by Cara Addison
The restaurant at the club was busy with a mix of golfers, tennis players, and business executives. Brad had called ahead, arranging for a quiet table in the corner. The lunch rush was soon over, and they could visit in comfort. When they had finished eating, Brad took Isabelle on a quick tour of the facility, while Kate and Richard finished their conversation about broadband options.
“I’m really sorry about the photos, Kate.”
She turned to face him, the smile disappearing from her face. “Oh. Thanks. It’s not your fault.”
“Did Brad tell you…I found the culprits who were responsible.”
“You did?”
He nodded. “A few crew members thought it would be a funny joke. Turns out most of the crew knew about it. I fired them all.”
“Really? Seems pretty juvenile.”
“Really juvenile, and really dumb, when you consider that you and Brad weren’t the only victims. I had some other guests complain.”
She looked at him. “They really didn’t think it would get back to you? That is some really small-minded thinking.”
“Unemployed small minds,” he added. “I’m in the process of hiring an entirely new crew.”
“Well, that’s unfortunate, but I’m glad that it’s put to rest.”
“Me too.” He paused to drink his coffee. “This is the happiest I’ve ever seen him, Kate,” he added, pushing away his coffee cup.
She smiled. “I have to say, it’s contagious.”
She could see Brad and Isabelle returning, walking slowly toward the restaurant. “There’s something different about her, did she change her hair?”
“Not that I know of.” Richard chuckled.
Kate studied her as they approached. She leaned back and took a long look at Isabelle. “Are these bigger?” she asked, motioning toward her breasts.
“Kate!” Brad admonished.
“They are,” Richard confirmed.
“But it’s temporary,” Isabelle added.
“Why would you get a temporary boob job?” Brad asked as he sat back down at the table.
Isabelle smirked as she turned sideways and smoothed her hand over her dress, revealing her baby bump.
“You’re pregnant!” Kate exclaimed, jumping to her feet and hugging her friend. “This is wonderful. Oh my goodness. We’ve been dragging you all over town. You must be exhausted.”
“Actually, I feel really good,” Isabelle offered. “The first few months were tough, but this second trimester is much more forgiving.”
“I’m so happy for you.” Kate smiled.
“Let’s get you home and settled in,” Brad offered.
“How long can you stay?” Kate inquired.
“Just one night, Kate. I have to be in New York for a presentation on Friday,” Richard responded apologetically.
As they stood to leave, Kate saw Laura out of the corner of her eye. She stood, staring at her friend for a moment before asking, “Brad, who is Laura having lunch with?”
Brad looked across the room in the direction she was looking. The dark-haired man across from Laura turned to speak to the waiter and they realized who it was. “Thomas,” Brad said, incredulously. “I saw them at the sod turning this morning, but didn’t realize they were”—he paused—“together.”
Laura looked up and smiled as Kate and Brad approached. Kate gave her friend the you-have-some-explainin’-to-do look as she leaned down to give her a quick hug.
“Thomas,” Brad greeted, giving his friend a warm handshake.
“Wonderful event this morning, Kate.” Laura smiled. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
“Yes, Kate, my executive team at the bank is very excited about the changes you have planned. We’re already seeing a positive impact for our customers.”
“Really?” Richard asked. “How so?”
“We’ve seen an increase in deposits each of the last three quarters. That allows us to lend out more capital, fueling growth.”
“How much increase?” he pushed. Kate was very curious to hear Thomas’ answer.
He smiled. “I wrote over one hundred million dollars in business loans last week. It’s a bank record.” Kate felt exhilarated and overwhelmed all at the same time. She felt an enormous responsibility.
She turned to her friend Laura. “How are you doing?”
Her friend was all smiles. “Are we still going to Vegas next week?”
Kate’s face drained. “Next week? Already?”
“You’re going to Vegas next week?” Brad asked from across the table.
“We go every year for her birthday,” Laura responded. “I can’t remember a year that we haven’t gone.”
“It’s your birthday next week?” Brad asked incredulously.
They entire group turned to look at him. “Aww-wkward.” Richard sang just loud enough for them all to hear as he patted his friend on the back.
“It is,” she answered apprehensively. “I meant to say something the night of your birthday…but we got talking…and…” She faltered through the explanation, trying to compose herself. “Your birthday is on the winter solstice…mine is on the summer solstice.”
“And you want to spend it in Vegas?”
She looked around at her friends. “You know what? Why don’t we discuss this at the house. Do we have plans for dinner tonight, Brad?”
“No, I didn’t get around to making a reservation.”
“Why don’t we stay home tonight? Thomas and Laura, we’d love to have you join us for dinner.”
They conferred with each other and nodded. “We’d love to,” Thomas accepted.
“Great,” Brad added. “Stop by anytime. It will be great to catch up.”
* * * *
When they arrived at the house, Brad showed Richard and Isabelle to the guest suite as Kate changed into white denim shorts and a black T-shirt. She was slipping into a pair of sandals when he walked into the closet.
“I can see your nipples through that shirt,” he whispered, taking her in his arms. “Vegas isn’t going to know what hit them.”
“You don’t mind if I go?” she asked, looking up into his eyes.
“I’d prefer to take you myself, but…” He kissed her. “Try not to get into any trouble.”
“I promise.” She smiled.
He softly brushed his hand against her breast, her nipples responding to his touch. “That isn’t going to solve the problem,” she whispered, watching him run his thumb across a second time.
“I didn’t say it was a problem,” he answered, unbuttoning her shorts and slipping them to the floor. He dropped his own pants before pushing her up against the wall, lifting her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around him as he lunged his cock into her pounding pussy. The doorbell rang signaling that Laura and Thomas had arrived.
“Fuck,” he whispered.
“Don’t stop,” she kissed him hungrily. “They can let themselves in.”
Ten minutes later, Kate descended the stairs. She found Isabelle and Laura sitting by the pool. She poured three glasses of homemade lemonade before joining them. “So sorry, ladies.” She offered each a glass before settling into a chair in the sun. She tipped back her head, drinking in the sunshine. “What a fantastic day.”
“You were great this morning, Kate,” Laura said, sipping the lemonade. “I’m so proud of you.”
‘Thank you. Hopefully, this is just a beginning.”
“So, are we going to Vegas?” Laura asked after a while.
“We are!” Kate confirmed. She turned to Isabelle, “You know, you really should join us,” she said.
“Girls’ getaway?” Isabelle smiled slowly. “Sounds like fun. Let me check with Richard. But first, I’ve been dying to hear your secret.”
“What secret?” Laura asked curiously.
“Apparently, Kate knows the secret to multiple orgasms,” Isabelle answered. “Every time.”
Laura looked at her, wide-eyed. “Do tell.”
“Come on, Kate. I’m in my second trimester, and I’ve got more hormones than I know what to do with. Start talking.”
Kate thought about it for a moment. “Do you love him?”
“Of course.”
“And generally speaking, he knows how to please you?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Then let me ask, what are you thinking about when you have sex?”
Isabelle pondered the questions. “I’m thinking that I want to have an orgasm.”
“Okay. And when you do, then what?”
“Then I focus on Richard.”
“Right.” She took a sip of lemonade, the sun now getting hot. “You’re thinking, I want to have an orgasm. And when you do, you’re done.” Both friends nodded. “So instead of thinking about an orgasm, try thinking about more than one. When you reach your first goal, start focusing on the next one, and then the next one.”
They sat silently for a moment, each processing the idea. “So it’s in my head?”
“Mind over matter,” Kate confirmed.
“I have got to test that out,” Isabelle said.
“I say we move inside and pull out some laptops.” Kate smiled. “Time to plan a road trip, girls.”
Kate grabbed a few laptops, setting them up at the kitchen island. She poured a glass of wine for Laura and another lemonade for Isabelle before pouring a glass of wine for herself.
“Shall I book the Bellagio?” Laura asked. “I’ll see if we can get the same suite as last year. I loved that view.”
“Absolutely,” Kate confirmed as she pulled up airline schedules.
“Richard,” Isabelle called, drawing the three men in from the sitting room. “I’d like to join the girls next week. Would the jet be available?”
He wrapped his arms around her, rubbing his hand across her abdomen. “I’m not sure I should let the most beautiful woman in the world loose on Vegas,” he responded, kissing her. “Of course you can use the jet.”
“Thank you.” She smiled, her brown eyes sparkling with delight.
“Take good care of her, Kate. This is precious cargo.” He tapped her belly before he excused himself to make a call to make the travel arrangements. By the time he returned, they were busy planning an itinerary.
“We should get tickets,” Isabelle exclaimed, pointing to the computer screen.
“Tickets to what?” Brad asked.
“Michael Bublé is in Vegas next week,” Isabelle responded. Kate glanced up at him, knowing that he would want to attend that concert with her.
Laura began the process of buying tickets. “Looks like it might be sold out.”
Brad left the room. Within a few minutes, an e-mail popped up on Kate’s computer confirming three tickets to the Bublé concert in her name.
“Happy Birthday.” Brad smiled as he returned. “The tickets will be waiting for you at the hotel.”
“How did you do that?” Laura asked in amazement.
“I called in a favor,” he responded.
The guys looked on as the girls scanned websites, shared stories from past visits, all the while plotting and planning their adventure. Looking at the three of them across the island, Thomas exclaimed, “We are in so much trouble.” He shook his head. “I’m not sure Vegas is ready for this.”
“What do you mean?” Brad asked.
“Look at them. Three beautiful, smart, talented women…unleashed. God help us.”
Brad scanned the three of them. “I’m going to need a drink,” he groaned, heading to the bar.
“Bring three,” Richard called after him. When Brad returned with the scotch, Richard added, “Do you have any more of those cigars?”
“I only have one left.”
“No you don’t,” Kate interrupted. “There are two more boxes upstairs.” She pushed back her stool and bounded up the stairs, taking them two at a time. She returned with a box of ten cigars, placing them on the counter in front of Brad. “Enjoy.”
“Where have you been hiding these?”
“I picked them up the other day. I completely forgot to tell you.”
Thomas picked up a cigar, visually inspecting it. He ran it under his nose, taking in the essence. “That is impressive. Where did you get these?” he asked.
Kate glanced up at him without lifting her head. “Don’t ask, don’t tell.”
* * * *
That night, when the house was quiet, they stood in the closet getting ready for bed. He took her in his arms. “What a day.”
“I’m so happy for Richard and Isabelle.” She smiled up at him. “She is so excited about this baby. And she looks fantastic.”
He smiled and stepped back looking at her reflection in the mirror. “You’d look amazing pregnant,” he said, running his hand across her flat, naked belly.
“What did you say?” she asked, her body tensing in his arms.
“We would have beautiful children,” he continued.
She pulled away from his embrace, tasting bile in her throat. “You can’t be serious,” she said, trying desperately to mask her disgust.
“Wha—” he responded, completely confused with her response.
“How old am I?
“Forty”—he searched his brain for the right answer—“two.”
“How many children did you have when you were forty-two?” she asked in a scathing voice.
“Three,” he answered, trying to find the relevance in the question.
“And how many do I have?” she asked accusingly.
“You don’t have any,” he responded, realizing he was indeed treading on sensitive territory.
“I tried,” she ranted, “for five years, to conceive a baby.” Her eyes were fiery and her body was stiff. “Do you have any idea how many months I failed?” In anger, she shoved her hands at his chest, pushing him against the wall. “More than sixty!” she shouted as she sobbed. “Month after month, I sat, realizing that once again, I had failed.”
He suddenly realized why she had gone to such lengths to eliminate her monthly period. She slowly weakened, falling into his arms. “I can’t go through that again,” she sobbed. “I can’t.”
His mind raced, wondering if instead, he should have asked for world peace. “I had no idea,” he whispered, taking her frail frame into his arms. “I wasn’t suggesting we should, I was….” He stopped talking and picked her up, walking her to the chaise lounge, lowering the two of them into the soft and comfortable space.
She sobbed in his arms until she began to drift to sleep. He scooped her up and carried her to the bed, laying her down and slipping in the bed next to her. Her eyes fluttered. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
He kissed her cheek. “I am too,” he whispered, kissing her forehead. “I assumed you had chosen to focus on your career.” She shook her head, kissing his lips. “All I need is you.” He smiled, returning a lingering kiss. “Frankly, you’re more than enough to handle.”
She slipped off her panties and kissed him, slowly slipping her hands down his body to remove his briefs. She slowly made love to him, needing to feel every inch of him on her and inside her.
“Mmmmm, make-up sex,” she whispered into his chest, as she fell into a peace-filled sleep, with a smile on her face.
Chapter 14
At two o’clock on June 20, Isabelle, Kate, and Laura stepped off the jet and into the heat of the desert. They walked briskly and confidently through the terminal, turning heads as they passed. They quickly exited the doors, climbing into the limo that Richard had generously arranged for them. Within minutes, they were standing in the Chihuly glass lobby of the Bellagio. They approached the long sweeping front desk, where an attendant was waiting to serve them.
“Checking in,” Kate stated, as she handed over her Noir loyalty card. For over twenty years, Kate and Laura had earned many rewards for the money they had spent on their annual excursion. The clerk picked up the phone and quietly uttered a few words. Within
moments of hanging up, a manager appeared.
“Good afternoon, Miss Callahan, Mrs. Bannerman, Mrs. Scott,” he said, addressing each of them by name. “What a delight to have you back with us again this year. I see you’re engaged, Miss Callahan,” he added, glancing at her ring. “Please accept our best wishes for you and your fiancé.”
“Thank you.”
He glanced at the computer screen before continuing, “I see you’ve booked your usual suite, ladies, but we’ve had a request to upgrade you to a villa. It’s a two-bedroom, five-bathroom suite, complete with kitchen, fitness facilities, private entrance, and twenty-four-hour butler service.”
“A request?” Kate asked, suspecting Brad had something to do with the change in accommodations.
“Yes, Miss Callahan,” he responded with a coy smile. She knew he wouldn’t be divulging any details. He summoned a bellman before offering to escort them to the villa. “These have also been left for you,” he added, handing her an envelope with concert tickets. “I know you’ll enjoy the show, ladies.”
As they stepped through the door and into the foyer of the villa, an enormous bouquet of flowers greeted them. There was a card with Kate’s name on it. She opened it, inhaling the heavenly scent.
Happy Birthday, Kate.
I miss you like crazy.
The manager gave them a tour of the villa before introducing them to the butler. “Are there any arrangements that I can assist you with?” he asked, before excusing himself.
“Oh, yes please,” Laura added, pulling their itinerary from her purse. “Could you arrange for these spa treatments and dinner reservations?”
“My pleasure.”
They selected their rooms, and quickly unpacked. Kate sent a text to Brad.
The flowers are lovely. The villa is exquisite. You’re spoiling me. I love you.
His response arrived instantly.
Get used to it.
Isabelle had already changed into a bikini when Kate returned to the main room. “We have our own pool and spa.” Isabelle smiled.
