As Jill stabilized in Fred’s bedroom, she saw a pile of cloths lying on the floor. When she picked up the pair of shorts, they were still warm. The shower was running so Jill quickly unzipped her flight suit, let it drop onto the pile of Fred’s cloths and stepped into the shower room. When she was inside, she spoke to Fred and said, “I am joining you in that shower so make room my lover.” Jill heard Fred mumble something, but she stepped around the corner, down the steps into the recessed shower and directly into Fred’s arms. He kissed her and said, “I hope the computer did not tell my daughter that you were teleporting into my bedroom.” Jill said, “No, I swore the computer to silence, but Naomi would have just smiled and not made anything of our private time together. She is very mature and understands very well what males and females do to pleasure each other.” Fred blushed and Jill said, “Fred, accept the fact that your little girl is grown and is now dating.” Fred said, “Who is she dating? Why was I not told?” Jill said, “She is dating a seventeen-year old engineering student from the company that installed our fuel cells to provide lighting for our gardens. He is very nice and treats Naomi very respectfully. I had the computer check out his references. The young man is well respected, incredibly smart, and the computer monitors their activities during their dates to insure Naomi’s safety on the planet Earth. The man is living with his parents in a studio apartment and he pays his parents monthly rent and a food allowance. He is very responsible, and his name is Trevor.”
Fred settled himself and said, “I often forget that my little girl is safe with you, Trish, and the computer watching her back. I hope she has discussed condoms with you or Trish. I would not want her getting some disease.” Jill said, “Naomi requested condoms from Trish before her first date in case her will power failed her, but the computer reported to Trish that Naomi told her suitor that she wished to wait until after she was married to be sexual with anyone.” Fred relaxed in Jill’s arms, then said, “Thank you for the love and support you and Trish give to Naomi. I will thank Trish personally when she and I are alone for a moment.” Jill’s soapy hands quickly turned Fred’s thoughts back to her, and shortly they were out of the shower and on the soft rug in Fred’s room.
As Jill and Fred dressed, Fred asked Jill if she could stay for supper. Jill smiled and said, “I believe I could do that, what is for supper?” Fred said, “I would like to take you to a very nice restaurant if you would join me.” Jill said, “I did not bring very fancy clothes with me, only a clean flight suit and a flowered dress.” Fred looked in the tote bag that Jill had sitting on the bed and said, “That is a beautiful dress and it will be just perfect.” Jill said, “I forgot white socks though.” Fred said, “Come with me for a moment.” He took Jill to Naomi’s room and opened drawers until he found her sock drawer. He said, “Naomi will not mind if we borrow a pair of socks.” Jill found a pair, then turned around and told Fred that Naomi’s room was beautiful. Fred explained that the room was Rihanna’s before she died and Naomi had taken it over. She had left it almost the same as her mother had left it, but she did add the two posters of the rock stars on the wall. Jill decided the room had to be very special to Naomi, and she would not touch anything.
When Jill walked out into the living room to see where Fred had wondered off to, she found him at his huge mahogany desk, unlocking one of the drawers. She sat down in a chair across from the desk and watched Fred for a moment. Fred found what he was looking for and then walked up to the chair Jill was sitting in. He kneeled down in front of her on his knees and looked her in the eyes. Jill felt her heart skip a beat but smiled at Fred, then leaned forward and put her arms around his neck. Fred said, “Jill I need to ask you a question, but you do not have to answer immediately if you need time to think. Jill, we have become very close and I love you with all my heart. I would like to spend the rest of my life with you. Jill, would you marry me and become my wife?”
Fred produced the box he had removed from the desk drawer, opened it and showed Jill a very beautiful solid gold wedding ring. Jill only needed a couple of moments to make her decision and said, “I need to ask one question before I answer your question. Would we live on the planet Earth or on The Empress?” Fred smiled and said, “We could live on the surface, but I believe your life revolves around The Empress and I would prefer to live there with you for the time being. If we later change our minds and wanted to live here on Earth or on another planet we could move then. Jill I would want to sell this house and find another if you decided to live on the surface. I loved Rihanna, but I need to remove myself from the physical world she and I lived in together, and only keep her wonderful memories in my mind. I do not need the distraction of constantly finding things of Rihanna’s in this house that make me sad. I believe Naomi needs the same separation.” Jill said, “Then if we can live on The Empress for now, then the answer to your question is, yes, I will marry you and would be proud to become your wife and lover for eternity.” Jill kissed Fred very hard and said, “If there could be anyone more excited right now than me, it will be Naomi when you tell her of your decision. I love you Fred.” Fred took the ring from the box and said, “We will need to slide this ring onto your finger once before the wedding to insure I have had it sized correctly, and then we can put it away until the wedding.” Jill took the ring, slid it onto her finger and checked that it fit correctly. She took it off and put it back into the box. Then Fred saw tears in Jill’s eyes, and asked what was wrong. Jill hugged him and said, “Absolutely nothing is wrong, these tears are happy tears. They are saying that I love you. I sometimes cry for reasons you may never understand, so always ask if you are in doubt.” Jill said, “Did Rihanna sometimes cry tears for no reason you could understand?” Fred said, “Yes, but I seldom asked the reasons for them. I was so young; I was not wise enough to question the reasons.” Fred spoke Rihanna’s name, and then quickly attempted to change the subject. Jill hugged him and said, “Fred, you can always talk about Rihanna to me. I want to hear everything you wish to tell me about Naomi’s Mother. I already feel as if I have known her for a lifetime from Naomi’s stories and Naomi’s readings from Rihanna’s manuscript. I wish, no, I expect to hear her name spoken in the rooms of The Empress on a daily basis. The name Rihanna means Sweet Basil, and I want Naomi and my husband to always have sweet thoughts about the woman who was wife, lover, and Mother to two very special people in my life.” Fred hugged Jill and said, “I would like you and me to present Naomi with the remaining two manuscripts her mother Rihanna wrote before she died after our wedding. The books speak to Rihanna’s strong beliefs, her love for her God, and her love of life. I would like Naomi to have them now that she is old enough to understand them.”
Fred looked at his watch and said, “I hope you will forgive me for being so pretentious to make a reservation to celebrate our wedding engagement tonight. We will be late if we do not dress and get going right now.” Jill looked Fred in the eyes and said, “I am glad to hear that you were so confident of my answer to your marriage proposal. That tells me you were confident of my love for you and Naomi. That speaks volumes about your love for me, my friend.” Jill got up and quickly began drying her hair and dressing. She was ready in fifteen minutes as was Fred. Jill stepped up to him and said, “You are very handsome in that shirt and tie. I am proud to be in your presence and escorted by you tonight. Thank you for this day. When I woke this morning, I was in a foul mood and Trish and Naomi both hugged me, trying to help me shake my bad mood. Between my friends and my lover, my day has turned into a very wonderful day that I will never forget.”
When the maitre d’ had seated Fred and Jill, Jill looked at the menu and said, “Oh my God, have you seen the prices in this menu. I will have a cup of coffee. No, two Milli-Galax is too much for coffee. I will have a small glass of water.” Fred began to laugh and almost choked on his own water. Jill said, “It says in the fine print at the bottom of the menu that an additional two Milli-Galax will be added to the bill if a patron chokes on their wa
ter.” Fred said, “Jill are you uncomfortable here, we can go to another restaurant.” Jill put her hand on Fred’s that was lying on the table and said, “I like it here, but I have never, ever, seen food prices like these. I am stunned and my mouth has now taken over for my brains inability to comprehend. Would you kiss me and then tell your woman to shut her mouth and just order.” Fred kissed Jill, looked into her eyes and said, “I would like you to shut your mouth woman and enjoy this food that will put five pounds onto your skinny ass before morning.” Jill giggled and said, “Well since you put it that way, I will eat.” Then she looked at the food the waiter was putting on the table beside them and said, “Fred, I will not gain any weight if that is all the food they bring you. I eat more than that for breakfast; can I order a double order of everything?” Fred got out his wallet, peeked inside and said, “No, you will just have to order desert to fill your tummy.” Jill kissed Fred and said, “I will mind your orders better after you marry me, but tonight my mouth will not stay shut.” Jill moved her hand across her lips indicating she had now zipped her mouth closed. Fred smiled but knew the zipper would not stay zipped for long; Jill was much too excited to remain quiet for any length of time. Besides, Fred realized he liked this playful side of Jill’s personality. Jill ordered seafood, something she seldom was able to eat on The Empress. She told Fred that they needed to put in a small fish tank in the cargo bay of The Empress and raise some fish to add to their diet. Fred said, “How would all the water stay in that tank with the way the computer drives. He would splash the water all over the cargo bay the first time he banked for a corner.” Jill said, “He does not drive that bad. I have only been thrown out of my bath once and that was due to air turbulence.” Fred said, “I am sorry, I must be thinking of the other travel membrane I often visit.” Jill rolled her eyes and patted Fred’s hand.
The waiter brought their food, and when he sat Jill’s plate down in front of her, Fred saw her eyes light up. She spoke to the waiter and said, “This looks wonderful, if it tastes as good as it looks and smells I will be in heaven.” As they ate, Fred asked Jill if she liked red wine with her dinner and Jill said, “Fred, I would love some wine. I am not certain what kind I like though so you will need to guide me.” Fred ordered a small bottle of Beaujolais from George DuBoeuf. When the waiter returned, he had Fred smell the cork, and that make Jill giggle. Then he poured a little wine into a cup, swirled it around, smelled it then passed the glass to Fred who also smelled it. Jill giggled a little more. Fred said the wine was excellent and the waiter poured the wine onto the side of Jill’s glass as he twisted the bottle in his hand. Jill giggled a little more. When the waiter had left, Jill said, “Funny man.” Fred said, “There is a ritual that these fine restaurants use with their wines and it seems a little silly until you have seen it a few times. There is actually a purpose to each step in the uncorking and pouring of a fine wine.” Jill said, “How much did this fine wine cost you?” Fred smiled and said, “The wine is relatively inexpensive in comparison to some of the fine wines that this restaurant sells. Do not worry; you paid for it after our shower this afternoon.” Jill giggled and said, “I enjoyed this afternoon with you. We need to sneak off more often and allow our romantic sides to show.” Fred said, “We shall my friend.”
As they ate their dinner, Jill could hear a band playing and people laughing in the distance. It sounded like they had a live band playing at the bar somewhere at the other end of this restaurant. As they sat and sipped the last of the wine in their glasses, Fred asked if Jill would like to dance for an hour or so before they returned to his home. Jill smiled and said she would. When the waiter brought the check, Fred paid for it with Milli-Galax and gave the waiter an incredible tip. As they walked towards the bar, Jill stopped and said to Fred, “Thank you for taking me to dinner tonight. I have not had food that wonderful in a very long time. I had a great time tonight, and I am certain that was due to the wonderful company I was with for dinner.” Jill stood on her tiptoes and kissed Fred hard on the lips, then put her arm in his as they continued down the hall towards the sound of the music.
**************
When Naomi walked into the kitchen for breakfast, Trish and James were already eating. Naomi kissed James and asked Trish if the lovers had returned last night. Trish looked at Naomi and said, “Jill left a message with the computer that she was spending the night at Fred’s and they both would teleport to The Empress before lunchtime.” Trish said, “Jill sounded a little drunk to me. Naomi does your father drink a little once in awhile?” Naomi smiled and said, “I am certain that Father took Jill to his very expensive restaurant and filled her belly with fine food, and some great red wine. Then he probably took her dancing before they returned home. But I am certain that Father would not have allowed Jill to get drunk.” Trish asked how expensive this restaurant was and Naomi said, “Father saves his money and takes me once or twice a year. The bill at the end of the meal is about a week’s wages for my father, but he loves the restaurant. Trish, you need to understand that the rest of the year, Father spends his money very wisely.”
When Jill and Fred teleported into the ready room of The Empress, they both sported huge smiles. As Naomi hugged her father, she stepped back and said, “Father, what is wrong, I can feel your tension as you hugged me, tell me what is wrong?” Fred kissed Naomi on the forehead and said, “There is nothing wrong child, but everything is right. I have asked Jill to marry me and she said, yes.” Naomi put her hands over her mouth to stifle the sounds, but her tears ran down her face. She almost threw herself into Fred’s arms and sobbed uncontrollably as he held her close. Suddenly, Naomi released her grip on her father and grabbed Jill and began hugging her and crying. Jill finally managed to get Naomi to talk to her and asked if she was okay with her and her father’s impending marriage. Naomi could only get one word from her mouth, but the word was, YES. Naomi stepped back from Jill and sat down on the stool beside the kitchen table. She said, “I have hoped for this day every since I met you Jill, and now my dreams have come true. I may faint and I need to be closer to the floor before I do.” Jill took Naomi’s hand and sat her down in the recliner. Naomi seemed unable to get control of her emotions, but her father kneeled down beside her and soon had calmed her.
Jill walked with Trish to the cargo bay and discussed her and Fred’s ideas to sell the house on Earth and live on The Empress. Jill said, “I plan to give Fred a child to raise and Naomi a stepmother that loves her to death. Trish my friend and partner, if you have fears or concerns about these wedding plans, please feel free to voice them now. You have a right to be concerned and I will attempt to resolve all your concerns before I marry Fred. This is going to be a big thing bringing two outsiders into our home and business. You will continue to hold a forty-nine percent share in this business, no matter what.” Trish sat quietly for a couple minutes then said, “Okay, I have a concern. I wonder how Fred is going to survive living with a group of hormonal, temperamental, crying, menstruating, chocolate drinking women.” Jill giggled and said, “I guess he and James will have to teleport to Earth, attend a hockey or football game and try to soak up as much testosterone as they can on each visit.” Then Jill said, “Your next concern is?” Trish smiled at Jill, then wrapped her arms around her and said, “Would you be willing to make two babies? That way there will always be an extra for me to love and spoil rotten. Congratulations Jill, I think you have picked a fine gentleman to be your husband.” Jill said, “I think Naomi approves of the marriage, don’t you?” Trish was certain Jill knew the answer to that question and she just giggled and said, “Okay, so when are your two getting married, have you set a date yet?” Jill said, “Very soon, but we have not worked out any details yet.” Trish said, “Jill, I have a suggestion and you can veto it if you think it is stupid. How about having the wedding right here in the growing gardens of The Empress, and then we could have the reception here in the cargo bay. There is plenty of room and we could quickly create guest rooms if needed.
” Jill smiled at Jill, then put her hands on Trish’s shoulders and kissed her hard on the lips.
Jill turned to walk towards the living quarters, stopped and said, “I will be right back with an answer to your question as soon as I get the approval of my mate and his daughter.” Jill found Naomi rocking James in the recliner in the kitchen area and Fred was watching the daily news from a satellite link from Earth. Jill spoke to both of them and asked them if they would consider having the wedding and reception here on The Empress. Jill said, “The cargo bay is very large, we can create rooms for anyone who would like to stay the night, and we could say our vows in the gardens with the fruit tress all around us.” Fred said, “Have you picked someone to perform the wedding yet?” Jill looked at Fred, thinking he had an objection to the proposal, but instead he asked a second question. “Jill, would you mind if I selected the minister for our wedding? I would like to use the same man who married Rihanna and I, and conducted her funeral, to marry you and I here aboard The Empress.”
Volume II Page 15
