Swan was covered with perspiration. Her silk nightgown was wet. After reassuring himself that Swan was all right, Slater stripped her of her nightgown, picked her up, and together slipped their naked bodies under the warm spray of the shower.
Swan was almost listless as the hot water ran across her shoulders and over her tummy. Slater began to message her shoulders. Picking up a bar of lavender soap, he started to rub it over her back and down her buttock. It wasn’t long before they had wondered around the front to her plump round breasts. With very little urging from Slater the soft peaks responded to become stiff points. By the time they finished their shower, the dreadful nightmare of Billy Branson and his bullies were history.
Swan and Slater went through their morning rituals and soon were headed for the obstetrician’s office. Swan soon finished her sonogram. They were now sitting in the doctor’s office. Swan sensed something was wrong. Even the usual cool Slater was fidgeting in his leather chair. Swan’s stomach refused to settle down. She was just about to throw-up in the waste paper basket when the doctor walked into the office. Slater held Swan’s hand in two of his own.
Slater’s jaw clenched as a frowning Dr. Ray read over the results of the sonogram in silence. Having just given some bad news to another patient, the doctor was having a little trouble switching gears and turning his emotions into a happy face. He looked up at the sober faces of the young parents facing him and smiled.
“Everything seems to be developing normally. The babies look perfectly healthy.”
A shroud of silence encompassed the office before Slater asked for a repeat, “Excuse me. What did you just say?”
“You’re going to be the proud parents of two baby girls in early summer.’’
That brought a slow dimpled smile to Slater. It was difficult to tell if Swan were smiling as she had her head in the trash can, again.
Both parents were jubilant at the good news. Not only were their babies healthy, but there would soon be twins extending their family. Slater walked around the next week with such a sappy grin on his face that Swan finally suggested they put their energy into making arrangements for double duty.
It was exciting for Swan to share her happiness with their father this time. The delight of picking out baby furniture and the fanciest perambulators that Slater could find was the fun part. In spite of the apprehension of a double birth, Swan was consoled with the love of her husband and the contentment of having future daughters.
One evening as the birthing was growing near, Slater watched Swan cover her tummy and long limbs with baby oil. He was fascinated with her growing pregnancy. She just kept getting sexier and sexier with each month. He just kept getting hornier and hornier as the time approached. Swan was in the last month of her trimester. It was strongly suggested by the doctor that all relations cease at this time. Just the thought was enough to make Slater have a “hard on”. After observing Swan’s ritual for the past five minutes, it looked like just too much fun not to join the oil bath. He would make her happy and he would take care of his happiness later.
Swan woke several times in the middle of the night as her due date approached. This time she knew it was different. The babies were having a party and wanted her to wake up and attend. After lying very still for a few minutes, she got the first cramp that indicated the birthing was near and they wanted out! The next cramp came five minutes later. By the time she woke Slater, they had dressed, alerted Maria, and were in the car, her water had broken and the cramping was one minute a part.
When they were almost to the hospital, Swan gently put her hand on Slater and suggested that they pull over to the side of the road as the babies were coming. Slater crossed three lanes of traffic, dodged two SUVs, and one patrol car before he came to a screeching halt in a nearby parking lot. Swan was trying not to get hysterical and so was Slater as Jade’s head popped out followed by Jasmine. By that time, the patrol car had called an ambulance, which was very little help as it arrived ten minutes later with flashing lights. The entire family was loaded into the ambulance where they zoomed off to the nearby hospital and were soon checked out by the emergency room physician.
Finally, after his girls were settled into the maternity ward of the hospital, Slater headed for the men’s bathroom. When he looked in the mirror and saw all the blood from Swan and the babies that covered his arms and shirt, his stomach did a flip-flop. Combining the blood with the compromising position of birth outside of a hospital that could have ended in a tragic nightmare, it was Slater’s turn to hurl in the nearest available toilet.
CHAPTER 51
Slater looked down at his baby girls. They each had a little tuff of red hair and fine delicate features. He knew they were going to take after the great beauty of their mother. They would be heart breakers. He smiled and then frowned at the idea of another man in their lives. He was already jealous. But, until that time came, they would be his special princesses and he knew that he would spoil them rotten.
Two days later, they brought the twins home from the hospital. Quinn was excited about the new baby dolls. He knew that it was a special and sobering event. He reached out and touched Jade with awe. She immediately waved her little hand as if to say “hi” in greeting. Jasmine, not to be “out done” began to hiccup. That brought laughter from all of them.
Quinn celebrated the newest members of the family with two special fish given to him by Mommy and Daddy for his aquarium. It was not by chance that they were both angel fish--one green, the color of jade, and the other yellow, the color of jasmine. Before Quinn went to bed that night, he made sure that Caesar knew it was his job to protect his baby sisters from all harm. They were the same instructions that he heard his daddy give to Caesar every night as he lay down beside Quinn’s bed.
By this time, Slater had sold his high-rise condo and they had found a high-income gated community with lots of young children. It was located in Newport Beach not far from Slater’s business building. It was three stories high with their favorite view of Catalina. It looked down on a kidney shaped heated pool and spa. The sandy beach was beyond that. A sauna was nearby with an outside kitchen and swim up bar.
There were two nurseries equipped with every mobile that was available hanging from the dome ceiling. Each baby room ceiling was painted a light blue with white fluffy clouds. Jade had a painted mural of Little Bo Peep and Jasmine had one of Cinderella. Jade’s room was a pale green and Jasmine’s was a pale yellow. Both had lots of accents of pink plaid and roses.
Quinn’s room was between the girls giving him the status of the protector of his little sisters. His room had a mural of “Under the Sea”. A life size portrait of a deep-sea diver walked along the ocean floor. The face inside the mask was a replica of Quinn’s. (Bo Peep and Cinderella would have the portrait faces of Jade and Jasmine as they grew older.) A treasure chest accompanied the diver on the ocean floor. A little Nemo peeked out behind the lid. His ceiling glowed with stars in the dark when the light was out; also, flying in the sky off to the plant of Krypton was a beloved Superman. All the rooms had their own private bath. Mom and Dad were just across the hall.
Outside the bedrooms was a common area. There was a flat screen TV, two computers, facing couches, and a marble fireplace. There were French doors on each side of the fireplace that led out to a wrap-around balcony. This is where they had family time, read books, and played games.
The third floor of the house had been converted into a playroom for adults and children. There was a stage at one end for plays and creative performances. Fireplaces were at each end of the room with a 70-inch flat screen TVs above each one. One end was filled with preschool toys that were fun and educational. The other end had a pool table, ping pong table, hockey table, and every electronic game/video that was available for adults. Another corner had a red telephone booth. In it was a life-size model of guess who---Superman. It was sort of like an adult playground. It also contained an intercom that reached all areas of the house. It had a couple of
back stairways to the bedrooms and kitchen hearth room. However, the quickest route to the first floor was a tunnel slide that was frequently used by both Quinn and Slater.
This evening, a “Sip and See” party was being held tonight to show off the new darlings of the Slater household after their christening at an old small chapel. Two cribs with pink netting, bonnets, ruffles, and ribbons were set up in the great room of the elegant small mansion. Above the cribs were small rhinestone diamond tiaras held in place with ribbons and bows. Unbeknown to practical Swan, Slater had a real full carat imbedded in each crown. He wanted to make sure that he was the first man in their lives to buy them diamonds.
Each twin had on a long fine cotton gown that had been smocked and hand embroidered with tiny rose buds that somehow seemed to match the babies tiny pink rose bud lips. Little capped sleeves were surrounded with lace and pink ribbons. Slater, surprisingly found himself right at home in all that ribbon and lace.
Swan appeared in a black velvet strapless long evening gown with a fishtail flounce at the bottom--her figure back to the exquisite shape of B.C. (Before Children). Around her neck was a necklace of diamonds that would have put the Queen Mum’s jewels to shame. It was Slater’s biggest joy to pamper and indulge Swan in every way possible that she had never experienced before he came into her life. He loved her with all his heart and he intended to devote a lifetime of treating her like a queen.
The party was small and eminent with only their closest friends who substituted for the family that neither Swan nor Slater had ever had. Kat came with musical kitty “kats” for the twins and a howling “kat” for Quinn. She doled out hugs and kisses and soon was on the prowl with a martini in her hand.
Kat liked to test the waters at all parties by catching the attention of any handsome male that caught her fancy. It was what she enjoyed and did best. She sauntered over to Bear who soon found himself engaged in an entertaining monologue with Kat. His wife, Mahogany, caught the not too subtle flirtation that Kat was sending to Bear. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the female cougar and was just about to jaunt over to defend her territory.
Bear was quite enjoying the attention that he was receiving from Kat until he caught the vibes of a seething glare of a not too happy wife. He decided that it would be best to excuse himself and meander back to his steaming wife before a “kat” fight broke out between the two women. The female prowler was aptly named he thought as he found his way next to the side of his lovely wife where he belonged.
Meanwhile, Kat indulged herself until she found a tomcat, named Dog. He was always happy to oblige a lovely woman whenever he had the opportunity and this evening was not any different. Since Dog was happily unattached, in spite of his commitment to his mistresses, he often indulged in brief affairs. He was a cheerful James Bond who continued to enjoy danger, intrigue, and available women.
Dog had brought double dollies for each twin from all over the world where his families lived. They represented the countries of China, France, Morocco, Italy, and Japan.
Lillet brought two magnum Lillet red and white wines with sterling rattles encircling the neck of each bottle. Lillet’s lovely great grandmother had been chosen to be the poster model for Lillet wine. She had originally been in the Foleys as a showgirl. From there, the great magnate and connoisseur of French wine whom she eventually married picked her from the line-up. Her gorgeous great grandmother became the toast of Lillet appearing on wine labels and huge posters that can still be found today in liquor and vintage poster shops.
When Lillet’s grandmother had her first baby girl, she was baptized, Lillet. The tradition continued as each generation produced a female child. The most recent Lillet was number four, the second child of Lillet, Swan’s friend.
Madeline brought 36 inch Madeline dolls from London. This was her namesake and was always given by anyone having a girl baby. Of course, each large doll also received a complete Madeline wardrobe and a dozen Madeline books for their library.
Uncle Teddy came with talking/walking teddy bears for the children that he would never have and a dozen white roses for Swan. He hovered over the twins until they awoke. Uncle Teddy immediately had them in each arm and was showing them off to all the guests. As Jade and then Jasmine began a fussy little howl, Slater and Swan scooped them from Ted’s arms and retired to a private den to nurse.
Slater rarely missed a feeding. He was fascinated with the way each twin latched on to Swan’s nipple and began nursing with such serious attachment. He was also happy to stimulate Swan’s breast if milk were not coming fast enough for his baby princesses. After all, it was the least he could do to help.
Swan and Slater retired early with the twins and Quinn, but the christening party continued until dawn. The mansion remained open for any guest that chose to spend the night. It was a playground for adults. The guys, especially, were intrigued. Rooms were available for whomever chose to spend the night, which included most of the guests. Brunch with champagne was served late the next morning. Some guests made it and others did not appear until late afternoon. It was a great celebration and a very happy time for the Slater household.
CHAPTER 52
The three lovely friends of Swan--Kat, Lillet, and Madeline--were jetted to Chicago for a ladies day of shopping and celebration. The four beautiful women were gathered for Swan’s birthday around an elegant table in the middle of the Ralph Lauren restaurant in the windy city. Fresh flowers on white tablecloths graced each table. A large stain glass dome ceiling enveloped the main dining room. The walls were painted a dark green with reflecting beveled mirrors giving it a cozy warm atmosphere. Each man in the restaurant engaged in a fantasy about the woman of their choice as they watched them through pillars and palms, bring their glasses together in a happy celebration. They couldn’t quite catch the toast of “chocolate studs”, but the classy ladies made them happy just by their laughter and beauty.
A year had passed and the tradition of lunch and birthdays continued. This year, however, was much different for Swan. She knew that she was finally the woman that she had always dreamed to be--a loved wife and mother with devoted friends. She was secure in the love around her. She no longer had nightmares of the past. They were not even significant enough to remember.
Swan and Slater established a foundation for the blind. They are committed to pouring several millions of dollars yearly into research to genetically create eyesight for those that cannot see. Scientists from all over the world were eager to be part of the team that was provided with unlimited funds for research. It was a dream world for the sightless that eventually would come from all over the world to restore their sight. Rich or poor, no one was turned away.
Swan and the champagne ladies are actively involved in fund raising and national awareness for research for the blind. Their energy has been well rewarded.
CHAPTER 53
Swan and Slater had just crawled into bed when Swan asked, “When did you know you loved me?”
“Babe, you had my heart the first night we made love.”
After all the difficult beginnings in Swan’s growing-up years, she finally felt wanted and at peace with the love that encompassed her. She went to sleep with a smile in her heart. She was confident that she would always be adored and cherished as Slater pulled her close into his arms showing her how much he needed and wanted her.
Slater no longer had wanderlust. Danger and intrigue no longer interest him. He was content to be a devoted family man. He finally understood the most important lesson of life. It was not in living an exciting existence, but in the daily ritual of being part of a loving family unit was the true adventure in itself.
The Slater household was a very happy family. Well, ---almost. The blended family pets, Cleopatra and Caesar, were still having a period of adjustment. As history tells it, the original Caesar and Cleopatra did not exactly “hit it off” immediately either. Neither four-legged animal seemed to fully appreciate the fact that they could be living with each other
for a very long time. The last scenario had them giving each other a hypnotic stare down. Caesar was just a few feet away from Cleopatra waiting for a slight signal that would goad him into action. Cleopatra continued to sit on her leopard throne chair beside the fireplace. She superiorly crouched there twitching her tail back and forth looking down her nose at “The Great Caesar”. She seemed to be daring him to come hither and, “Make my day.” A few minutes later, Caesar accommodated. When the cat/dog fight ended, Cleopatra was smiling. She remained queen.
Recipe for Champagne Cocktails
One Champagne Flute
One Sugar Cube
4-5 Drops of Bitters
Champagne
Put sugar cube in flute. Add Bitters. Add Champagne.
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Preview of Chapters 1-3 from my book “Platinum and Pearls”
CHAPTER 1
Viva Las Vegas! It was the summer of 2010 and Platinum had graduated from high school four years ago in Three Lakes, a small town located in the boot heel of Missouri. It was time to pursue her dream of bright colorful lights, fancy exotic costumes, and the razzel-dazzel allure of glamorous Las Vegas, the city that would make her imaginative fantasy come true. She just knew she would be a fabulous showgirl on a magnificent stage with all the elaborate flaming feathers and twinkling sparkling fans where she would meet all kinds of interesting and exhilarating worldly people. She was waiting no longer. Today was the time she was going to pursue that dream and make it become a reality.