This work of adult
fiction, loosely based on characters portrayed by Russell Crowe,
includes adult language and experiences; you have been warned. No
copyright infringement on the original work is intended.
Copyright Diana Walker 2006.
DIANA “Thanks,
Mate.We've
got it from here.”Terry
pushes upright
from the check-in counter and fishes in his pocket for his parking stub.“Could you have
someone get the two bags and
the laptop out of the boot?I
mean, trunk.And
have them brought to our suite?Thanks.” “No
wurries, Mr. Thorne.Ma'am?Would you like us to dry your bouquet for you?”Terry smiles at the
clerk's attempt at
Strine, and the acknowledgment his terminology was understood.My smile is because
someone has a worse
Aussie accent than mine. At least
the clerk hadn't assumed
we were married and called me Mrs. Thorne.I don't know if I could have taken that.Weddings always make me think of my own marital state.When I was younger and
everyone I knew was
getting married, I always managed to convince myself, erroneously, that
my date
for the event would be good husband material.Invariably, we would break up within the month.I don't want to jinx Terry
and me with those
old thoughts.In
the last few years, I
hadn't attended that many weddings.Reags' and Max's had been the first in over five years.Everyone I know is settled
into whatever
marital status they were in and living happy lives.God knows, I am. “Thank
you for offering, but the
wedding florist will be doing that.”The
desk clerk nods and gives our card key to Terry and watches us make our
tired
way to the elevators.I'm
limping from
the tall heels I've worn for over six hours; Terry's favoring his left
side
from having been on his bum leg for most of that same amount of time.I'm not sure who is
holding up whom. Terry
inserts our card key and
presses the button for the Terrace Suite.There was one button above it – the button
simply had a “P” on it.I've long since stopped being surprised at
Terry's financial dichotomy, frugal vs. extravagant.Tonight I’m much too tired to fuss at him about
the cost of the suite.He
leans on the
brass railing, and I lean back onto his supporting arm. The
doors slide shut, and we ascend to our refuge.“How many floors to the Terrace?” He
transfers his weight from his
arm resting on the railing and uses it to draw me to him.“I don't give a
toss.If they use
it as the bridal suite, I'm sure
the butler has seen worse.”He envelops
me with his arms, his lips, his love.“I’ve
wanted to do this all day.From
the
moment I saw you in the bride's room.” I love
the way elevators usually
shudder to a stop at my floor.This
one
gives no sense of motion and, apparently, glides to a stop.We are still in a mad
clinch when a discreet
throat clearing indicates the doors are open, and we have an audience. Never at
a loss for words, Terry
tosses off a comment.“Be
with you in a
moment, Mate.Weddings
get to her,” and
waves to our unseen observer.It
is so
Terry to put the blame on me.I
turn my head
enough I can see a hand press the Close Door button. We
hear, “Very well, Sir,” as the doors slide silently
shut again. “At
least we weren't snatching at clothes this time the way we did in Cairo.” “At
least.Today it
hasn't been two weeks since I've
seen you.It only
feels like it.”He
cradles my face in his hands.“Diana,
take a step back and let me look at
you for a tic.” “Try
some deep breaths and think of how poorly the Souths did this
year.”A
little laughter might help Terry get out of
this predicament.It’s
worked before. “Do
you know how bloody gorgeous
you look?”I
am incredibly fortunate
that Terry understands my smart mouth, and his single mindedness keeps
him on
track; I would never get any compliments from him if my comments
distracted
him. I can
feel my face start to redden
at his compliment.I
don't do admiration
well.I always
expect a negative to
follow even though Terry has never done that to me.“Thank you.You took my breath away when I started down the aisle and
saw you beside
Max.I didn't think
I could take my next
step, but I had to keep walking to
get to you.” “I
couldn't wait for Melody to get
to her place so I could look at you fully.I believe I was bobbing and weaving to see past
her.”His
hands smooth across my shoulders and down
my arms. “Even
being with her as much as I
have, I still think her name is Marjorie.With us having the host and hostess duties for so many of
the functions,
I didn't have a chance to get to know her.All our conversations were so superficial.To me she was a bit player in this production.” Terry
laughs at the mention of
Marjorie/Melody.“She's
nothing like my
stereotypical Marjorie from the little I time I spent with
her.”I’m
not the only one in this relationship
who’s explaining their statements; even in an elevator we
ought to release for
other guests, Terry will give me more details.“The Marjorie I knew would have swooped in with
a sense of entitlement,
anxious to become the center of attention.At home she would have explained everything that had been
wrong with the
night though she would never lift a finger at the time to
help.”I
don't think I would have liked his first
wife. “She
may have changed over the
years.”Terry
looks unconvinced with my
tepid defense of a woman I have never met, but he doesn't challenge me.I loosen my right hand
from his grasp and
reach into his inside coat pocket for his handkerchief. “Now
I remember why I hate wearing
lipstick.This kind
is supposed to stay
on me.”I dab at his smiling
mouth then start to rub.He
takes his
handkerchief from me and puts it back into his pocket. “The
sooner we get into the suite
the sooner we can get rid of Jeeves, and it won’t matter
where your lipstick
appears.”Terry
reaches past me, presses
the Open Door button, and ushers me out of the elevator with his hand
at the
small of my back.Jeeves
is standing off
to the side with two glasses of champagne on a silver platter in his
hands. “Welcome
to the Terrace Suite, Mr.
Thorne, Ms. Walker.May
I offer you a
glass of champagne?” “Thanks,
Mate.Please call
me Terry, and this is
Diana.”Terry's
using his bloke smile on
Jeeves.His hand is
still at the small
of my back using his thumb to make small circles there, but his eyes
are full
of mischief.After
the elevator ride, I
think anything is possible from him.His
better sense kicks in, and he rethinks what he had planned, at least
for the
moment.He hands me
one of the flutes
and takes the other for himself. I
propose what I hope is the last toast of the day.“To getting them hitched.” “To
us getting some peace and quiet
in our own celebration.”We touch our
flutes together and take a drink of the champagne.I think it’s the same as Max and Reags served
at the reception, but at this point, my taste buds are incapable of
detecting
any difference.We
could be drinking
Andre's, for all I know. Jeeves
takes the hint.“My
name is Robert.If
you need anything, please press the button
marked Butler
on the phone.” “Robert,
could you see about
getting our bags delivered soon?I've
been in this monkey suit long enough.” “Of
course, Sir.”Robert
closes the door
quietly as he leaves. “I
thought he was required to show
us the amenities,” I remark as I glance around the lounge.“Oh, look.Black Magic roses.I
knew The
Mansion had good taste.” I see a
small storm cloud flit
across Terry's face as he leads me to the vase.It can't be because of the arrangement; he knows the Black
Magics are my
favorite roses.Deep,
dark burgundy,
velvety petals that have to be special ordered from most florists; they
are not
the traditional red rose.Terry
sends
them to me so often I think Appletree keeps a dozen in stock especially
for his
orders. “Read
the card.”He
steps close behind me and buries his face
in my hair, breathing in deeply. It isn't the standard Mansion
flower arrangement after all; the envelope is Appletree. The
card is white, written in his
unmistakable, precise hand.
I
am speechless, and for a change,
I am silent.I can
only step back,
closer into him, lean on that solid chest I had fallen in love with
long
before, and let him hold me. “They were supposed
to be in the
bedroom so you would see them after I romanced you.I'm delivering on my promise of romance and
roses.The
moonlight will have to wait,
but I can give you a sunset.”The lounge
doors to the terrace are open, and I see another bottle of champagne
sitting in
a wine stand between two upholstered, patio chairs. The slight limp is miraculously
gone as he takes a step towards the terrace and holds out his hand for
me to
join him. “This
is a set up!You’re
not dog tired?” “I’m tired,
but not as exhausted as
you are.”I'm
still amazed at how small
my hand looks in his as we walk together into the fading sunlight and
watch it
together silently, drinking our champagne as
we wrap ourselves up in each other. Dallas has remarkable skies.The daytime sky has many colors of blue, one morphing into
another, from
bright blue high overhead to robin's egg at the horizon.The sunsets are perhaps
more
spectacular.The
daytime blue sky fades
to the color of Terry's eyes when he wears a blue dress shirt before
the half-domed
setting sun asserts its last power turning the lower sky almost
fluorescent
orange.The band
between the two is pale
lavender and joins them imperceptibly.The orange changes to pink as the night sky encroaches
down onto the
horizon, and the lights in Dallas' remarkable nightscape below us
twinkle on
one by one like so many stars thrown down onto the prairie.The downtown skyline
displays its beauty with
lights in offices showcasing their outlines, so unlike the drab
business-like
facade it wears during the day. Partway through watching our
everchanging twilight canvas, Nessun Dorma drifts from the suite.The romantic musical
passage speaks for us. ROBERT I went to the car park myself
to
retrieve their bags, stopping at the Concierge Desk to retrieve the
keys from
the less than attentive young man standing there.Mr. Thorne's generous tips to the hotel and
restaurant staffs when he booked the suite weeks ago assured his plan
would be flawlessly
executed, and any spontaneous wishes would be answered immediately.He had gone so far as to
meet with the staff
who would be on duty tonight to explain what he wanted; the Concierge
on duty
tonight is filling in for the usual gentleman whose wife had gone into
labour and, as such, feels no such commitment.Mr.
Thorne’s engaging personality guarantees
everyone who spoke with him earlier will serve him happily. I placed their bags in the
bedroom,
inserted the CD Mr. Thorne had in the outer pocket of his laptop
carrying case
in the player as instructed, and began it with Track One before
pressing the
random play.I
refilled the wine stand
with ice before allowing myself a small intrusion on the handsome
couple by
watching them silhouetted in the twilight.Later tonight the sky will be the color of Ms. Walker's
dress. TERRY She's been quiet watching the
sunset, so unlike the chatterbox she has been over the last few weeks.Granted, the surfeit of
words was at my
request, but I now have, among other random topics, a full
understanding on
each ingredient trade-off rationale she uses when cooking, the
satisfaction she
receives sitting with the dogs dozing beside her, her frustration in
dealing
with the phone company, and her love for me.That last one was hard for her; she started and stopped
many evenings
until one night it all came pouring out – no hesitations, no
word searches
through that vast vocabulary she stores in her brain – she
gave me every
reassurance a man could ever want on my importance in her life.I had finally given her
the time and space to
fit all the pieces together and to come to terms with her feelings. “Tell me.”Those two words have
become my gentle
reminder for her to open up to me.I
know I may never see the total depth of her thoughts and feelings.When she is lost inside
herself as she is now
is when I most want her to take my hand to let me in with her. “It's perfect, and
perfection
scares me; it can't last.I
wonder what
will go wrong next even while I'm storing the memories of the peak to
pull out
later.” “This
moment can last; remember the flowers are in the wrong room.” She smiles up at me.“It's the small
flaws that add interest to
the beauty of the moment.But
I'll take
whatever blemish there is so this peace can continue.” Diana amazes me with her
ability to
move slightly and have such a large impact.She does it when she rides.I
don't see her move at all yet Jack's hindquarters drop, and his stride
becomes
stronger.She did
it with me just
now.I barely felt
her unbutton my coat,
open it, and wrap herself inside with me.Her contented sigh tells me all is right with her world. “Boomer, I thought
anniversaries
didn't mean much to you.September
15th
came and went, and you didn't say a word.I took my cues from you.I was a
little disappointed but not enough to say anything.When did you have enough time to do all
this?” “You were so busy
being a wedding
planner, competing, running the farm, and getting our finances sorted,
I
thought you’d welcome a bit of down time after the wedding
celebration
madhouse.” “I do treasure the
quiet time with
you.”She
reached up to stroke my face,
and I leaned into her palm.“I
rationalized your forgetfulness as our having so many different dates
that we
could call an anniversary.For
some of
them, neither one of us knows the date.We could pick almost any day in the fall, and something
significant
happened for us on that day.Maybe
we
should declare Reags' and Max's wedding as the date.” “I want a date that
is uniquely
ours, not one we share with anyone else we know.I know, I know.I’m
a selfish bastard.September
15th works a treat for
me.”I
give her palm a quick kiss.“Let's
go inside.Whilst
your dress is fetching on you, it
isn’t made for a night outdoors.Besides, I have a couple of things to do before I am all
yours.” When Diana is comfortable she
is
reluctant to move.Oft
times she simply
lies on me; I can feel her becoming heavier on me.She displays her unwillingness this time by
tightening her hold on me. “I
could pick you up and carry you.” “Don't you
dare!” she laughingly
warns me as she steps away from me, and we walk back to the lounge.“When we were
getting off the elevator, what
was that devilment in your eye?” I'm surprised she asked; she so
often has me sussed that it's eerie.“I
had thoughts of carrying you over the threshold.” “I'm
glad you didn't.As
tired as your leg
must be, we’d have been in a heap.” “Diana, the fucker is
fine.I've learnt
how to fake the limp.”To
prove the fucker is fine I pick her up and
carry her the few steps to the sofa while she laughs at my foolish
gesture.I get us
sorted on the sofa, and
she frisks me to find my phone. She does not begrudge the fact
that
I have the weekend desk for the firm.Marjorie hated the hours I worked; she seemed to ignore
the fact that by
marrying the General's daughter, I had to work harder and be more
accomplished
to gain a modicum of respect from my troops and overcome their
prejudice.Alicewas my full time job; she never thought she and
Peter shouldn't be my
only concern.Miranda
and I were so
sporadic she never understood the full-time nature of my work or the
hours I
needed to put in; I scheduled round her demands.Diana understands working the extra hours at
night and on weekends; she worked them herself when she was in
corporate America.With the horses the long
hours are spread
throughout the day, but horses don’t recognise weekends. What she doesn't
understand
is my taking time off mid-week if we have a bit of down time at the
office.She expects
me to be at the office at least
eight hours a day and then train and stay in shape after normal
business
hours.Diana has
never had her own
business and doesn’t understand the perks. She even understands when I
bring
home company classified documents and lock myself in the library for
hours
without her.When I
emerge, her only
response is, “I'm so glad to see you.” “That's
right.I bet
neither you nor Dino have
checked messages since before noon.” “We can
only hope the world chose today to try to be nice to itself.” Diana takes off her shoes, and,
when she leaves my side, she has lost four inches in height.She pads to the wine stand
and brings the
bottle to refill our flutes as I check my cell.I stretch out on the sofa propping my back on the arm.Diana lies on top of me
with her head on my
chest. “The world is kind
today.But I do
need to make two phone
calls.”She
assumes they are business
calls and rises from the sofa to give me privacy; I reach for her hand
and pull
her back down. I find
the Adolphus phone number and dial.“Room 1633, please.” Diana recognizes the mids' room
number.Her
wrinkled brow asks the question for
her.Such a lovely,
beautiful,
expressive face. “Thorne
here.I wanted you
lads to know the boys
will be in early tomorrow to remove the bugs.” Diana's
cackle is infectious.“You
let them
think ....” “Wait.There's more.” I hit redial, forcing my
cheeriness
to disappear before I am connected.“Room 1635, please.”I reach the
other voice mail as I had hoped.“Thorne
here.We didn't
have the room
bugged.You lads
were home free on your
debriefs.” Diana
falls across my chest laughing.“They
won't know which to believe.” “Keeps
them on their toes.” “OK, what now?You’ve been so
full of surprises today, even
more so than normal, I don't know what to expect next.First, you gave me the earrings.I didn't realize the Best Man gave the Honor
Attendant a gift.I
didn't read in any of my research
about that
tradition.” “They weren't for the
wedding.They're my
belated anniversary present to
you.”I
play with the pale blue topazes
and diamonds in her ears, and enjoyment is written all over her.It had taken me forever to
find stones to
match Gran.Diana
had given me such hope
for the future I had started the search soon after I met her.The jeweler told me it
would be easier to
find old diamonds than old topazes, but he looked.And looked.And looked.He’d
made several dry
runs on the setting design I sketched for him to see how difficult it
would be
to emulate the filigree before finding the stones.It took him three tries to get it right once
he had the stones in his hands.It
didn’t help that the filigree work he did wasn’t as
precise as the image in my
mind.I must be
losing some of my
engineering skills …of course, one needn’t be a
good artist to be a good
engineer, and I have spent the majority of my time since uni blowing
things up
rather than designing them. “They're beautiful.Thank you.My hands were shaking so badly Vickie had to put them in
my ears.What a
wuss I wass.”Her
attempt at rhyming makes me laugh. Diana sits up and puts her feet
on
the table in front of the sofa where we are comfortably ensconced,
unwilling to
break our contentment.Our
conversations, particularly today, are important and satisfying.Like all our conversations
we will range far
and wide, jumping from topic to topic.Even a nimble mind can be left behind when Lady starts
chatting. She rearranges the Town
and
Country and Architectural Digest
magazines to pillow her stocking
clad feet.I follow
her lead, settle
into the sofa, slipping off my shoes, and position my feet on the table
next to
hers.She starts a
game of footsie,
tapping my big feet with her smaller ones and retreating.We giggle at the
incongruity of two formally
dressed adults playing a childish game. We’ve talked so
little about today
and our reactions to it.Diana
needs a jump-start
to begin telling me what she is thinking.“Appletree Flowers went above and beyond the
call of duty today.I
think they shut the shop down to tend to
Reags' and Max's flowers.” Of course Diana has all the
G2.“Not
quite.TEO is a
preferred customer for the shop, and
Angela, Sonia, and Vickie wanted to see with whom they'd been dealing
all these
years; all three of them wanted to set up the wedding.Since they only needed one person to get the
flowers out, they couldn't find an equitable way to choose who came so
they
indulged themselves.Vickie
told me they
left the ditzy high school girl there to run things; it was the only
solution.She’s
dreading trying to sort out the
paperwork and screwed up orders Ditz took today.You and Max are the only two they’ve met in
person; Reags and I know Chris, the delivery guy, very well.Now Appletree is up to
speed on everyone.” “I learnt long ago to
get to know my
local florist, be nice to them, acknowledge their talent and hard work,
and
they’ll do anything for you.” “Good strategy, but
where you're
concerned, it's your easy charm that gets you what you want.”She tapped my foot harder
making her point. “The charm factors in
on the 'be
nice' part for the times when I may not be so nice or have to ask for
an
extraordinary favor.Like
the morning
after Labour Day last year with your flowers.I called Vickie from London
to order the flowers and beg her to rearrange the delivery schedule so
I could
enclose a personal note to you.I
couldn't even give her my arrival time.She opened the shop early and had to wait on me to finish
my note to
you.It took me
for-bloody-ever to write
it; the words had to be correct – enticing but correct.I started several
times.” “The words were
perfect …just like
you.”I’m
rewarded with her kiss lightly
brushed across my lips, and she remains draped across me.“I left out
parts of it when Reags asked me
to read it to her.” “Irish hadn't taken
my advice on
florists before; I think that’s likely to change because of
Ellie.I kept
telling him he needed to go in and
order flowers rather than over
the phone.Dino
KNEW Vickie had to be
short and dumpy; he said no one with a voice sounding that
good on the
phone could be good looking.He
said
he'd rather listen to Vickie's voice than be disappointed in her looks.He was pleasantly
surprised today.” “She was everywhere
before the
wedding.She was in
and out of our
dressing room half a dozen times.She
knows how to do customer service well.And she’s so calm.” “When she wasn't with
you lot she
was with us.Sonia
tried to put on our
boutonnières, but she's so short, it was a
contortionists’ match.We
were bent over, and she was on tiptoe.Not a one of us, not even the mids, had sense
enough to sit down.Vickie
had to step
in to get our flowers on in time for the ceremony.She seemed quite taken with East.” “There's
a lot there to like.” “I had expected you
to spend more
time with him.”A
year ago, I had firmly
believed I could easily lose Diana to East when they met.I have tried to understand
her ‘horsey’ world
as she has an uncanny understanding of mine.I worked hard at learning to be a groom for Jack and her
last
spring.I even got
the knack of walking
Jack and loosening his girth simultaneously while he was still high
from his
cross-country run.On
the drive down to
the first event she allowed me to attend officially but weeks before
she
promoted me to groom, she briefed me on the politics.I could only shake my head.The equestrian community has all the factions
of an Iraqi election. “He's not my type.Too hot headed.You may be angry
sometimes, but you won't
show it unless it’s really bad.You
are my type.East
and I can talk horses
together, but I doubt he could debate politics with me or argue the
other
perspective the way you do when I change sides mid-stream.In addition, he's too easy
for me to
read.”Diana,
even with our few
disagreements, has given me every reason to trust her.Misunderstand her, yes.Distrust her, never. “And I'm not?The way you can read my
thoughts can be
disconcerting since I pride myself on being impassive.” “Are you sure you
meant
'disconcerting,' there, Boomer?And
I
would say you're more inscrutable than impassive.People can tell you’re thinking; they just
don't know what you’re
thinking.” “Actually, your
ability to read my
thoughts scares me pissless at times.Like the DMA exhibition opening when I was talking to the
Risk
Management chap who wanted the quote immediately for us taking on his
company.You were
completely across the
gallery when it started getting dicey, and yet, there you were to
rescue
me.I was quite
sure my distaste for him
was apparent, and he saw it.You
were
bloody brilliant in extricating me.” “He doesn't know you
as well as I
do.When I first
looked over, you were
talking intently to him.You
were
leaning on your cane a smidgen more is all.I didn't save you that night; I wanted a hug.Speaking of hiding things
well.Is it safe
yet to kid Dino about Ellie?” “Well, for all we know at this moment, Irish only danced
with Ellie a few times at a wedding.” She looks at me aghast.“You speak
symbols much better than you read
them.Did you
notice who all he danced
with at the wedding?” “The bride, the
Honour Attendant,
the bridesmaids, and Ellie.Diana,
yes,
weddings are for statements, but Dino and Ellie will be better served
letting
them sort out their feelings on their own.With Dino you never can tell.” DIANA Terry’s right.I wouldn’t wish
the scrutiny he and I had
been under this past year on anyone.Reags was hoping I had found someone – finally;
Dino wanted to be sure
Terry wasn't on some testosterone-loaded power play.Max wanted to be sure my honor was protected
and preserved.My
small community where
we live were titillated by the ‘rich guy’ who had
moved in with me; Yvette, our
own desperate housewife, was waiting for any indication she could swoop
in and
take Terry away from me, the mousy, horsey woman who lived next door.Of course, from the way
Dino and Ellie looked
at each other while they were dancing, they were having a far more
'normal'
dating relationship than did Terry and I.They looked like they were together but not gob smacked
with each other;
they seem far less passionate than Terry and I. “How soon after the
hearing in Palestine
do you think
they started dating?”Maybe
Terry has a
better time frame than I do. “He was much calmer
in Cairo
than normal so I
would say a few months by then; I'd guess shortly after the first of
the
year.When did he
start slagging off
dinner with us?” I'm somewhat abashed at the
answer
I’ll have to give him.He
did want to
know what I was thinking even though it would be negative about him.I'm too tired to measure
my words or try to
soften them. “About the time you
and I were beginning
to get on each other's nerves.I
thought
he didn't want to be anywhere in the vicinity when we imploded
– fear of flying
shrapnel.I never
dreamed he was working
extra hard during the week so he could trot off to Palestine
on the weekends.”We
laugh softly at the rough patch we had
gone through when I was holding everything in while he was recuperating. My elbow nudge in his ribs
punctuates my kidding.“You
were pretty
cute hobbling out to the barn as fast as your leg and crutches could
carry you
though I didn't think so at the time.I'm sorry I was such a mother hen.On everything else you do, I believe you’re a
big boy and can do what
you want and bear the consequences.I
have no idea why I couldn't try to allow you some independence about
your leg.” Terry looks distinctly
uncomfortable with my bringing up his wound.“Don't be sorry, Diana.I'd been
through it before; you hadn't.You
really
didn't know what to expect on the rehab.As hard as I push on every other part of my life, you
couldn't know that
I drop back on pushing myself medically.” I have
to laugh at that.“You
call that
dropping back?” “Instead of going at
it 200%, I
listened to what my body was telling me and did only a little more than
it
thought it should,” Mr. Smug responds.He becomes serious.“I
had to
lighten up.I
thought putting you
through all the emotions – the anger, the fear –
with me would have served
neither of us well; I was wrong.I
took
some of it out on you without ever explaining why.I was afraid if I lost my leg you wouldn't be
able to handle it.Half
the time I've
known you I've been seriously banged up.You've been amazing through all of it.It was my own fear of being less than a whole man that put
me on
edge.When you
would fuss over me,
whilst I did enjoy it, I could see you having to do those same things
for the
rest of your life if I was lucky enough for you still to want me as an
invalid.I didn't
want you to have to go
through your life with me as a millstone round your neck.” “One leg doesn't make
or break you
as a man.You're
more than a sum of your
parts.Never fear.If you’re ever
injured so badly that it
changes your physical abilities, once you’re healthy, I won't
be so
solicitous.How the
hell did we get on
this again?” “It's not again.I never told you what I
was thinking or
feeling then.I
thought if I did, you’d
give me the socially correct answer and stay with me out of loyalty or
worse,
pity.” “I loved you then,
Boomer.I love you
now.I never once
thought about throwing you out,
and I can't now.You
banished all talk
and thoughts of departures – a damn good idea on your part
and one I am happy
to oblige.There
are things you can't do
even now you are healthy, though you’ll
never admit it.” “Name
one thing I can't do!” “Your omelets are
flat.Not enough
limberness in your wrist to whip
enough air into it.I
can't do it either
if it makes you feel better.” “So now you want me
limp
wristed.Of all the
things I am
willing to change for you, Lady, that’s not
one of them.”His
chuckled sigh lets me know he hasn't
taken my remark to heart.“I
can live
with making lousy omelets.I'll
stick
with punched up scrambled eggs when I cook breakfast.I’ll stop calling them omelets.” Slowly but surely, the music
playing in the background begins percolating up from my subconscious.When Original Sin
begins playing, I am
sure it was the CD I had made for Terry to try to tell him of our year.“Do you have it
with you at all times?” “Not the one you made
me.I burned this
copy.It doesn't
have the liner notes so it’s
suitable for public consumption.The
words you wrote for me, they're too personal for anyone else to
have.” “How
did Robert know to play it?Was
Project
involved?When did
you plan all this?” “No software was
utilised during
the planning of this mission.”I love
the way he makes me laugh.“A
few well
placed words, a few requests – I do know my way round a
hotel, you know.Most
of the niceties you would think are
extravagances are standard for The Mansion.I wanted you to see the Thorne touches and know
they’re yours.”His hand stroking down my arm and trailing
across my bare chest did have the Thorne touch.I love the way he makes me putty in his hands; at times
like this, he
could tell or ask meanything,
and I
would agree with him. His hand trailed lower onto my
dress.“I
love how soft your skin
is.I can scarcely
tell the difference
between you and the satin of your dress.” TERRY I know how to make love to this
woman.I know
nibbling on her ear lobes
makes her arch up into me.I
know
kissing her target spot will cause her long neck to bend away from me asking for more.I know trailing my fingers
across her chest
will create shivers in her.I
know how
to bring her close to the edge while we are fully dressed and how to
bring her
back to me without being killed. “I love your romantic
ideas.”Diana
also knows how to make love to me in
public.Her hand on
my neck, her lips on
my Adam's apple as she speaks, her smile that is only for me.She is holding back
tonight; she could just
as easily have had me stripped and in bed if she had wished.She has no idea what I
have in mind; Diana is
letting me lead. “I have
reservations for dinner downstairs in a few.Do you want to change?” “I
don't have anything to change into but my Levis.” “Oh, yes, you do.Whilst I was home this
morning, I did check on
the dogs and the herd, but my main reason for taking the long hike
north was to
get one of your little black dresses.” “Then I
would like to change.And
get a
shower.I feel like
I’ve worked all
day.” “You
did.You were the
‘wedding
planner.’” “Thank you for
thinking of clothes;
if it were springtime we’d look like a prom date dressed like
this showing up
for our special dinner.You
with your
cummerbund matching my dress.”She picks
up her shoes, snags the champagne bottle, leads me to the suite's
bedroom, and
opens the closet door to where my suit and her dress hang. “Could you unzip
me, please?” Diana is profuse with her
thanks
but rarely says please.Her
tone and her
choice of words usually say 'please' for her.When she does use the word itself with me, she is about to
amaze and
delight me.Right
before she floors me
with a surprise, her eyes flash with the enjoyment she anticipates from
my
reaction.With her
back to me, I can't
see her eyes to tell if the twinkle is there.I would bet right now they are shining even though I
don’t know why. Diana lets her dress fall to
the
floor and steps out of it.I
am stunned as
she steps into her shoes again; I am astounded when she turns round to
me. “You've had that on
all day?”Under
her dress is a bustier Baz Luhrmann
could have used in Moulin Rouge with a matching
thong.Diana is
perfection.The
bustier is the same blue satin as her
dress but overlaid with a sheer, open black lace work and suspenders
holding
her stockings.It
accents the girls, and
it seems her waist is smaller.My
mouth
goes dry, and further speech will be impossible. “Yes, and I didn't
complain once
about how tight it is; I wanted you to be surprised.Aren't you proud of me?”I can only nod and look.The incongruity of her words and her sexpot
look is endearing.She
had this planned.
“I gather you like
it.”I
can nod again and keep looking.At
least the blood flow to my eyes is still
functioning.With
help of a healthy slug
from the champagne bottle, my voice finally returns. “Bloody
hell, Diana!How
did you keep that a
secret from me until now and why?” “You've never been
all that
interested in my under things unless you’re getting me out of
them.They’ve
been in the bottom of my drawer since
we picked up the dresses months ago.The
why is simple.Can
you imagine your reaction
standing at the altar knowing I had this on under my dress?” Diana is smiling with a
promise.A lady in
public and a whore in
the bedroom.And
she's all mine.I
continue to stare at her as she struts to me,
takes off my unknotted tie, and tosses it on the bedroom’s
sofa.I let her. “My thoughts would
have been most
inappropriate for a Christian wedding ceremony.Some ancient, pagan rites would have been right.I don’t want to
think about getting through the
reception.”She
steps closer to unbutton
my shirt and smiles at me the same way she did the night we met in Dallas
as she puts my
shirt studs in my pants pockets and lingers there for not long enough.I nudge her backwards to
take in every man's
wet dream.“I
could look at you in that
for days.” She plants her hand in the
middle
of my chest and gently pushes me to the sofa to join the only piece of
clothing
I have lost, my tie.Once
I am settled,
Lady straddles my legs and makes herself comfortable spreading my shirt
open
further for her kisses up my chest.“Fine.The
bustier stays on while
I jump your bones.” If I were not so intent on
drinking
in this beauty in front of me, my eyes would have rolled back into my
head long
ago.Diana is
rolling her crotch onto
mine, and her face is lost in the sensation, her head thrown back
exposing her
neck for my devouring kisses. The warm, caring, loving, soft
woman is gone, lost in a heated passion that had been AWOL during the
summer
but is back with a vengeance.Diana
is
demanding, sexy, lusty, ferocious, abandoned – wild.A wildness I haven't seen
before.As she
slides down my legs to give herself
room to unzip my trousers, Diana's hands take over stroking my cock,
protecting
me. Once her frenzy starts she
gives me
no quarter.She
knows what she wants and
how she wants it.She
glides up and down
my needy cock, teasing me in a totally unnecessary way and satisfying
her
clit’s need for contact; on one of her slides as I rise to
stay with her, she
tugs my pants and shorts down and out of the way.I slide the string between her legs holding
the impossibly sheer thong to her aside. She looks directly into my eyes
sliding
ever so slowly down onto me.My
guttural
“Unh” as she drives me wild pulling me into her
does not escape her notice.Once
she feels my hair on her crotch, she returns
to the grind she began with when she first put me on the sofa.Our mouths battle to
express the hunger and
need we feel. She pulls back from our kisses
and
deliberately looks down dragging my eyes with the force of her will; we
are
suspended in time.Diana
leans back and draws
my hand to her lips encouraging me open her to see more.I part her outer lips to
take in her ruffled
inner core wrapped around me.She
leans
back farther and cups my balls softly.She handles every part of me deftly to keep me on edge but
no further. She places my other hand on her
lower belly and presses it down.“Can
you feel where you are?” She starts to rise from me, and
I
swear I can feel the ridge slip under my hand until she holds only my
helmet in
her opening and squeezes down on me.Diana may have pushed me too far for me to last very long.Every impulse in me is
demanding release. Diana's hands are on my
shoulders
giving her assault on me added leverage and power.She starts an uneven, varied tempo – slow,
fast – surprising me, keeping me from finding the rhythm to
complete us; she
hears my pleasure and frustration in my growls and moans.She drives deeply onto me,
and I can see her satin-clad
chest in my face – another tease.I ease
her breasts up and out and feast on them. I hear in her breathing and
feel the
spasm in her lower back how close she is.“God, Terry, I love you.” she gasps
out as she begins to shake and spasms
about me, drawing me to her demanding my physical response, still
riding
me.She is pulling
the last bit from
me.I can only
groan as she stills and
leans forward onto me.I
sink back onto
the sofa so very glad to be a very spent Terry Thorne, and this
changeling
loves me. I pull her head down onto my
shoulder.We are
still joined as we get
our breath back, and I cradle her gently.“I thought our days of the wild, hanging from
the chandelier sex were
over before we met each other.I
was
wrong.Perhaps it's
the bustier.Can we
get several more of those made?”I kiss her gently on the cheek and move some
of her damp ringlets from her face. When Maxie gets back from his
honeymoon, we’re going to have to compare notes on bustiers
and make a
concerted effort to get Diana or Reags to tell us where they got them.We're ordering them by the
dozen. DIANA It feels strangely different to
be
on Terry's lap feeling him fade away inside me yet having his strong
presence
all around me.“I
think I put us on date
footing and took away from your romantic evening.” “Nonsense.You may have taken away
from your romantic evening, but
mine is quite
rosy right now.”I
start to squirm on
him hoping for a sign of life from Terry Junior until he lifts me and
puts me
down on the sofa, shedding his pants and jacket to lie beside me.Unconsciously, his hand
drifts between my
legs.He won't be
with me much longer
before he falls asleep. Tears
begin leaking from my eyes; one falls on his shoulder. “Tell me.”He asks softly, but
there's not a hint of his
sleepy voice, a deep but slurred sound.The velvet overtakes the rough edge right before he falls
asleep. “The whole day and
just now ...it's
overwhelming.All
the emotions.When
Max and Reags were saying their vows, I
was thinking that I couldn't be any more committed to you than I was
right
then.You know
that, don't you?” “Yes,
Lady.I
do.” “I wanted to be
standing with
you.I needed to
touch you so much.You
needed to know right that very second how
much I love you, how much you mean to me, what a wonderful life you've
given
me.My life was
missing something before
I met you.I didn't
think it was
possible, but you've added so much. “The ceremony was
moving.I knew I
ought to be paying attention to
them, but I couldn't take my eyes off you.And then you were wearing my ring.” “Our
ring,” he gently reminds me. “Our ring.Even as you were pulling
Reags' ring from the
same finger, I could only see that you were wearing it.You were having such a hard time getting her
ring off to give to Max until you finally stopped looking at me and saw
where your
knuckle caught it.You
did give the
congregation a good laugh.Every
wedding
ceremony has to have a light moment; you got to give it to Max and
Reags.I was afraid
it would be me. “It was enough that
you were
showing the world you have my last little bit.I don't need any more than your willingness to show the
world I’m yours.Things
are fine the way they are.A
piece of paper can't validate what I feel
for you.”I
am grateful my eyes only
leak when this kind of emotion starts.He
waits to be sure I’ve said everything I’m capable
of saying now. “You didn't have to
be near
me.Your eyes spoke
volumes.They told
me everything I needed during the
ceremony.We wore
our 'adult personas'
today.We had
responsibilities.That
doesn't mean I didn't want to be by your
side.At the
private ceremony yesterday,
I said the same vows Max did, only mine were silent.” “They
weren't so silent.I
heard every word
you said.Is being
married important to
you?” “Not so much any more.Being a good partner to
you is much more
important to me.I
want anyone who
passes us to know that you and our life together mean the world to me;
more importantly,
I want you to know it.I
don't give a
whit about the little old ladies who married because it was the
socially
correct behaviour and feel they have a right to pass judgment on the
rest of
the world.I wonder
if they were always
so judgmental or if they actually lived their lives.I hope they’re envious of how happy we are
and can remember a love they had once upon a time.I want us to live our lives by our own
standards.You are
a fine, honourable
woman ...” “You
can say that after the licentious display I put on a while
ago?” “You are a fine,
honourable woman
who has a right, no, an obligation to root me senseless whenever you
want, even
to the point of making us miss dinner reservations months in the
making.”I
pinched his bare bum to let him know the
tears were over; we could and would still discuss the wedding but in a
much
lighter vein. ROBERT When my guests had not emerged
from
the bedroom by their arranged restaurant reservation time, I called
Chef Chris to
make the other accommodations as specified by Mr. Thorne's contingency
plan.I was quite
pleased with Chris’
reaction; it helped he, too, had a copy of the plans even if he had not
deigned
to attend Mr. Thorne's earlier meeting. Chefs.They are a profession unto themselves. My next call was to Morris, the
maitre
d’.He
was happy to report a young
couple, clearly impressed with the dining room, was waiting to be
seated.He would be
delighted to seat them at the
table Mr. Thorne had reserved.He
could
then put the obnoxious Saturday night regulars at the less desirable
table. Maitre
d’s.They are a profession unto themselves. Mr. Thorne's call came from the
phone in the bath.“Mate,
we'll be
dining en suite, but we've decided to go down and
have a drink at the
bar.”I
can hear the sound of the shower
in the background. “Very well, Sir.I'll finish making the
arrangements.”Butlers
are trained to say, “Very well, Sir.” when we wish
to burst into laughter.I
can only speculate, but I believe Mr.
Thorne should have made the contingency plan the primary.From the moment the
elevator doors opened, it
was apparent my guests would not be leaving my care for long, if at
all, during
their stay. My duties tonight will be to
make
their dinner en suite as perfect as it would have been in
the dining room.I
do hope Mr. Thorne will not expect me to
serve the food courses blindfolded.When
they leave for their drinks, I will have time enough to set the table
and begin
having the courses delivered here.I can
finish my cigar before beginning my preparations. Butlers.We are a profession
unto ourselves.
*
Their exit from the elevator
this
time was far more sedate than earlier.Ms. Walker and Mr. Thorne were standing closely together,
his arm round
her shoulders.Other
than Ms. Walker's
tousled hair, there was no outward physical manifestation of what might
have
occurred in the elevator.However,
their
very demeanour displays she is the most important person in his world,
and he
is the centre of her life. “Good
evening, Sir, Madam.Did
you enjoy the
piano in the bar?” It is the first time I have
heard
the lady's voice; it is filled with a bon homie not
usually expressed by
the women who visit my domain.“It
was
wonderful.At least
until Terry asked
for one of his footy songs.I
was so
glad the piano player is American and doesn't know any of
them.” “Now, Diana.The bar was a bit sombre
until then.Everyone
started acting like they were having
a better time after that.” Their good-natured
bickering was a delight to hear. DIANA I'm famished.Breakfast and the hors d’oeuvres
and
wedding cakes at the reception had left me long ago.The entire time we were in the bar Terry had
been telling me about this wonderful dinner he had ordered for us;
he’s so
proud of his accomplishment it’s almost as if he created and
cooked the dishes
himself.I‘m
so hungry I’m ready to eat
leather. Bless Robert.“Would you like your hors
d’oeuvres on
the terrace, Mr. Thorne?”He may have
feared I would start gnawing at his shoes. “I
think in here else the lady will steal my coat again.” “Very well,
Sir.”Robert
escorts us past the elegant table set
for the soup course to a small table near the terrace doors –
a dimly lit haven
for two.It was set
with a small flower
arrangement on the far corner, lit candles, and a single fish fork.Terry’s hands
trail down my neck as he seats
me while Robert disappears to bring the dishes to the table. I continue the conversation I
had
started in the elevator.Terry's
kiss to
distract me succeeded for a short time.“What do you think about losing Dolores to a
younger man?I’ll
try to be as starry eyed with you as
she’s been.I’ll
do my best to show you
how you dazzle me.Tonight
is .... You are ....” “I want to give you
all the things
you won't give yourself.You
deserve
them.Stop
searching for the right words
tonight.Your
smile, your eyes – they're
talking for you.”He
leans across the
corner of the table to kiss my eyes, my lips ever so softly. “In case I haven't
told you today, I
love you.”I'm
sure I have, but there
are many days when I hadn't said it to make up for. Terry sits back; I prop my chin
in
my hand to lean towards him.His
eyes
flick away from me, and he smiles his thanks to someone behind me.Robert has caught us in
another tender
moment. “I recall several
times today.”Terry
begins counting on my arm, lifting and
lowering his fingers to mark each instance.“When we woke this morning.As I put
you in the Tahoe.When
you took my arm
leaving the altar.With
your toast to
Max and Reags.And...”He hums Lady
Marmalade; at least I
think that was the song. “Never
mind.I get the
picture.Am I
overdoing it today?” “Not in the least.I'm storing the sounds for
the days you want
to throttle me.”He
grips the arm he
used to count and shakes it softly. “Today is turning
into one of those
days, Boomer.You
didn’t answer my
question.Are you
OK with being replaced
in Dolores’ eyes?” His eyes sparkle as the
loveable
rogue he is emerges.“Ah,
but Diana, he’ll
have to replace me.”Terry’s ego is
undamaged.He nods
to Robert, and two identical, huge
platters of finger foods slide in front of us.Robert serves two frosty, pilsner glasses filled with dark
ale. I’m hungry, but this
could suffice
for all of dinner.The
carnitas, quesadillas,
fajitas, tacos, satays, a tartare, and oysters are
specially made in two
bite servings using The Mansion’s own exotic ingredients.Perhaps I will be able to
eat the entire
dinner and not disappoint Terry.He
did
all this to please me. I stop mid bite into my duck
quesadilla
and reach out to feel the soft wool of Terry’s suit pants.The Dallas
lights out the window, the flavors in the food, the cool wetness of the
Shiner
Bock, Terry’s warmth radiating through his pant leg all add
to my sensory
overload.I
wouldn’t change a thing, but
we must get through dinner.“What do you
think Max and Reags are doing
now?” He covers my hand on his leg
and
moves it to his inner thigh, caressing the back of my hand.“IF, and
that’s a big IF, their plane was on
time, they are going through Customs in Vancouver.Poor sod, it will be
another hour before they
get to the hotel.We’re
having a better
wedding night than they are.” “Did you
two have a bet on who would get rooted first tonight?” “Not on your life!WE didn’t have
to fly somewhere.I
couldn’t take the poor bastard’s money.”Terry lifts our hands from
his leg, kisses
mine, and lays them on the table.“I
have more courses to impress you.We
don’t want to miss them.” “Do you realize we
only have about a
year left for being ‘in love’ before we settle into
comfortable and a good
snuggle is enough?”I
slide my hand from
beneath his and begin walking my fingers part way up his thigh; I can
feel his
quad flex under them. “I quite think we
have the cuddling
down already – sometimes when I’m awake and can
enjoy it.Where did
you learn that interesting piece of
trivia?” “Your tax dollars at
work.”I
hand over my two deviled oysters to Terry
in case he needs them for a recharge; that, and I hate oysters of any
kind.“I
forgot my book one day when
Reags and I were making the last set of rounds to the wedding
suppliers; I
grabbed one of her journals.I
forget
which university did a study on love.The chemical attraction only lasts two years.After that, the
relationship changes, and you
become more comfortable with each other.You still have moments of lust, but they become fewer and
farther
between.” TERRY I have to think on
Diana’s last
finding.We already
are incredibly
comfortable with each other.Part
and
parcel of my profession is arriving on scene prepared to be comfortable
with
whatever the situation is.When
I met
Diana, I was equipped, ready, and prepared to come into her life.She was settled as a
single woman.Over
the year, she has moved closer to accepting
me in her life, danced away from her decision, and finally welcomed the
change
in her life so much so that when my fears overcame me, she
couldn’t see them;
she had that much unshakable faith in us together. “Diana,
is there a subtext or are you making polite dinner
conversation?” “I’ve
learned my lesson.If
I have an underlying concern, I tell you
what it is as soon as I’m aware it’s there; I
don’t even wait for the right
words to identify it.I
make you wade
through the definition with me.I’m
not
hiding anymore. “I doubt we fall into
that study’s
norm.We may have
more or less time for
‘in love,’ but two years probably won’t
be our timeline.I
think we used up a year’s worth of spark in
the first six months.Then
again, I
can’t imagine not having electricity run through me when I
see you again after
we’ve been apart, and I’ve only been in the barn
for 30 minutes.I
can’t even talk when you call
unexpectedly.When
we’re together, I have
to touch you; I didn’t expect my need for you to still be
this strong.When I
let myself analyze my actions, which
isn’t too often, I find I’ve turned into a romantic
sap.I
don’t want to admit I’ve turned into a
girly girl.”Diana
had started talking
as a slightly interested analyst looking at an interesting set of data.She ends up laughing at
herself. She takes a deep breath and
starts
chewing on her lower lip.She’s
concerned about how I’ll react to what she says; her lip
chewing gave her away.“I’d
never wanted to be sexy; it embarrassed
me.Now
I’m buying completely
impractical underwear, trying to seduce you at the drop of your
briefcase.”She
shrugs. “Don’t stop.Seducing me or
talking.”Her
whole face lifts with her smile.Every
time I think I understand her, a new
facet surfaces.Tonight
has been a
mixture of warmth and sizzling heat. Her hands go up almost in
supplication.“I’m
still trying to find
new ways to turn you on.I’m
only
grateful you aren’t laughing at my pathetic attempts.I still can’t
talk to you when we’re making
love.I
don’t know what to say; words
fail me.” “You have no idea how
you get to me
as you are, naturally.Diana,
you can glance
at me across a room.I
can see from the
look on your face we need to leave, or we’ll have to find a
hotel close by because
I won’t make it home.Sexy
isn’t what
you do; it’s who you are.You don’t have
to be a sexual gymnast for me.Our
sex
life is fine – better than fine.Not
that I object to your fancies.That
lovely number you’re wearing now starts my imagination and my
libido.You are in
my brain, and you know that is humanity’s
largest sex organ.My
love, you are an
exceptionally sexy woman.”I could be
the crude bastard we both know I can be, or I can be the romantic sod I
keep
promising Diana and don’t deliver because I want her so much. How the fuck could I be so
arrogant
to think I know how to romance this complicated, enchanting woman?She tosses my plans out
the window, and I
adore her for it. Romance wins out.My fingers trace her lips,
trailing down her
chin and up her cheek. “I wouldn’t
want you any other way
than the woman you are right now.One of
the best things about this year is watching you evolve.A year ago you wouldn’t even have thought
about talking to anyone seriously
about sex except in veiled, generalized terms, particularly not to me.You wouldn’t
have wanted me to think of you
as having fears.You
needed to be
perfect.You
finally understand it's
the small flaws that add interest to your beauty. A year ago,
‘fuck’ was your escalated expletive.Now, it’s your go to swear word as well as one
of the ways you love
me.”She
breathes a laugh at the
truth. “You’ve
changed so much and for the
better.Granted,
I’ve poked and prodded
you at times to make you open up to me, but you’re worth
it.” “You had your doubts
in the
beginning.” “I wanted the image I
had of you; I
didn’t care who I hurt in the process.I
was going to have you by willing it.It’s taken me so long to give you the time and
space you need to come to
me.” My
sigh tells her what a fool I’ve
been. “In pressuring you, I’ve had to look at myself.Sometimes it seems we’re mirror images of each
other.Your
dichotomies and contradictions confound
me at times.”Her
cocked eyebrow and wry
smile indicated my own complexities have the same effect on her.“But you are
never boring.” “We’ve had
some heated words when
you’ve pushed me, but I’m glad you did.You’ve pulled me – sometimes kicking
and screaming – from behind my
wall.Does it seem
to you we go months with
simply being and then make huge commitments because of some traumatic
fight?” “It
does.By my
calculations, we’re about
due for a bluie.I
only hope it isn’t
tonight.” Her concern shows in her eyes.“I know you hate
them.Are tonight
and all this your way of trying
to forestall one?You
don’t have to buy
me off.” “Tonight
is about showing you how much I love you.I know if you have your mind set, no amount of money in
the world would
stop you from setting me straight.” “Two of the best
things I’ve learned
this year is I’m not afraid to argue with you; you are so
important in my life,
I’ve had to fight to keep you.That’s
not right, but I think you know what I mean.‘Keep’ sounds so proprietary;
I’m not, but I want us together.I’m trying so hard to be the woman you
see.” “What’s
the other best thing about the year?” “Rely is different
than trust.I’ve
trusted you from the beginning.Now
I rely on you.I expect
to see you pull in the drive
at night about the same time.Sometimes
when you’re out of town, I start feeling uneasy if I
don’t hear the Jag’s
engine at its normal time.It
doesn’t
scare me any more to need you.” ROBERT It was a small detail Mr.
Thorne
had overlooked.I
had laid the dining
table settings too far apart across a corner of the table; this
formality would
never do.Whilst my
guests began their hors
d’ouevres, I quickly rectified the oversight.I removed the leaves from
the table and
brought it to a more intimate size.Moving Mr. Thorne’s setting from the head of the
table to beside Ms.
Walker’s was easily accomplished with no notice from the two
who were wrapped
within each other. They seemed to have forgotten
the
rest of dinner.It
will not be the first
time in the suite’s history a lavish dinner has gone uneaten. There appeared to be a lull in
conversation though not in the intensity of their interaction.I believe they may share a
small corner of
their life with others as they had with me.This couple is complete within themselves.The rest of the world could disappear, and
they would be fine. Mr. Thorne rose from table,
waltzing Ms. Walker to the dining area with a song only they can hear
and
seating her with a kiss on her neck. Dinner can begin. NOTES
