by Jesse Jordan
“Shit,” I mutter to myself as I break my paralysis and push my swim trunks the rest of the way down. “I guess I need to apologize.”
The sun’s down when the helicopter lands from the airport, the rotors slowing to a stop. Through the windshield, I can see Freida, who’s giving me a bit of the stink eye as she pulls off her flight helmet. I’ve talked with her a few times since I left California, she’s kept me abreast of what she and Su Lin have been up to. Considering what she told me, I’m glad she did.
I walk over to the side of the helicopter and open the door, lowering the steps for Su Lin as she steps out, looking both stunning and more casual than I’ve ever seen her before. Her hair’s pulled back, and she has on jeans that make her curves look… well, I’m glad that my pants are loose, let’s leave it at that.
“Su Lin, welcome home,” I say, holding out a hand to her. “I know you must be tired, but would you join me on the patio for a talk?”
“I… okay,” Su Lin says, taking my hand. Freida starts to follow us, but I shake my head, this is for me and my wife only. She turns and heads for the house, where I’m sure she’ll start unpacking her bags and preparing for tomorrow.
I turn my attention back to Su Lin, who looks beautiful in the soft evening light. “How was your flight?”
“It was… Rick, I’m sorry,” Su Lin says quietly, stopping on the lawn. “I shouldn’t have danced with Drew Washington, or brought shame to you. I’m sorry that I have not measured up to what you need in a wife.”
I blink, swallowing as I look into her face, and cup her cheek. “Su Lin, you are a good woman. I should never have doubted your intentions or your loyalty.”
Su Lin nods, and we walk to the porch, where I’ve had a light meal setup with fine wine. I pour her a glass and take a seat as she settles in before toasting. “To a new start then.”
“To a new start.”
We clink glasses, and Su Lin takes a small sip before setting the glass down. “Rick, I’m sure you know, I did a little retail therapy when I was in Los Angeles. On Freida’s advice.”
“Not a problem, as long as you didn’t buy out the Ferrari dealership,” I joke. “Why are you worried?”
“Because I don’t want to have to do it again,” Su Lin says. “For all of the things surrounding me Rick, I want to be able to be a better wife for you and future mother to your child. But to do that, I need you to let me inside, to know more.”
Her words are clear, and I think about it for a moment before nodding. “You’re right. I have kept you in the dark a lot. What do you want to know?”
“Tell me about why you need an heir so badly,” Su Lin says, folding her hands on the table and looking at me. “What motivates a man to spend all this money to get a woman he barely knows and doesn’t care about pregnant?”
There’s something in her tone, in the way she phrased her question, that leaves me shaken. I brush off trying to answer with a bullshit response or a joke, and sip my wine before answering. “There’s a lot of reasons, I guess. Of course there’s the instinctual one. I’m dying, Su Lin. Not in the ephemeral, existential Buddhist everyone-is-dying sort of way, but instead I’ve got a hard deadline. And yes, I’m arrogant enough to think that I’d like a little bit of my DNA to carry on.”
“What else?” Su Lin asks. “Because let’s be plain, Rick. You’re the sort of man that if you just said ‘DNA samples for free, stop by your nearest sperm center,’ you’d have a million women kicking down the doors to have a little bit of you inside them.”
I half smile at her comment, she’s got a good sense of sarcastic humor before growing more serious. “Harvey Stone is the biggest reason that I need a legitimate legal heir before I die.”
“Who’s Harvey Stone?” Su Lin asks. “I’ve heard the name mentioned before, but I want details.”
Wow, talk about a bomb of a statement. Details… “I’ll need to drop back a little further than Harvey then. I was recognized as one of those intellects that only come around once or twice a century pretty early. Came out of nowhere too really, my father was a high school shop teacher who coached girls’ soccer while my mother worked as a dental office assistant. But they recognized my potential early and encouraged it. Guess that’s one of the benefits of the Internet, I was able to take college level math and science classes when most kids were watching Pokemon after school. But they were killed when I was in my early teens.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Su Lin says. “I… there are times I wish I knew my father. It was hard growing up without any sort of father at all. Beijing isn’t the sort of place where a single, unmarried woman has it easy. Especially when her daughter is half-white.”
I nod, wishing I could understand but still feeling compassion for her. “For me, it was about being the kid who stood out. Before they died, my parents had no problem with me jumping grades, pushing the limit. I was in junior high school before my feet could even touch the floor from my seat, and I got my high school diploma the same month I had to move out of children’s sizes for shoes.”
Su Lin laughs lightly, shaking her head. “When I finished my first year at junior high school, a lot of my peers joked about my class rank.”
“Why’s that?”
“It was the same as my bra size, I was the only girl who had to wear a bra,” Su Lin says, shaking her head. “Anyway… Harvey.”
I nod. “After my parents died, I pushed myself hard, and my inventive streak became more… applicable. I mean, I’d been inventing stuff for a long time, but nobody really cares about a more efficient card shuffling machine, and an automatic watering system that adjusts to the weather is cool, but not very economical for most people. I started working on my first big commercial design when I was fourteen, and at seventeen I’d gotten the patent completed. Of course I had a bunch of other ideas in mind by the time the lawyers were done with the Patent Office, but to get them done, I needed money. So I sold the first patent to General Electric. My original plan was to use that seed money and build my empire slowly, to commercialize my ideas on a ten year plan to get to where I am now.
“Trikala Syndrome changed all that. I knew that if there was any chance for my ideas to hit the market before I died, I needed investment capital quickly. So, I partnered with Harvey Stone. He had the connections, he knew how to grease the skids with all the right people to get my ideas on the market faster and more efficiently. And he had money, or access to it. So… I partnered with him. Worst mistake of my life.”
“What happened?” Su Lin asks, and I sit back, shrugging.
“I always knew Harvey was ambitious. But I didn’t know just quite how ambitious until we’d already formed Kelley-Stone. Harvey wants… well he’s got ambitions. I knew he wanted to get into politics even when we first got together, but as time’s passed I’ve seen more and more that worries me. For the past four years, he’s pushed hard for K-S to get into defense contracts.”
“A country should have a strong defense,” Su Lin says, stopping when I shake my head. “No?”
“There’s a difference between defense… and what my technology could be bastardized to become,” I tell her. “Take for example the Panther. Sure, it’s a fuel efficient, super-cruise capable aircraft. That same technology applied to a fighter or a drone? There’s nothing around right now that can detect it. Just to keep the Panther safe, we’ve had to put radar enhancers on it, just so air traffic control can see the damn thing. And there’s more. There’s energy systems that could be converted into weaponry, there’s…. well, let’s just say that my inventions could be applied to almost every aspect of military technology and give whoever buys it untouchable offensive capabilities. I don’t even know how to stop some of the stuff I’ve developed.”
Su Lin bites her lip, worried. “And Harvey wants to be a weapons merchant?”
I shake my head, sighing. “If it was just that, I’d be less worried. Su Lin, Harvey wants to have power, plain and simple. If he can get that through selling w
eapons, he’ll do it. If he can do it through holding people’s lives hostage because he controls their lights and power… he’ll do that too. He doesn’t care how, he just sees going after Pentagon contracts as a way to get power. He doesn’t care if he helps people or kills people.”
Su Lin nods. “So you need an heir.”
“Harvey knew, when we formed Kelley-Stone, about my health issues. So Harvey was more than willing to give up majority control as I reinvested my fortune into K-S since he knew my body’s a ticking time bomb. The rules are simple: my majority shares cannot be transferred except to my blood heir. If I try and sell them, he has right of first refusal and to buy them hostilely. If I try and pass them on to a non-blood relative, they convert to a non-voting share that draws money, but no control. So, unless I have a blood heir to pass them down to, Harvey Stone can take the fruit of all my work, and twist it to his own ends. I can’t let that happen.”
Su Lin thinks, then nods. “Okay. Thank you for being honest, and I’m still on board helping you. On one condition, Rick.”
“What’s that?” I ask, and Su Lin smiles slightly.
“Respect. Rick, I’ll help you in your goal, I don’t want to see a monster unleashed on the world. At least, not another one. But if that’s the case, I don’t want to stop one monster only by helping another. Rick, breakfasts with you have been nice, spending a little bit of time with you is nice, but you haven’t respected me. I’ll try to earn it, but… but I need your respect too.”
Her simple request strikes me, and all I can do is nod. After a moment, I clear my throat. “You’re right. I can’t promise changing your feelings overnight, I’m not stupid.”
“Hardly.”
I chuckle, Su Lin’s got a great wit when she wants to show it off. “Well then, welcome home. And let’s see what we can do about respecting and getting to know each other better.”
Su Lin
“Damn.”
I look down at the toilet, where red pearls dot the water, and sigh in frustration. Of course we could have had me taking tests as early as a week ago, but both Rick and I felt that excessive testing would just be a waste of time. Either I’m pregnant, or I have my period, and we wait until a week post-end-of-cycle to start trying again.
Guess we have our answer. I clean myself up, grabbing a pad from the medicine cabinet and lining my panties before pulling on some loose pants and a bra before changing clothes. During the first two days of my period, I’ve learned from hard experience that I tend to bloat, and anything restricting is painful, especially around my stomach area. So away go the fashionable dresses, jeans, and slacks that Freida’s helped me pick out for learning how to dress American, and out come a pair of loose cotton pants and a t-shirt. I even decide to skip shoes, the house is warm and even my feet tend to swell on my period.
“Hey, you look different,” Freida says when she finds me an hour later in the library, trying to read a book and failing. “Are you okay?”
“No,” I fume, snapping the book closed. “I… I started my period and feel like shit.”
Freida swallows, nodding. “Thought we’d find out around this time. I kept hoping that every day you didn’t say anything… well, you know.”
“I know,” I reply honestly. I set my book aside and try to sit up, but whether it’s the hormones or the cramps, I can’t. My stomach hurts too much and I lean back against the cushions of the couch, growling. “Fuck.”
“You’re certainly learning how to talk like an American,” Freida quips, not dropping her smile at all when I glare at her. “Come on, you know what I’m talking about.”
“Yes… but I’d curse in English even in China,” I say. “It’s a good way to let of frustration while not having a lot of people understand you.”
“I do the same in German,” Freida acknowledges. “I used to use Spanish, but there’s enough people who know what I’m saying now, it doesn’t work very well. What’s the issue?”
“Cramps,” I admit. “Back in Beijing, when I had to work during my period, I’d barely sit down all day. I either laid down, or I stood on my feet.”
“You know what works well for me?” Freida says. I give her a raised eyebrow, and she shrugs. “Okay, yeah, I don’t have periods. Sorta goes with the territory. But when I’m stiff and sore and don’t want to move around much, the hot tub Rick’s installed is amazing.”
I think, and the more I do, the more appealing Freida’s idea sounds. I’ve seen the pool area, Rick’s got something called an ‘endless pool’ that I haven’t played around with, but also a hot tub that looks luxurious. “It sounds nice but… well, I don’t have a suit.”
“Skinny dip then,” Freida says with a chuckle. “I’ll tell the other staff to avoid the pool area, and you can just let it all hang out.”
I shake my head, but take her offered hand to get to my feet. “I’ll find something. Thank you.”
I go back to my room, looking through my clothes. Finally, for some reason, I settle on a daring, lightweight set of lingerie that Rick provided for me. While it’s far sexier than any swimsuit I’ve ever worn, the wispy, silky thong and bra combination feels good on my skin as I change. I set my other clothes aside and pull on a large fluffy cotton bathrobe before walking downstairs to the pool area.
True to her promise, there’s a sign taped to the door. Do not enter. In private use by Mrs. Kelley.
While I can’t say that I appreciate Freida declaring that I’m going to be inside, the gesture is appreciated, and I slip inside the door, closing it behind me. There’s no lock, but I guess that’s to be expected.
The hot tub is warmed up already, with wisps of steam rising off of the water and the pleasant scent of cedar filling the air. I shrug off my robe and switch on the bubbles, familiarizing myself with the controls.
Stepping into the water is like stepping into pure luxury, and I sigh as I find the curved bed that makes up the seat and settle against it. The jets of water are perfect, pummeling my lower back and the stiff muscles of my legs until I feel like I’m about to melt into the water.
I lean back, closing my eyes and letting myself drift away. I feel secure, the way the edge of the tub is setup there’s a slight ridge that cradles my neck as I relax. I don’t think I nod off, but the combination of the gentle rushing sound of the jets, the smell of whatever scent is being used in the water, and the feeling of my muscles finally starting to uncurl inside me makes time slip away.
Suddenly, I’m aware that I’m not alone, and I open my eyes to see Rick watching me from the edge of the tub. I make a startled little squeak and half thrash, slipping and dunking myself into the swirling water. I come up sputtering, wiping at my eyes and blinking furiously. “What… what are you-?”
“Shhhh,” Rick says, waving me down. “I saw the sign, and just had to come in. Is everything okay?”
I shake my head, trying to readjust myself on the seat but finding it hard with Rick looking at me. “No,” I finally admit. “I… I’m sorry. I started my period today.”
“So you came down here to try and relax. Probably on Freida’s advice, I recognize the handwriting.”
His eyes roam over my body, and he smirks before standing up and unbuttoning his shirt. I watch, gulping as his chiseled torso comes into view, unsure of what’s going on. “What are you doing?”
“You’re wearing a five hundred dollar set of lingerie in a hot tub,” Rick says with a smirk. “Which, by the way, makes it look better than it did when I saw it online and had it purchased for you. But if you’re going to do that, then I reserve the right to join you in the tub.”
Rick pushes his jeans down and my pulse speeds up some more as he climbs in, wearing just his boxer briefs. The black fabric molds to every inch of his skin, and I’m very aware of just how sexual he can be as he leans back on the other side of the small tub, watching me with desire in his eyes. “Mmmm, your choice on the jets is perfect,” he says with faux disregard, stretching out. “Just right for getting
my legs.”
“You worked out already today?” I ask, trying to maintain my composure as I feel Rick’s eyes roam over me. “I didn’t know.”
“You seemed a bit distant at breakfast, and today was about heavy lifting,” Rick admits. He reaches down, picking up my right foot and putting it on his lap. “While I mix it up, I do go very heavy from time to time.”
I gasp as Rick begins to rub my feet, kneading the sole of my foot and sending lightning bolts of sensation up my leg to pulse in my stomach. “Where… where did you learn that?”
“I picked up reflexology and therapeutic massage one summer when I was really pushing myself hard both in the lab and in the gym. I was balancing the different stresses I was feeling, but at the same time I was left a collection of knots and stiff joints that hurt nearly as much as the stress. So I took a week off and went to a seminar.”
“You learned how to do this in just a week?” I moan, realizing I’m massively turned on. It’s so easy to be turned on with Rick though, the way he looks, the piercing power of his eyes and the dominating magnetism of his presence all combine into an erotic, hypnotic aura that draws me in almost whenever he wants. He’s a walking epitome of manhood, and after knowing how he can make me feel, watching him rub his thumbs over my foot and up my calf has me trembling, nearly mewling like a kitten. “Rick….”
“Shhhh,” he says, setting my foot down and sliding around next to me. “I know you’re on your period, but who cares? Maybe I just want to show you another way to take care of the cramps.”
Before I can reply he kisses me, his lips soft and tender before his tongue strokes on my lower lip, demanding entrance. I can’t resist, opening to him as he cups my breast through my now translucent bra and massaging the soft flesh. I cup his face, kissing him back and swirling my tongue around his as he soul kisses me deeply. I run my other hand down his arm and over his back, feeling the hard textures of his muscles, amazed again at how they never feel exactly the same twice. I could spend years exploring the way his body fits together with my fingers and with my tongue if he’d let me.
