Chapter 17

After Branson, D.C. – well, Chevy Chase, anyway - seemed empty and cold to me. For a few days I was too sad to really engage in anything that mattered. Janice came and spent a long morning cheering me up, and Tabitha made sure she attended to 'my reward.' Constance realized that I was off somewhere unreachable in my head, and gave me space.

I was very grateful.

I needed to see Doctor Phaisal the following Tuesday, and Constance drove me in. Carole met us and displaced Doctor Phaisal's nurse, by very specifically announcing that she was taking care of things, and not nurse Phillips. The hospital would have backed up Carole, and everybody knew it, so she was my helpmate throughout the scans, examinations, and everything else they put me through.

For that I was quiet grateful, too.

While they worked on me, I thought about Beth Ann and Brian. After graduating from the aviation high school, Brian chose the Embry-Riddle aviation program for college. When he moved from Lakeland, Florida to the Daytona Beach area, we bought him a beautiful condo near the school so he didn't have to travel far to get to classes. The hangar we purchased perfectly housed his Diamond twin engine plane, along with some other toys we picked up along the way.

Beth Ann apparently took the news of my death as an omen to move on. She wasted no time making the decision to live in Daytona Beach, in what i was told, was a gorgeous, waterfront condo, with all the amenities.

I was almost too philosophical about losing her, because she'd left me once before, and married a guy named Randy, who failed to ring her bell, according to her. In the back of my mind, I was always waiting for her to leave again, so when she did, I'd spent so long expecting it, there was no real shock, or sadness.

After hours and hours of prodding, poking, x-raying, and scanning, I was happy to leave with my ladies and go find lunch. We were enjoying a wonderful stake and Caesar salad when the program playing on the restaurant TV was interrupted for a news break.

A well dressed, middle aged man replaced the frumpy housewife playing some kind of game show, and announced, "ABCNEWS FIVE – Washington has learned that President Dryden will announce his choice to succeed himself as Vice President, at nine o'clock tonight. Be here with us and we will discover the name of our new Vice President together!"

He was way too happy for me. His perfect teeth gleamed as he breathlessly intoned his opinion about who was going to be nominated, and how the Senate and Congress would vote. Carole was as uninterested as I was, but Constance watched it like the lawyer she was. I'd been there and done that. Watching others go through the process just didn't grab me like it did Constance.

Long before we arrived back at the carriage house, my phone rang. It was Doctor Phaisal's office. "Kevin, your scans are all back and you are making good progress. PLEASE try not to smash your head into hard objects, and maybe we can keep you alive a little longer."

I thanked him and he hung up.

Constance waited patiently for my report, and shrugged when I gave it to her. "Well, that means there is no bad news. We need to celebrate all the victories we can."

Tabitha brought Kimberly over to see us when we got in. I had no memory of her at all. She was just a baby running towards the lake to me. She didn't really want to be on my lap, but ate up all the attention Constance could give her. I guess I'm not quite the ladies' man I think I am...

Somehow Kimberly failed to cheer me up, and I realized the one thing I needed to avoid was sinking into depression. Tabitha took Kimberly home, and Constance had to attend to things at the White house with the announcement coming in just a few hours, so she left me.

Alone, I had time to think about where to live. Even before getting the trust documents fixed, I was able to live where ever I wanted.

Money wasn't the issue.

Desire was.

There had to be somewhere I wanted to live. There had to be something I wanted to do and someone to do it with, now that going home and being with my family was off the table.

After about an hour I gave up and turned on the TV. The first thing I came to was a commercial for an elegant cruise line, not one of those budget types of cruises, where everything is not included, and you spend four times as much as you think you will. The cruise line specialized in elegant dining, exotic ports of call, and wonderful service.

That gave me the idea of trying one out and seeing if cruising appealed to me. Researching the topic, I discovered I could pay a lot and get a suite, with a patio, and a king sized bed, and for just a little more, I could reserve my own staff and avoid all the hassles. As attractive as the idea was, I couldn't get past the crowd factor. I just didn't want to be alone in a crowd for any reason, anymore.

Try as I might I couldn't get excited about anywhere, but I was going to force myself to choose somewhere and move before very long. Living in the Kirby's carriage house was fine, but getting old very quickly.

How does a guy go from being President of the United States, to alone so fast? The universe had me at its mercy and must have something for me to do, but darned if I could see it.

Throughout my lifetimes, I learned one thing that I kept forgetting.

The universe wants what the Universe wants.

The morning after former AND current Iowa Governor Terry Bradford was named Vice President, I woke up with a destination in mind. The cold wind, and dull, dreary sky of Maryland had had its way with me for far too long, and before I sank into depression, I knew I needed warm air, sunshine, and water that was not freezing cold.

After letting my fingers do the walking on google, I called a realtor in Marathon, Florida. The Florida Keys would be an excellent place to chase away winter blues. The home I found was on Morton with a western exposure, deep water dock, and a wonderful, warm atmosphere. The realtor tried to push me into a higher priced home, but when I told her I was only willing to fly in to see that one home, and pay cash if I liked it, she piped down and paid attention.

Marathon key is half way from Miami to Key West, and has a great little airport, which would easily handle the jet I was going to find and buy the minute I got off the phone. The house was about three point four million, but I was certain I could figure out to get it for closer to three.

What I needed was a project, a place to live, and better weather. Marathon promised all three. The house was erected on built up land, making it about nine feet above sea level, and the first floor was all concrete, which allowed for storm surges. Anything of value was in the upper floor, accessed by ramp and elevator, as well as stairs.

I booked an appointment to see the house in three days, and book an appointment to see a G-650 in two days. It was owned by a middle-eastern oil magnate, who was trading up, and instead of seventy million, I could have it used, for thirty-nine. The photos showed a perfect layout, including king bed and full bath with large shower in the rear. If it showed as nicely as it photographed, I was buying it.

I called and booked a jet for the trip to California, to see the jet, and then on to Marathon to see the house, and checked with the airport about a hangar to handle the "G". All it took was money, and anything I needed was available, so I notified the real estate broker about the appointment to see the hangar while I was in town, and felt like I'd had a productive morning.

Now that the cat was out of the bag, so to speak, and Colleen knew I would be using my trust just like before, spending money on a new home and jet was easy. I let myself relax through the rest of the day, soaked in the hot tub, turned up the gas fire and let the heat permeate the carriage house.

Constance arrived in a bad mood, and found me floating blissfully in the hot tub. It took her less than a minute to strip naked and join me. The hot water, warm air, and genial company did wonders to improve her frame of mind.

"What's got you all wrought up?" I asked sympathetically.

"The White House is in a tizzy about the new Vice President, designate. He has a reputation for treating staff like light fixtures, and using everybody as if they were his personal waitress and waiters. Nobody is happy about the appointment, except Dryden, apparently." She was all worked up, and I massaged her shoulders, neck, and back to help work off some of the stress.

Constance has a weak spot, right where her back becomes her bottom, and when I rubbed her there, she got all wiggly. It wasn't long before I was bringing her off from a combination of "G" spot and clitoral stimulation. Once she came, she visibly relaxed into my arms, and let me hold and comfort her.

She is so easy to please...

We enjoyed floating around in the water so much, it was where Janice found us about an hour later. Seeing the two of us naked, and hedonistically reveling in the hot tub, she threw her clothes everywhere, and joined us. Constance tensed up, then forcibly relaxed, allowing Janice to enjoy the hot water, pleasant company, and gentle stimulation provided by my steady, gentle, rubbing of her clit.

When she came, she reached out and crushed Constance in a hug, and kissed her with everything she had, for so long, Constance had no choice but to reciprocate. They kissed until Constance let herself be pulled onto Janice's lap, where she was rubbed to a second, fuller orgasm, screaming out her pleasure at the end. Mr. Johnson felt left out until Janice mounted up and rode me cowgirl style to the finish line.