I said, “Well, yeah. It was just between us, but we all know it’s binding for life.”
Tom smiled and said, “Tell me what you did.”
I related the story of us on the beach the night before. I told the truth.
Tom laughed and said, “We got a weird report of an orgy on the beach last night. Some older guest saying that a dozen people were romping naked at the south end of the beach and having sex all over the sand. She wanted us to guarantee that the matter would be looked into and that our tractors would replace the sand there before more respectable guests wandered into the tainted area.”
I said, “Tom, I swear, we were only three of those people, there was no lewd romping, and we didn’t have sex all over your beach.”
He said, “But you did strip and go skinning dipping and had a naked wedding ceremony in my ocean.”
I said, “Sure. But that happens all the time, right?”
He said, “Hey, you want to go out on our yacht tomorrow? We’ll cruise up north and relax. What do you say? I think we’re going to be friends.”
I said, “OK. Thank you.”
We sat quietly for a moment and then he said, “But about the naked romping. Are you guys OK with a bit of nude sunbathing? It happens sometimes on the boat. It doesn’t have to, but are you three cool with it?”
I said, “I don’t know. Maybe. I’ve never done that before.”
Tom said, “It doesn’t matter. Hey, let me tell you about me and my story.”
Tom went on to tell me how he and his wives first met and I described what had happened with me and Brenda and then Lisa. Our stories were very similar in some ways, except that he was a lot farther along in his than I was in mine.
After hearing a bit about each other, Tom said, “It’s amazing how much synchronicity there is in the world if you are open to seeing it. It’s pretty crazy that you are all named Jackson already. I assume that you want to keep it that way? My girls all needed new names and whole new identification packages. Brenda doesn’t even have to change her name because it was her middle name and she can go by anything she wants to. If you do need new identities, I’m here to help.”
I said, “I do have one question. So, you have two wives…”
Tom said, “Two that you have met so far. Well, three. But anyway, go ahead.”
I said, “Oh, OK. But what did you do about deciding which one was legally married to you and how to make it so that the other didn’t feel weird about that? And what if something happens and the one without needs to make medical decisions or something?”
Tom said, “Oh yeah! I meant to tell you about that. I can call our lawyers and have them take care of it. My wives and I are all legally married. Legally enough. So, they have full legal authority as a spouse. All of them. Marriage licenses and everything. You don’t go around calling attention to it, but my brother has lawyers who know how to get it done. I can make a call right now. Unless you guys want to talk it over first.”
I said, “Should I? Is there a reason not to?”
Tom said, “Not as far as I’m concerned. Not for my family. It’s up to you. How solid was your naked swim wedding?’
I said, “It’s rock-solid as far as we are concerned.”
Tom said, “Lisa is quitting her job and selling her home, so I’d hope so.”
I said, “Then let’s do it.”
Tom smiled and just started talking into the air.
He said, “Sarah, I’m with Mr. Jackson. We’re going to do him a favor. He needs to be legally married to Diane Brenda Jackson and Lisa Marie Jackson. No name changes or new identities. Yes, Honey might want a wedding ceremony, but we’ll see. He’s a friend and I don’t know if she will think it’s necessary or proper for her to do it. OK. Ask her. But get started on paperwork for him. Yeah, they seem nice. If you want to know that, you’ll have to come have a look for yourself. Gotta go, Sweetie. OK.”
Then he turned back to me and said, “I have this doodad in my ear. Sarah hears everything I say and hear. She doesn’t pay much attention unless I use her name or sound like I’m in danger. It will take a couple of days to work out the marriages, but they are getting started now. Are you ready for lunch?”
I agreed that I was and Tom asked what I wanted. Fish tacos sounded good.
Again, speaking into the air, he said, “Pamela, fish tacos for Roland and well, make that for both of us. Extra pineapple relish. Thanks.”
Then to me, he said, “Yeah, I can talk to all of them. She has the ear-thing too. Pixie calls them Ear-Fish. Like in the Hitchhiker’s Guide. So, Roland, we need to start negotiating.”
I said, “Over what?”
Tom said, “Over what I’m going to lose by you stealing away one of my best store managers. She doesn’t run a large business, but it’s one that is important to us. And the assumption was that she’d take larger roles in our clothing empire when she felt like she wanted to. Tell me what’s non-negotiable. Would you move to Kauai if the offer is right?”
I said, “I have reasons to want to live in the town I’m from for now. I have some friends there, and especially given the new nature of my family structure, I want to stay connected to them.”
Tom said, “So, friends. Any chance of getting them to come here?”
I laughed and said, “I don’t think so.”
He said, “Well, for a visit anyway. Oh, and that’s another thing. Relationships and bonds form quickly sometimes, as you have discovered. I feel like you are a partner in some way and I need to take care of my people and my friends. So, your suite is complimentary and so is everything that you can charge to it. I mean that. Meals, clothes, drinks, and even excursions if they can be arranged through our guest services desk. Helicopter tours and everything.”
Breaking away for a second, he said, “Sarah, full comp for the Jackson family. Change their status to Elite VIP. Then make it up. Create an Elite VIP status and make them that. Yes, you can create special ID cards for them. Well, no, not real gold-plated. No, not platinum-plated either! Pixie, get off the line. No I did not say lap. I did not. I said line. Pixie, I need you to do a really important special project for me, right now! No! It’s not nine feet tall. Sarah, help me. OK, good enough. Pixie can design cards but I want them to be small and light enough that they don’t need a wheelbarrow to carry them around. Are we done? OK. I love you both. Pixie, I’m going to…I don’t know what I’m going to do with you. No, of course you’ll like it. Now go do my special project. I have business work.”
Tom smiled and took a deep breath. The waitress was just bringing our food. But she wasn’t actually a waitress at all.
She grinned and said, “Is Pixie bored?”
Tom said, “I think so. I need to get her a puppy or something. When she gets bored, I’m always in trouble. Sit down with us, Beloved. Roland, this is Pamela, the love of my life.”
Pamela smiled and said, “I’m pleased to meet you, Roland.”
Pamela sat down next to Tom and started to eat off of the plate that she had just bought for him.
She said, “What have you two decided on so far?”
Tom said, “A boat trip. Marriage licenses. Elite VIP guest status, all expenses paid. But he’s being a hard sell on moving here so that Lisa stays.”
Pamela said, “It’s funny, isn’t it. About them all being named Jackson and how my name used to be Lisa. Dear, can’t Lisa open a new store wherever they live and come here for staff retreats when she needs to? Obviously Lisa won’t agree to live here and have her husband and Brenda commute. I think that we’re losing Lisa and you need to be at peace with that. Don’t look at it as losing a store manager, look at it as gaining a friend-in-law.”
Tom smiled and said, “Hm, maybe I have been going about this backward.”
Chapter 12 - Proposals
Tom said, “Roland, I won’t try to convince you to move here. But do come when you want to.”
I said, “Tom, why are you doing all of this for me? The complimen
tary suite and all that?”
He said, “For the same reason that you fell in love with Brenda and Lisa. Because it was what was happening. So, you’re going to go home when you are tired of staying here?”
I interrupted and said, “I really like it here. I could stay for a long time if it was up to me.”
Tom said, “Stay as long as you like. Really. It’s on me. A month at least.”
I said “Wow. Thanks. I could do that.”
He smiled and said, “Good. Roland, listen to me. I have a lot of influence, but not many friends. My lifestyle keeps me pretty private. My brother is kind of a ‘man of mystery’. For a reason. And in some ways, I’m learning that I have to be like that in order to do my job. But let’s say I need a guy that I can trust. A friend. A guy that I don’t have to have as many secrets from. A guy like you. So, a guy like you works for me as an um, let’s call you an agent. You watch out for projects that my family can influence for the better. And you report what you find. We’ll go over the kinds of projects later, but I told you some already. Projects like a new school or groceries for a single mom. You’ll take care of the groceries on your own, the way I assume that you always have, but I want to know about needs. It’s more than charity. Trust me. A lot more. But little things come together sometimes into bigger things.”
Tom had gotten a bit somber, thinking about whatever involved “projects” for him. I saw Pamela pat his arm and he brightened immediately.
Tom said, “I’m starting to bore myself, so who knows what I’m doing you and Pamela. The bottom line is that I want to help you. I want to get to know you, and I want you as a friend. And when I say I want to help you, what I mean is, I want to help you achieve your goals, not mine. Hang out here and think about it. So, what do you do for a living? Are you still working? And if not, what did you do before?”
I gave Tom a summary of my life, that I was a writer now and no, he wouldn’t have probably read any of my books. My career had been in housing and commercial construction and he found that interesting for some reason. I talked about my young friend from the Afra and how it turned out that he was Brenda’s nephew. We talked about how he and I both enjoyed the beach and the tropics and leaving generous tips. I found myself liking him more and more.
Finally, he said, “Hey, Pammy and I are going to go for a walk for a bit. We’ll call you for dinner. About five-thirty. But before we go, I want to do something. I’m not sure what.”
Pamela smiled and said, “Some magic?”
Tom said, “Yeah. Any ideas?”
Pamela said, “Start by buying Lisa’s condo.”
Tom said, “That’s easy. OK, done. I couldn’t persuade him to keep it and they will stay in a suite as our guests when they visit, but I want to do something magical. Something like giving him a Poppet, but we can’t do that. But something on that scale.”
Pamela said, “Loan him a car.”
Tom grinned and said, “Perfect! Roland my friend, while you are here, you can use one of my cars. We’ll send your rental car back and you can use one of mine. Give me your keys.”
I pulled the keys to my rental car from my pocket and handed them to him.
He said, “Great. I’ll have the rental paid for and someone will take the car back to the company. When you want a car, go to the valet at the top of the escalator and tell him your name. He’ll have the car brought around for you. And let the car park itself when you are done with it for the evening. That will be magical, trust me. It’s a magical car. Roland, it’s been a pleasure. I’ll see you at dinner.”
He and Pamela stood up and Tom shook my hand and Pamela surprised me by kissing me on the cheek. They walked off down the sand holding hands.
I liked him. Both of them. But now I was alone. That wasn’t a problem. I went back to my usual spot and started writing.
I found myself getting distracted often and thinking about my morning with Brenda. Now, that had been magical. What a playmate! That was imaginative sex. That was the kind of sex that I meant when I told her that sex was important. It couldn’t have been more perfect. The story and role-playing, the characters and fantasies. The beauty and warmth and connection. And somehow most of all the way that Brenda had included Lisa in all of it even though Lisa wasn’t even there. Brenda had made it as if Lisa was with us by including her in the story in so many ways. I wondered what the two of them were doing now.
A waitress came up to the spot where I was sitting and said, “Mr. Jackson?”
She startled me. Why was she calling me by name?
I said, “Yes?”
This woman was wearing a different uniform than the other waitresses by the pool. A bit less casual.
She smiled and said, “Sir, my name is Charlotte. I have been assigned to be your personal valet during your stay. May I sit down?”
I waved at the seats next to me and nodded.
She took a seat near me and said, “Sir, for the remainder of your stay, I will be responsible for your comfort. I will act as your waitress throughout the day, your maid to clean and freshen your suite, and your guide, personal shopper, gofer, or secretary. My contact information should be sent to your phone very shortly. If you will reciprocate by sending me the phone numbers for the ladies in your party, I will add them to the profile.”
I responded to the text message when it came a minute later and then forwarded the current numbers for the girls. This was unexpected. Tom really did have resources. A personal valet? Cool. I had no idea what she would do for me, but cool.
Charlotte said, “Sir, as a member of the Elite VIP program, I will be available 24 hours a day. I will stay in a guest room next door to your suite while you are here and it is essential that you feel comfortable calling on me at any time for any reason. Mr. Jackson, so that you know, I receive a generous salary for taking care of you and bonuses every time you call on me after hours. This is a fantastic opportunity for me so please call me for anything, no matter how large or small, and it is never an inconvenience, I assure you.”
I said, “Oh, thank you. That’s um, weird. Not that you are weird, but well, I didn’t expect anything like this. Does this happen often? That you do this?”
Charlotte smiled and said, “No, this is a bit unprecedented. These things happen for Mr. Robby Jensen and his brother, Tom, but until now, for no one else. The Jensens don’t stay here often. They have their own homes not far from here. I am used to a high level of discretion and won’t ask questions about personal matters.”
We sat quietly for a minute and then she said, “Sir? What can I do for you?”
I said, “Oh, you were waiting for me? I’m sorry. I don’t think that I need anything right now. Um, I guess that I can call you if I do. Thank you so much.”
Charlotte smiled and stood up and took my refillable resort drinking tumbler away and came back a minute later with fresh iced tea. She set it down in front of me and then sat down nearby and took a book out of her bag and started to read.
When she noticed that I wasn’t moving, she grinned and said, “I have things to keep me busy until you find a need for me,” and she went back to reading.
Charlotte was cute. Maybe early thirties. Her smile was warm and cheerful. I liked her immediately. Her specifics, like her measurements and whatnot, weren’t important because she wasn’t a romantic interest and it wasn’t appropriate for me to pay that much attention to her physical appearance. But she was definitely cute. If I was here by myself, I would have made a mistake and caused her to think that I was attracted to her. A 60-year-old male guest, shyly and inappropriately hitting on an attractive thirty-something resort employee. Nope, not gonna do it. I would think about Brenda’s breasts and Lisa’s legs and butt, not Charlotte’s.
Half an hour later, I stood and stretched. Lisa looked up from her reading.
I said, “Just going to the restroom.”
Charlotte said, “Would you like me to accompany you?”
I frowned and said, “No.”
I walked away and thought, “What’s going on here? Am I dead? Is all this a dream or what?”
When I came back, Charlotte had freshened my iced tea and there was a plate of pineapple waiting for me.
She said, “Sir, this furniture isn’t good. The table is too low and you are hunched over as you write. It can’t be comfortable for you. And the other tables, the higher ones were designed to sit and have drinks and they are about six inches too tall in relation to the chairs. I need to fix that for you. I’ll have a writing desk taken to your suite. One for the living area and one for the balcony. I know that you prefer to write down here where you can see the beach, so I’ll get a cabana set up by morning. I’ll try to make it comfortable. I think I can make it work, but if not, we need to make changes here on the veranda. A private cabana will be less disruptive, if that works. Otherwise I may have to have this section of the resort blocked off and restricted.”
I said, “I don’t think that will be necessary. Oh, you were teasing me again.”
Charlotte looked at me seriously, but still smiling and said, “I was not,” and we went back to our respective work.
A bit later, Charlotte closed her book and said, “Sir, I’d like to go up and make sure that the suite is the way that I want it. Call me when you want me. Your dinner reservation has been changed to five PM. You don’t need to change clothes unless you want to. I will see you when you come for dinner. I’ll take your bag up with me now so that you can enjoy some time by the pool with your thoughts”
And then, without asking me, Charlotte packed up my laptop and left, carrying my work away with her. I kind of liked this treatment. In a way, I was sure that I could get used to it. All of it. Staying in a suite, loving Brenda and Lisa, having powerful men as friends, a personal valet who anticipated my every need. It was pretty sweet, to say the least.
Island Cultural Center Page 13
