sex is not love, and that sex doesn't have the kind of hold on me that it does on most guys. Not that I don't love it, I do; it's one of my favorite things, but ... Okay, I'm starting to ramble; I'm going to shut up now."

She rolled her eyes and said, "No, it's okay; I understand what you're trying to say, but I still just can't seem to wrap my brain around it. Don't get me wrong; it's not that I have a problem with sex without commitment or anything like that; I mean, look at our first time. It's not like I was looking for more, but this is different."

"It doesn't have to be, Christine," I said.

"But it should be," she replied. Something told me we were about to actually reach the root of her uncertainty. "When you're just going to be with someone once, you know, just a fling, there are no expectations, but when you're together regularly there should be more to it; it should go somewhere; it should be more than just..."

"Physical?" I asked. "Christine, I understand what you're saying. You want more; you want to be with someone who loves you."

"No," she said. "I mean yes, I want that, but that's not what I'm trying to say. Lizzy pointed out that I don't want — or at least don't have time for — love in my life right now. It's just that..."

"It's that this solution is way outside of anything you've ever heard of. You're still worried about coming between me and Lizzy?"

"Yes!" she said, clearly getting exasperated by the topic. "I don't want ... actually I do want the whole happy home thing, but I'm not ready for it yet. If I was, trust me, you'd be right there at the top of my list except that..."

I held up my hand. "Stop," I said. "We're not going to get anywhere this way."

I took her hand and kissed it. "There is nothing I can say that is going to help you with this. To say that my life is complicated would be the understatement of the year, but my love life simply defies description. Let's just leave it alone for now, and we'll talk about it again after dinner if you want, okay?"

I thought it might be best if maybe the first time she saw me with Lizzy was somewhere public. That way she wouldn't have time to think about it. I called Lizzy and gave her directions to the Bellagio. I then called the hotel for reservations at Le Cirque, one of their premier restaurants, where I was quickly informed that they were booked up. I hung up and called back, this time asking for Special Services instead of the restaurant.

Somehow they managed to get us a table overlooking the lake.

"Do you want to shower or anything before dinner?" I asked Christine after I hung up.

"Where are we going?"

"Le Cirque, I wanted to spoil the girls a little. They'll be able to see the fountain show from the table."

"Le Cirque? David, I don't even have a dress! Much less shoes, and only the basics for makeup, and..."

"Okay, then we'll just go like this," I said, interrupting. "It's not like Lizzy and Amber are going to be dressing up. I'm going to grab a quick shower. I'd invite you to join me, but it's a really small shower." I gave her a wink. "Maybe next time. Do you want to go first?"

She did, and I took advantage of the time to call Lizzy back and let her know we were staying casual.

"Are you sure that's okay?" she asked. "I mean, these ritzy places..."

"Like money," I said, interrupting. "Don't worry, special services made the reservation; I doubt if they'd kick us out unless we showed up in bathing suits."

As I was speaking I had a thought. "We could pad the odds a little if you want."

"How?"

"Tell Amber to wear the red collar and fans."

"Ah," she said. "Yeah, I'll bet a place like this knows what those mean. It should be fun to see the kind of looks we get. We'll see you there. Are you sure our stuff will be ... Never mind; love you."

"Love you too, see you in a bit."

Christine was just finishing up her makeup when I came out of the shower, leaning over the sink in just her bra and panties putting on her mascara. I thought it was a good sign, kissed her carefully on the shoulder and headed for the closet to get clothes.

We beat the girls to the restaurant, and the staff took us right in past the line of people waiting to be seated. You could almost feel the daggers; they were really going to be happy when the girls came through. I ordered us a bottle of wine and asked them to take the extra two glasses away, thereby signaling that the rest of our party were non-drinkers.

"I'd forgotten how much fun it is to go out with you," Christine said as she sipped her wine.

"It won't be like this everywhere we go, I assure you. I just happen to be on their VIP list, so they try a little harder. You don't mind spending a little time on the floor later do you?"

"Can we put a blanket down?" She asked with a grin. "I always end up with rug burns on my ass."

Now it was my turn to smile. "I meant we should gamble a little bit, so they know we're not just taking advantage of their hospitality."

"Oh," she said, doing her best to look disappointed. It didn't work; the smile in her eyes gave her away. "They're here," she said, nodding her head toward the door.

I turned and saw the maitre d' escorting the girls toward our table. They were both just in jeans and tops, but my breath still caught when I saw Lizzy. Across the room I saw a waiter and waitress suddenly put their heads together, the woman touching her earrings and then pointing toward the girls. The guy's eyes got wide, and I could read his lips as he said, "Really?"

Lizzy flowed up against me, placing a gentle kiss on my cheek. I kissed her hand and then held her chair as she sat. I then moved around and did the same for Amber, who also gave me a kiss on the cheek. I didn't notice the look on Christine's face until I sat down again.

"Wow!" she said and then turned to Lizzy. "Okay, I feel better now. The only time I ever saw a man look at a woman like that was at my Grandparent's fiftieth anniversary when my dad was telling the story of how they had met. I swear, when granddad looked at Nana, he looked twenty instead of seventy."

"You should have been there when they kissed the first time," Amber said. "I heard they practically got a standing ovation."

"Really?" Christine asked.

"Oh yeah!" Amber assured her. "A line actually formed."

"Amber!" Lizzy exclaimed, blushing. "It was just Carol." She turned to Christine again. "My friend Carol decided to be catty and see if she could wheedle a kiss out of him."

"Be fair, Lizzy," Amber said. "Lizzy let her kiss him, and they practically had to carry her back to the table." She leaned in and whispered in Christine's ear.

It didn't take any imagination at all to figure out what she said as Christine's eyes went wide, and she jerked her head around toward Amber, "No way!"

"Way," Amber assured her, nodding her head very seriously.

"Fuck me!" Christine whispered intently.

"I'd love to," Amber said with a smile, "but you'll have to ask them first."

Christine's blush almost matched the wine, which she suddenly seemed to need a sip of as her mouth went dry. Amber winked at me as she took a drink of her water. I glanced at Lizzy and she leaned over to whisper in my ear.

"I told her to flirt a little. If you call her Angel she'll stop."

"I think it's perfect," I whispered back.

Dinner was everything you would expect from a five-star French restaurant. Their soup of the day was a cream of cauliflower, and — while I'm not a fan of the vegetable — I have to admit it was the best soup I had ever eaten. I could have sent back the rack of lamb and just had more soup. Mr. Sanders, the hotel manager, showed up just as they were clearing away dinner; a man in a white uniform and a stained white apron was with him.

"Mr. Malcolm, Miss Payson, it is a pleasure to have you with us again. May I introduce... ?"

He turned out to be the head Chef, and Sanders stepped aside to let him approach our table. I stood to greet him and thank him for dinner.

"Everything is to your satisfaction I hope?" he said politely. There was a trace of an accent.

"The lamb was out of this world," I assured him. "That soup, though," I said, shaking my head. "I don't think I'll ever enjoy another bowl of soup."

"Pardon?" he asked, concerned.

"Are you kidding?" I asked. "You should be ashamed of yourself. The least you could do is put a warning up, 'Warning, this soup is to die for, eat only as part of last meal.' I hate you."

"Merci," he said, laughing at my jest and then adding conspiratorially, "Do not tell anyone, but that is actually my grandmother's recipe. May I suggest the chocolate soufflé for desert? I have some ready to come out in a few minutes, and perhaps a Chambord liqueur to go with it?"

"Sounds delicious; we would be delighted, thank you."

"The pleasure is mine, M'sieur. Enjoy your evening." He moved off and checked on a couple other tables before heading back to the kitchen.

It was about fifteen minutes later that the waiter came out with four individual baking dishes and two small glasses filled with dark red liquid. I don't know what it was about the drink, but it really did go well with the desert. Not that it needed any accompaniment; it stood quite well on its own — the girls were practically orgasmic over every bite — but the liqueur did add a certain indefinable something.

When we were about half done Christine leaned close over the table and asked, "Do you think we could get this to go? Maybe with a little extra chocolate sauce?"

Amber didn't get it, but Lizzy couldn't help giggling around the bite in her mouth. "Flashback!" she said, after swallowing. "Just remember to use the cheap sheets, or maybe spread a drop-cloth out first."

"Sounds like fun," Amber said.

"We'll talk later," I said. "Right now, Elizabeth has a plane to catch, and Christine and I need to spend some time out in the Casino, so we can stay in the hotel's good graces."

"We already talked about it," Lizzy said. "Amber is going to take me to the airport, then she can take the Jeep back to your place, unload it, and take care of Widget until you get home. I'll have Dean Worthy clear it for her to miss work, and she can come home tomorrow. It's a late enough flight that I'll sleep on the plane and in the cab to school. Amber is looking forward to spending the night here with you for a change, aren't you Amber?"

"Yes, Mistress," she said. "Very much."

I signed to have dinner, and a generous tip, charged against my house account, and Christine and I accompanied them out to the Valet area. Jamie was going along with Amber to make sure she didn't have any trouble finding her way to the apartment. The usual hugs and kisses were exchanged — Lizzy and I kept it very short and controlled just in case; Jamie waited until after I had kissed Amber to move over, and then Christine and I went down to the casino for a little fun.

"So what would you like to do?" I asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "I've never really done much gambling. I couldn't afford it."

"Smart girl," I said. "Let's have some fun."

I went to the cashier's booth and signed for five hundred dollars worth of chips, then took Christine in search of a craps table.

"Now, the whole point of this is just to have fun, so what you want to do is determine how much fun you can afford and then try to pace yourself, so you don't run out of money before you're ready to stop. The nice thing about a craps table is that you have a lot of choices. Plus, there is the added fun of the crowd."

We settled at a table about midway down the row, and I started teaching her the basics. We'd been at it for about an hour, and the table was now full of screaming players.

"Don't let her roll the next pass," Jamie said. She'd rejoined us about thirty minutes before.

"What?" I asked, surprised.

"Either have her pass the dice, or you roll for her."

"Why?" I asked. "What am I missing?"

"You're up three thousand dollars, and from what I've seen most of it is from when she is rolling. Something is happening, and if you don't stop, others are going to notice, like the nice people watching on the cameras. In fact, it may be a really good idea if you took a break and got a quiet drink somewhere."

"Let's take a break," I whispered to Christine. "Maybe grab a drink and sit down for a while."

She turned her head so she could whisper in my ear, "I have a better idea."

The next thing I knew she put her back to the table, her arms around my neck, and her tongue down my throat. If that wasn't enough to give me the message, she followed up the kiss by whispering, "Take me home, now!"

That worked too. I raised my voice to the pitman handling our chips; "Cash us out on the next pass, please."

"Yes, sir," He said with a smile.