Joint Venture

by Tey Holden

  Contractors were hired for the repairs, the town and properties were fixed, and everyone was happy. A few months later, as Chair Hutton was doing the typical commemorative ribbon cutting ceremony for the new town square, he joyfully thanked Addy and gave her full credit for the miracles she worked.

  After all was settled, Chair Hutton spoke to Addy in private. “Addy, I am not planning to run for Chair again. I think I’ve done my time, and it’s time for some new blood. I would like you to consider running for office. You did a fabulous job getting us out of that mess after the storm. I doubt we will have another catastrophic event bigger than that any time soon. In any event you are naturally suited to take the lead in critical moments. I think this town would benefit greatly from someone with your expertise.”

  Addy opened her mouth to speak, but he wouldn’t let her. “You are full of energy and have great ideas. You are good at organizing people and at getting things done. You ran all those inns when you had them and now you run the stables. You are also good with people and you know who to call and what to say. You also have a good heart and care for this town. By George! I think you are our best candidate. You’d certainly have my vote and my endorsement.”

  “Addy, I think you would be great at it,” Mrs. McKenzie affirmed.

  “Well, I’m really honored by your vote of confidence, but I never thought about it, and I’m definitely caught off guard. I will consider the proposal, I promise.” She thought of Alex’s prediction and inwardly laughed. The idea was frightening but at the same time appealing. She’d have to talk to Karen once again.

  ***

  “Are you sure, Ker? You know, I’ve just realized that you’ve never told me not to do something since the hot air balloon incident.” Addy was pensive. “You know you can, right?”

  Karen smiled. “Yes, I know. And, you are wrong about me not having stopped you from doing things. I have, the difference has been that we’ve talked about them.”

  “So, do you want to talk now?”

  “About you running for Chair?”

  “Um huh.”

  “I don’t think I need to. Do you want me to stop you from running for the Chair’s position? Because I don’t think you do.” Addy just stared at her while Karen continued talking. “I think this town could only be so lucky to have you as Council Chair. You will be the sexiest one it’ll ever have, for sure. “

  “Ha, ha. Come on, Ker, be serious.”

  Karen stood in front of her and put her arms around her. “I think you would make a wonderful Chair. You are a great manager, and frankly, I think this place could only be so lucky to have you as Chair.”

  Addy bit the inside of her cheek trying not to laugh and slapped Karen’s shoulder. “Are you going to help me campaign?”

  “Of course! I want to be on good terms with the Chair. I may need a few favors.” She grinned. “It’s going to be fun to see how I can influence the Chair.” She wiggled her eyebrows, smiled and planted a kiss on Addy’s cheek. “I also don’t want the wrath of Khan Addy on me. I have only to look at Peanut Crunchy to realize what it’s like to live on the dark side.”

  Addy chuckled. “He doesn’t have it all that bad with me. I’ve put water and food in his bowls occasionally.”

  “Yes, but he doesn’t get any petting.”

  Addy said nothing. She just smiled. “I save all my petting for—.” Alex walked into the room at that precise moment and Addy couldn’t finish her statement. She just smiled. “So, I will only do this if I have everyone’s support and cooperation.”

  “What?” Alex asked.

  “Run for Chair.”

  Alex’s eyes were huge. “Yes! Count me in! Oh my God! M’Addy! I can’t believe you are doing it! You are going to be awesome!” Alex was super excited and began to run around her chanting “Chair M’Addy.”

  Laughing, Karen joined in the excitement. “Count me in too. I’m all yours, babe. Always have, always will.” Alex looked at Karen adoringly when she heard her words.

  “In that case, I will talk to Hutton tomorrow. The elections are not until November, so that gives us plenty of time to redo and move into the Manor house. We should also have time to fix the cottage. Alejandro will be back here in March for training and then the first two races are in May and June and then the last one is in September.”

  “M’Addy is Alejandro going to continue to race after September?” Alex asked, assuming a serious tone now. Karen also became serious and listened attentively to Addy’s response.

  “Alex your mom and I discussed this already. We reached a decision, and we were going to talk to you about it. Since you brought it up now, we might as well talk now. Alejandro has won a lot of races, but racing is very expensive and time consuming. Win or lose, Alejandro will retire from professional racing. After September, he comes home. I think by then he would have already had the racing opportunities he deserves. It takes a lot out of him. I think he is entitled to a pleasant life.”

  Alex smiled. “I think so too, M’Addy. I think one time around is enough for all. I think it’s best to retire him when he is at his very best. That way he will keep all his glory. But, I have to warn you, I’ve continued to check the stats, and I predict that he will win the Triple Crown.”

  “Amen to that!” Karen replied effusively very pleased with everyone’s responses. “If that happens, he will be in high demand for stud service and that means a lot of money for the stables and a lot of lady friends for him!” Addy rolled her eyes and Alex laughed.

  ***

  After the storm, Karen resolved to never again be caught in the same situation and had both places structurally inspected and reinforced and the roofs replaced with the latest and best materials. The cottage was practically reconstructed, and the Manor house was again redesigned. Sandy and Cindy took on the project with great pleasure.

  “It’s like deja’vu, Addy.” Sandy laughed. “Just to think that this is where it all began gives me chills! I love this house. I think it’s the most beautiful house in all of Scotland.” Alex was watching, and loving the women’s enthusiasm. “It will be a pleasure to work on it once again.”

  “At least this time, we are not cutting corners or counting pennies,” Addy replied.

  “And we thank God for that!” Cindy replied.

  “Addy you are going to love it. The rooms will be huge and we’ll design sitting areas. The bathrooms will be state of the art, and the kitchen will be a modern marvel. This will be our pet project. Thanks, Addy, for letting us do this. I just love this place.”

  “Well, you did it once! Make it happen again, ladies. Knock yourselves out.” The women laughed and planning began.

  The right wing of the house had already been separated from the main house and had become the law offices. The center and left wing of the house became their private living areas. Once a twenty-three-room inn, the house was to be converted to ten suite rooms upstairs, in addition to the Master and Alex’s suite.

  Alex’s suite would have several alcoves for a library, a sitting room, a trophy and sporting equipment storage and showcase, and a huge bathroom. The Master bedroom suite could have been on the cover of any design magazine. The sleeping area was to the far side away from the rest of the house. When Karen saw it, she smiled and whispered into Addy’s ear. “I guess we can throw away the little biting pillow. Nobody is going to hear you moan now, Adriana.” She had purposely used Addy’s full name, knowing its effect on Addy’s libido.

  Addy replied with a smile, “or your heavenly praises, my convert.”

  “Or my heavenly praises, yes.” She pulled Addy to her and kissed her with the desire that always burned within her. “Can’t wait to inaugurate the shrine. Do we have a mirror?”

  Addy grinned, but said nothing. Karen’s eyes were about to come out of her sockets. “We have a mirror?”

  Addy laughed. “I thought about it, but was too embarrassed to ask Sandy. And what about Alex? What if she ever saw it? I couldn’t do it, baby. Sorry, w
e’ll have to go back to Sweden to re-live that fantasy.”

  “Promise?”

  Addy chuckled. “Promise. Come on let’s see the rest of the house.”

  The Master suite also had separate alcoves for a sitting room, a small library and a bathroom with a jet shower and a Jacuzzi tub. The bathroom floor was in white marble, and the rest of the suite was carpeted with thick deep shag. The remaining ten rooms were done in exquisite colors all having white marble bathrooms with showers and jet tubs.

  In addition to the main staircase, there was a secondary staircase, which descended to the family room and kitchen area. Upstairs, the private residence area was set aside from the main house by oak double doors. It was like having a separate apartment within the house. Karen wanted it that way. She said that the house was too big and that she needed to confine their space to an area that although big was still within reach. Sandy thought that blocking part of the house was crazy, but Addy explained Karen’s security concerns and Sandy understood.

  Sandy designed the house with such taste that you could hardly see the oak doors because during the day, they slid into the wall. The doors were only visible at night when they were locked.

  Even with the right wing taken away for the law offices, the house was still enormous. The downstairs had a huge kitchen, a fabulous dining room, a rec room, family room, a formal living room, and library. The formal living room was an open area and it housed the beautiful Steinway white piano. There was an office in the left wing for Addy’s administrative affairs, and a gym. The back of the manor had a huge patio where the pool and hot tub were located. The pool area had an outdoor kitchen area and bathroom.

  A door on the right side, led straight into Karen’s office in the law firm. Karen’s commute was the most convenient in the world, as Alex would describe it, “literally, a door away.”

  Leading to the house was a beautiful tree-shaded road opening to a magnificent circular driveway and beautifully landscaped gardens. The house had all the modern conveniences, but from the outside, the house kept all the charm and glory of its ancestry: The Manor house of the McGill Estate. A true example of Scottish architecture from a period long gone.

  When it was done, Sandy sent a crew to take pictures. She hoped that Addy would let her submit the collection of photos to a design magazine. Off to the right of the house was a four-car garage. And on the office side of the house, they had added additional parking for clients. The extended grounds were tastefully landscaped, as it always was when the Inn existed. There were innumerable types of gardens and gazebos in the outlaying area, which were visible from the patio. The fence surrounding the patio was a high black iron fence with trees and shrubbery parallel to it, but never blocking the view of the distant ocean on the left side of the house.

  A paved internal road led to the cottage, and beyond there, it continued to the stables and all the way to the distillery. There were gates at every location operated with remote door openers. And due to the always-vigilant Karen, the whole perimeter of the property was protected with motion sensors and cameras that alerted the security company of any visitors, or intruders.

  Shortly after the house was finished, they moved in. Alex was incredibly excited. “Mom, I think I might get lost in my own room! I think my bathroom is bigger than the entire second floor of the cottage.”

  Addy smiled seeing Alex so happy. However, there was a degree of sadness on her face, which Karen acknowledged. “Gorgeous, you will love it here too.” Karen turned her around.

  “I know, Ker. It’s just that the cottage was our special place for so long.”

  “We can always go there and make out.” Karen wiggled her eyebrows.

  “We might have too,” Addy replied still feeling sad.

  “Fine with me.” She kissed Addy and wrapped her arms around her.

  “Remember the first mattress, Ker?”

  Karen sighed. “I do. We had many good times there, but Addy, we also had good times on the new mattress and anywhere we’ve ever slept, haven’t we?”

  Addy smiled. “True.”

  “It’s never been about the mattress or about the place. It’s always been about us.” Karen searched for her lips and found them. They kissed tenderly. “It’s not the robe that makes the monk.”

  Alex came in the room. Karen and Addy were still in her bedroom. “M’Addy did you see the size of that kitchen? I think I can ride my bike inside the house on bad weather days!”

  “Don’t even think about it, Alexandra. Where’s the Peanut dog? He is the one who could get lost here. Go find him and make sure he doesn’t pee in the wrong place.”

  “No, I’m taking him to the patio now. By the way, the pool looks better than ever. I think I’m going to go swimming every day. Maybe we can have the end of the school year party here.”

  “Well, looks like your daughter is happy, Ms. Larsen.”

  Karen swatted Addy on the butt, “Come on! Confess! You like it too. There’s a lot to be said for space and luxury, baby. I love the soundproof music room, and the library is comfy. Hey, we could break in that shower today. It’s big enough for two, and it even has a seat.”

  “We never had trouble fitting in the cottage’s shower.” Addy replied.

  Karen kissed her on the neck. “Nope. We’ve really never needed much space. I’ll tell you what, I’ll get a special color grout and will make a mark around six tiles, that’s just about the size of the old bathroom, and when we shower, we have to stay within the marked perimeter. What do you say to that?”

  “I say that you are crazy, and that you are trying too hard to please me. That’s what I have to say!”

  “Wait a minute! Isn’t that what I always do?”

  Addy left the room laughing. Karen remained talking to herself. “I always do that.” She laughed.

  ***

  Just after they moved to the Manor house, life got very busy. It was time for Alejandro to prepare for the first of his upcoming big races, and Addy announced her candidacy for Chair and began to put together her campaign staff.

  While Addy was busy preparing for her campaign and making sure Alejandro was ready for the race, the work at the law firm kept Karen busy. Karen needed her work to keep her focused and grounded from all the commotion going on around her. While Addy thrived on the novelties, Karen was more a creature of habit and needed her routine. She loved all of Addy’s activities and would help in whatever way she could, but she needed to get away from all that upheaval and focus on her numbers and legal terms in order to keep her sanity. Alex also remained involved in all her after-school sports activities, and kept a close eye on Alejandro’s training.

  Karen normally came home for lunch every day, since she was just literally a door away. However, the middle of the afternoon was an unusual time for Karen to be home unless she had something planned with Addy. On this particular occasion, Addy was surprised to find her home when she arrived because they had not planned anything.

  “What’s wrong, Ker? What are you doing here?”

  “I got a call from Gerry. She’s sick. She’s got cancer, Addy.”

  “Oh, no!” Addy sat on the sofa and took Karen’s hand. “What’s the prognosis?”

  “It’s bad.” Noticing Karen’s state of sadness, Addy put her arm over her shoulder and pulled her closer. “Is she undergoing treatment?”

  “No, she doesn’t think it would do any good. It’s advanced and it’s not good.”

  “Dear God!”

  “I want to go see her and ask what we can do for her. Maybe bring her back here, we have plenty of room.”

  “Yeah, we can go this weekend.”

  “If you don’t mind, I’d like to go alone. I don’t want Alex to see her, not knowing how she’s doing and frankly, I don’t know how I’m going to handle it.”

  “Okay. I understand, but if you want me to go with you, we can leave Alex with JP and James.”

  “I would rather if you went with me, but you know that neither of
us likes to leave Alex behind. I would feel better if you stayed with her.”

  “Okay.”

  Two days later, Karen went to see Gerry, and stayed with her for a few days. The prognosis was grim and Gerry refused Karen’s offer to go home with her. She had enough resources for a live-in nurse and did not want to be a burden to anyone. Karen was not happy with the decision, but respected her wishes. The doctors had given her about six months maximum. It was already May, and that only meant that by November she would most likely be gone. Karen came home emotionally devastated, even though she left Gerry in good spirits, given the circumstances.

  “We need to prepare Alex. She thinks of Gerry as a grandmother. It will be tough, Addy, very tough.”

  “Yes, sweetie. It will.”

  Part 11

  In May, they drove to Newmarket in Suffolk, where the Guineas Stakes would take place. This was the first of the three races of the British Triple Crown. Again, there was all the usual excitement at a racetrack the day of a big race. Alejandro looked magnificent in his morning workout, and after Alex had her morning pre-race talk with him. She came out and announced that he was ready to run, and that he would win.

  The racetrack grandstand was filled to capacity. This was the type of event that drew the aficionado as well as the professional and brought people together across all social classes. The rich and the famous were highly visible looking for every opportunity to be noticed and available for any possible interview. Even some members of the Royal family were present for the event. As expected, they came face to face once again with Susan St. James. She had entered her horse, Thunder, in the race. This time a different woman, also blonde, accompanied her.

  “I guess she has a thing for blondes,” Addy commented making Karen smile.

  As Susan went up the stands to take her seat on the other side of the aisle, she greeted Addy first. “Hi Addy, you are looking as gorgeous as always.” She cruised Addy once again from top to bottom. Then she acknowledged Karen with a nod. She looked at Melanie and barely at Victoria without even the slightest sign of acknowledgement. She took one final look at Alex, smiled, and looked back to Karen. Karen had her hand over Alex’s shoulder in an involuntarily sign of protectiveness. She did not smile back at Susan.