Chapter 34

SATURDAY MORNING, I had a new challenge. Melody and I picked up Kate after Pilates and we drove all the hell the way out past Issaquah to a huge development of houses that looked like mansions to me. Kate slept the whole way out, but I noticed she brought a sketchbook with her. This could be interesting. I hoped they would allow Melody and Kate to be where they could see the subjects.

When I pulled into the driveway in front of the four-car garage, Kate stirred and I gave last minute instructions. I needn’t have worried.

In their own home, Brijesh and Indira were gracious and at ease. There was no third party chaperone for the Singhs. They had set up the room almost identically to the photo they’d shown me, but the drapery was even more exquisite than I’d seen in the photo. Now that I actually saw it, that was all I wanted to draw. I disciplined myself.

When they’d satisfied themselves that Kate and Melody were both artists, they had no problem letting them be in the room with us. We set ourselves up and I got the Singhs positioned. They’d dropped their clothes without hesitation and curled up on the bed together with little Mirium happily attached to one of Indira’s paps.

“Brijesh, I don’t mean to be indiscreet, but I need to know if you want your ... uh ... equipment visible in the painting or tucked behind your wife. We can adjust the position a little if you’d like more modesty. It doesn’t bother me either way,” I said.

I think Brijesh glanced at Kate and Melody because he answered rather proudly.

“Like it is.”

I didn’t tell him that it wasn’t as impressive as he seemed to think.

We got started and I noted that Kate and Melody also made a few sketches. I focused on capturing everything I wanted to paint. There were carvings on the headboard, the incredible embroidery on the drapery, and, of course, the figures of two very proud, but slightly overweight parents and their darling little girl.

We worked for two and a half hours and everyone was exhausted.

Before we left, however, Indira cornered Melody to ask about the dress she was wearing. When we left, Melody had an order for two nine-yard strips of fabric prepared with the dye discharge pattern for Indira to have as saris. Now there was an interesting new market.

When we got home, the house looked great, if a little chaotic. Melody rushed to change clothes and start her part of the preparations. Wendy, I discovered, had taken the night off work to help with party preparations. I hoped that wasn’t costing her much. Lissa shooed Kate and me back out and told us we had hair appointments at the mall. Oh, boy.

I got Kate settled at the salon Lissa prefers and I went down to QuickCuts to see Donna. I had to wait before she was available since they don’t take appointments, but it gave me the opportunity to sketch.

The place is kind of a discount haircutting place that operates on a first-come-first-served basis, but you can wait for a specific stylist if you want. It’s a typical mall store. There’s a lot of glass out front with the manicurists working there and then six barber chairs plus another four of those reclining chairs where they can wash your hair over a sink. The whole scene was busy, even for a Saturday afternoon. Two of the stylists had kids sitting on planks resting on the arms of their chairs. Four men sat in the other chairs and three wives or mothers sat in the waiting area. Two women were getting manicures. The walls were burnt orange and dark brown, creating a serene backdrop for a very busy place. Before I knew it, I was deep in a zone capturing the scene before me. Lots of people. I loved it.

Donna was actually looking over my shoulder at the drawing calling my name when I surfaced enough to realize it was my turn.

“Well, space cadet, what will it be today?” she asked.

“The works,” I said cheerfully.

“That was a nice drawing you did. You some kind of an artist?”

“Some kind, yeah.”

“So what’s the plan tonight? How many beautiful women are you courting?”

She dipped my head under the water and started massaging my scalp with shampoo. I sighed contentedly before I answered. I wasn’t meaning to stare, but with her leaning over me to shampoo my hair, her boobs were right in my face, and it wasn’t a bad view. I think I smacked my lips a little.

“It’s my birthday,” I said quickly. “My wives are throwing a big party tonight.”

“Howard!” Donna called. “Gonna be a good one!”

Howard approached the chair as Donna finished the rinse and squeezed the water out of my hair. In no time he had a hot towel wrapped around my face and was stropping his razor.

“You just with the wives tonight or are you playing with the girlfriend?” he asked. After the show he got the last time I was in, I noticed that he wasn’t questioning whether any of them existed.

“The wives,” I said as he lathered my chin, “are throwing a party for the girlfriend and me tonight. It’s our birthday.”

“Wait. Hers, too?” Donna asked.

“Yeah. Pretty cool to date a birthday twin.”

I shut up while Howard started scraping the light beard from my face. I really don’t have enough whiskers to merit this treatment, but I loved it. I just don’t want to move while he’s got that razor at my throat. He kept up a running commentary about how different things were today than when he was dating. He’d never have stepped out on even one girlfriend as hot as my wives were. Donna kept chuckling.

“Well, it’s not really stepping out on them if they’re involved, is it?” I asked innocently. “I’m the first to admit I’ve got the hottest wives in the world, but our girlfriend is gorgeous, too.”

“You got it all, young man. You got it all.”

Donna took over her duties and led me to a different chair where I swear she cut my hair one follicle at a time. The waiting area had cleared out when Howard took the next guy in line, so I guess she felt okay about taking her time.

“Are you taking a lot of extra time with me today?” I asked.

“I’m just trying to stretch it out to see who comes in to pick you up today,” she said. “Someone’s coming, isn’t she?”

I glanced toward the front door just in time to see beauty incarnate walk through. Kate’s hair was glowing. It was done in a French braid that wrapped her head like a diadem. She’d had her makeup done as well and even though it was subtle, it accented her best features and made her lips look so kissable that I know I was grinning. Apparently Donna noticed my preoccupation and looked up to see.

“Oh, my living soul!” she said. “Wife or girlfriend?”

“Girlfriend,” I said as Kate approached.

“Howard!”

The other barber growled as he looked over toward us, and every eye in the room turned to see what Donna was calling about. There was a sudden silence as clippers were all turned off as if in respect for the goddess who was approaching. For her part, Kate was acutely aware of the stares and braved the gauntlet with just a hint of model-like swivel to her hips. Those instructions she got from Lissa really paid off. She was wearing a pair of black leggings beneath a hip-length gauzy tunic, belted at her tiny waist, and a bolero-style vest over the top. She walked directly toward me, her high heels clicking on the linoleum floor, ignoring the stares and sudden silence in the room. She leaned forward to kiss me lightly on the lips.