Edgar sighed contentedly as he walked through the airport with his family. He watched as Ethan, Claire and Matthew ran along the familiar concourse towards baggage claim. Louise walked beside him carrying all the kids carry ons.
"I don't understand why we let them bring so much crap. They never use it all and once they get here they never ask for anything that isn't pool or beach related" complained Louise.
"Honey, we let them bring it so we don't have to listen to them whine on the plane ride over" said Edgar.
Louise just smiled and shook her head. They walked into the baggage claim area and it was a mad house. There were people milling around looking more than a little disgruntled. Edgar scanned the mob of people for his kids, not immediately spotting them he turned to Louise.
"Do you see the kids?" he asked.
"No. But they wouldn't leave, they are probably off somewhere getting into something they shouldn't be" said Louise.
"Stay here, I'll find them" said Edgar.
He took off walking the perimeter of the small baggage claim area. He found them all sitting on the floor huddled around a woman, her daughter and a laptop. Each of his kids were sitting on the floor eating something out of a blue foil wrapper.
"Kids, you know better than to loose sight of me and your mom" scolded Edgar.
"Sorry dad, but Gabby invited us to watch a movie with her" replied Ethan.
"Who's Gabby?" asked Edgar.
"I am. Nice to meet you" said the little girl thrusting out her hand.
Edgar shook her hand silently. The little girl sat back down in between Claire and Matthew.
"Sorry about that, I didn't even think of having the kids ask permission" said the woman. "I'm Natalie."
"Edgar" he said shaking her hand. "What's going on in here?"
"There is some problem with the baggage system, so only one carousel is running right now. Everyone just has to wait their turn until their flights baggage gets unloaded. We've been waiting about 10 minutes, but from the way the customer service reps are talking it's going to be a while" explained Natalie.
"What are you guys watching?" asked Edgar.
"It's Kung Fu Panda" said Ethan.
"Hopefully the delay won't be longer than the movie" said Natalie.
"Or your battery lasts" said Edgar.
"That's not a problem, I've already plugged it in" said Natalie pointing to the plug in the wall.
"I'm going to let my wife know that the kids are ok" said Edgar.
"Ok, I'll keep an eye on them. By the way they don't have any food allergies do they?" asked Natalie.
"No, why?" asked Edgar.
"Because Gabby shared her snack with them and I can't really tell what's in them" said Natalie. "The labels are in Japanese."
"Where did you get them from?" asked Edgar.
"Japan" deadpanned Natalie.
"Well that would explain why the label is in Japanese" said Edgar. "Be right back. I'm sure my wife is getting a little worried."
Edgar found Louise in the same place looking slightly impatient. When she spotted him without the kids her look turned to worry.
"Don't worry, they found another kid to play with. In fact they are watching a movie with her and her mom" said Edgar.
"What? We've been in the airport for less than 5 minutes and they've already found someone to play with?" said Louise.
"Yep. Lets go over there. Natalie said that there is some sort of baggage issue" said Edgar.
"Yeah, that's what the customer service rep said. Seems like it's going to be a while before we get out of here" said Louise.
They walked together over to the little corner where Natalie and the kids were sitting.
"Louise, this is Natalie. Natalie, Louise" said Edgar.
"Nice to meet you" said Natalie. "Would you like a snack?"
"Um, those look interesting" said Louise looking at the colorful bag of foil wrapped cylinders.
"They are kind of like giant cheese puffs but in different flavors. Watch out for the shrimp flavored one, they give you bad breath" said Natalie.
"Shrimp flavored?" said Louise picking one out of the bag.
"Yep, there is also fish, corn, chocolate and spicy flavored" said Natalie.
"Wow, I've never seen this kind of snack before" said Louise.
"That's because they are from Japan" said Edgar.
"How did you know that?" asked Louise in surprise.
"Well, the label is in Japanese" said Edgar with a smile.
Louise turned the foiled treat in her hands inspecting the characters on the label.
"I'm impressed" said Louise to Edgar.
Edgar just winked at Natalie who hid her smile behind her hand.
"Mommy, may I have a drink please" said Gabby.
"Sure" replied Natalie.
She dug around in her bag pulling out a pack of tiny juice boxes. Pulling off the packaging she handed them out to all 4 kids.
"Thank you" the kids chorused before turning back to the movie.
"You're welcome" said Natalie.
"How did you get those past security?" asked Louise.
"They were just packed in the carry on, no one ever questions them" said Natalie. "Although in the Japanese airports security is different I never have to take off my shoes."
"Well I suppose they figure apple juice isn't going to be used to take over an aircraft" said Edgar.
The kids watched the movie until the credits, then all of them started to get a little restless. Natalie's baggage came out first and she left Gabby with the other kids as she pulled one suitcase and one booster seat off the conveyor belt. She returned to the clutch of kids and announced it was time for them to go.
"Hey, where are you guys staying?" asked Louise. "Maybe the kids could get together for a playdate or something."
"We're staying at the Westin Villas" said Natalie.
"That's where we're staying" said Edgar with a smile.
"Well I suppose we will see you there" said Natalie. "Maybe we can meet at the pirate ship pool in the morning, around 9?"
"Sounds great, we'll definitely see you there" said Louise.
Natalie and Gabby waved to the Hansen's before they disappeared into the crowd.
Edgar was standing in line at the rental car counter watching Natalie talking to the agent . Gabby was waving frantically at him and he casually waved back to her. The little girl was desperately trying to wrestle out of her mothers grip but was continually thwarted by Natalie's changing grip. Gabby stamped her foot calling out for her mother's attention. Natalie looked down at her daughter then up at Edgar. She smiled quietly and turned back to the man at the counter. With paperwork in hand Natalie finally allowed Gabby to drag her over to Edgar.
"Hi again" said Natalie.
"Hi" replied Edgar.
"Where are Ethan, Claire and Matt" demanded Gabby.
"They are waiting at the airport, we had too much stuff to take on the shuttle" said Edgar.
"Mom, I want to go with them" said Gabby.
"Gabriella, you barely know them. We will see them at the pool tomorrow. Come on, I'm tired" said Natalie.
"You know him. He's on the crab show you watch" said Gabby.
Natalie blushed a deep red from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.
"Be that as it may you aren't going with them" said Natalie. "It was nice to see you again, I'll see you later."
"Bye Natalie. It's always nice to meet a fan" Edgar said jokingly.
Natalie just waved, her face still bright red. Edgar moved forward in the line finally getting to the rental counter and getting his car. As he drove back to the airport to pick up Louise and the kids he thought about Natalie and her daughter. She seemed pretty cool and her daughter had already made fast friends with his kids. The fact that she watched the show was kind of surprising and weird. He and the family tried to keep a low profile on vacations, just because sometimes being married to the deadliest catch guy bothered Louise. He decided not to tell Louise about Natalie being a fan of the show. Pulling up to the curb he loaded all the suitcases and kids into the car and they headed off to the resort.
The next day was an idyllic day in Maui, the sun was bright and the air was warm. Edgar stood on the balcony smoking a cigarette and drinking a cup of coffee. The kids were getting dressed for a day in the water and all jabbering about their playdate with Gabby. Claire and Matthew seemed to be the most excited about seeing their new playmate but Ethan was happy not to have to play entertainer to his younger siblings. The kids had talked about her nonstop on the car ride to the hotel, so much so that Edgar had actually thought about putting in his earphones just to get a break from the discussion. The kids were chomping at the bit to go downstairs, it was a few minutes before nine and the kids didn't want to be late for their date. Edgar slipped into his bathing suit and threw on a shirt before leading the kids to the pool.
Natalie and Gabby waved to the Hansen's as they came into view. Edgar selected a couple of chairs next to Natalie and the kids dropped all their stuff on the ground before jumping into the water. Gabby followed after dropping a kiss on her mom's cheek. Edgar sighed and organized all the kids stuff before sitting down in on the chaise lounger.
"Good Morning" said Natalie.
"Morning" said Edgar. "How was your night?"
"It was fine, although I think if I heard another word about this playdate I may have gone over the edge" said Natalie.
"I know what you mean" said Edgar.
The waitress came by and Natalie ordered a cup of coffee. Edgar did the same. They both watched their kids in the water, they seemed like fast friends. The coffee arrived and both Natalie and Edgar let out a sigh of contentment after the first sip.
"Where's Louise?" asked Natalie.
"She's getting stuff organized in the room" said Edgar. "She'll be down later."
"I wanted to invite you guys to dinner tonight" said Natalie. "We bought some food from Costco yesterday and we are planning to grill tonight. It would be nice to share."
"We don't have any plans that I'm aware of, so we'd love to join you" said Edgar.
"I think you should ask your wife first" said Natalie. "Just a suggestion."
"You're probably right" said Edgar.
He studied Natalie for a few moments before steeling himself to ask the next question.
"So, where's your husband?" asked Edgar.
"He's still in Japan. He couldn't get the time off of work and we were going to lose our timeshare week, so just Gabby and I came" explained Natalie.
"What do you do in Japan?" asked Edgar.
"I'm a stay at home mom and Greg works for the Navy" said Natalie.
"Wow, well tell him thank you for his service when you speak to him next" said Edgar.
"I will" said Natalie.
Gabby and Claire suddenly materialized next to Edgar and Natalie.
"We have to go potty" announced Gabby.
"I'll take them" said Natalie getting up.
Edgar watched her take the girls towards the bathroom. He noticed that the girls chatted happily with Natalie and that Claire was completely at ease. Louise arrived a moment later decked out in a sexy bikini.
"Where's Claire?" she asked scanning the pool.
"Natalie took her and Gabby to the bathroom" said Edgar.
"And Claire went?" asked Louise in surprise. Claire was usually pretty suspicious about strangers, she sometimes had a hard time making friends and trusting people.
"Yep, she didn't even look back" said Edgar.
A few minutes later Natalie and the girls reappeared. Claire ran up to her mother and gave her a quick hug before grabbing Gabby by the hand and leading her back to the pool.
"Hi Louise" said Natalie.
"Hi Natalie, thanks for taking Claire to the bathroom. I hope she wasn't too much trouble" said Louise.
"No trouble at all. She and Gabby both went into their own stalls chatting all the time like two single girls on a date" said Natalie.
"Great" said Louise sharing a look of amazement with Edgar.
"I wanted to invite you and the family to dinner. Gabby and I are grilling tonight and thought it would be nice to share" said Natalie.
"We'd love to, right Edgar?" said Louise.
"Sounds great" said Edgar.
"What can we bring?" asked Louise.
"Nothing. I think I've got everything we need" said Natalie.
"Well in that cause we'll buy the first round of drinks" said Louise.
"Deal" replied Natalie.
Later that night Louise and Natalie sat around a table sipping on glasses of white wine while the kids played with Edgar on a grassy lawn. The dinner had been a huge success, the food was delicious and everyone ate their fill.
"It's nice to have a drink with someone" said Louise. "Edgar doesn't drink all that much and I always feel like a bit of a lush when I have a drink and no one else does."
"I know what you mean. I rarely ever order a drink at dinner when it's just Gabby and myself. I don't want to look like the drunken mom" said Natalie.
The two ladies tapped glasses and took a deep drink. Edgar arrived back at the table sitting down heavily in one of the chairs.
"I'm glad we stopped at 3 kids" he announced. "4 would be way too exhausting."
"I think one is plenty exhausting, I don't know how you do it with 3" said Natalie.
"Well Edgar wouldn't even know since he's gone so much" said Louise.
"I know the feeling, Greg has gone on deployments and suddenly I become a single parent" said Natalie.
"Yeah, but at least deployments are probably few and far between, he's gone exactly the same time every year" said Louise pointing at Edgar.
"At least he takes you to Hawaii for vacation" said Natalie.
"Thank you Natalie" said Edgar.
"He also buys me nice presents" said Louise with a smile.
"I suppose if he's not home that much you get to organize the house exactly how you like it" said Natalie helpfully.
"I like her, we should hang out with her more often" said Edgar.
"I agree" said Louise with a smile.
"We should have you over for dinner tomorrow" suggested Edgar.
"Yes, you'll have to come. What are you and Gabby doing tomorrow during the day?" asked Louise.
"I think we are going to go into Lahaina for some shopping and sno cones, it's sort of a vacation tradition" said Natalie. "Then probably log some time at the beach."
"That sounds like fun, maybe we can join you" said Louise hopefully.
"We'd love that. I know Gabby adores spending time with Claire and Matthew and I think she may have a bit of a crush on Ethan" revealed Natalie.
"Well he is my son so the crush is really inevitable" said Edgar smugly.
Natalie and Louise shared a look them Louise elbowed Edgar sharply in the ribs.
"What the hell was that for?" asked Edgar rubbing his side.
"Just keeping you honest" said Louise.
The kids played until they were practically falling asleep on their feet. Natalie carried Gabby upstairs while Louise carried Matthew and Edgar carried Claire. Ethan walked slowly down the hall behind the adults.
"Well this is us" said Natalie. "Call my room when you guys get up."
"Good night" called Edgar and Louise.
The rest of the week the kids spent playing together. They spent most of the day together and each of the nights dining with each other. Edgar, Louise and Natalie spent countless hours together while watching their kids play. So it came as no surprise that Natalie got a call from Edgar one morning.
"Hey Nat, do you want to do a couples massage?" he asked.
"I'll happily watch the kids so you and Louise can go" said Natalie.
"No, she doesn't want to go. Do you want to?" asked Edgar.
"Um, I can't I don't have anyone to watch Gabby" said Natalie.
"Louise will watch her. Come over, the massage is in an hour" said Edgar.
Natalie quickly hopped into the shower, got Gabby dressed and packed her swim suit in a bag. Edgar opened the door and smiled at the sight of Natalie and Gabby. Elise pushed passed her dad and immediately grabbed Gabby's hand and dragged her into the room.
"Hey Natalie, ready to go relax?" asked Edgar.
"Sure" said Natalie her voice betraying her confusion.
Louise waved to Edgar and Natalie as they walked down the hall.
Inside the spa Natalie and Edgar changed into robes in separate dressing rooms. They met again in the hallway and were let to a beautiful cabana overlooking the ocean. The two masseuses held open the sheets on the massage beds and Edgar and Natalie quickly shrugged off their robes and slipped under their respective sheets. They turned towards each other smiling as the massages began.
"So do you do this often?" asked Edgar.
"Do what? Agree to get couple massages with men that aren't my husband?" asked Natalie.
"That wasn't what I meant. I meant do you come here on vacation often?" said Edgar.
"Yes, we try to come every year" said Natalie. "It's my favorite place to do the timeshare. Do you come here often?"
"Yeah, usually between King and Opilio" said Edgar.
"I bet your kids love to see you" said Natalie.
"Yeah, but right now they love seeing Gabby more" said Edgar.
"I'm sorry. We can take a few days off if you want to spend some quality time with everyone" said Natalie.
"Are you kidding. I love that they are friends, usually the kids complain about missing their friends at home. So far I've heard no complaints" said Edgar.
"Why didn't Louise want to get a massage with you?" asked Natalie.
"She doesn't like other people touching her naked body" said Edgar.
"Well I'm glad you invited me, this is fantastic" said Natalie.
"You are most welcome" said Edgar.
The rest of the massage was spent in a companionable silence, with just the soft moans that usually accompany great massages. When the massages were over Natalie and Edgar were shown the couples Jacuzzi complete with two glasses of champagne and rose petals scattered on the surface. Edgar and Natalie looked at each other then shrugged and got in the tub. They sat across from each other careful not to touch. Picking up the champagne glasses they toasted to their families then settled back to enjoy the bath.
"I didn't know there would be a bath" said Edgar.
"It's nice" said Natalie her cheeks blushing.
"Just think you can post on your Facebook page that you sat in a tub with the star of the Deadliest Catch" said Edgar.
"Can you imagine? All my friends would want details and photographic evidence" said Natalie, her face blushing harder.
"So you and your friends are quite the fans then?" asked Edgar smugly.
"Yes, it's a very compelling show" replied Natalie.
"Who's your favorite?" asked Edgar.
"You" said Natalie automatically.
"I'm flattered" said Edgar.
"I like Phil too and Josh and Jake, and Sig and Norman and Matt" said Natalie.
"Ok, I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear any of that and just remember that I'm your favorite" said Edgar.
"But really you are my favorite favorite" said Natalie.
"Will you tell all your friends about this when you get home?" asked Edgar.
"No, I think I will keep it just to myself. A precious memory" said Natalie quietly.
"In that case" said Edgar.
He moved forward and reached for Natalie's arms. He pulled her onto his lap where she settled her legs on either side of his hips. Edgar's hands cupped her face pulling her down for a kiss. His tongue slipped into her mouth teasing her palate and causing her to moan. Natalie's hands slipped down Edgar's chest stroking his chest hair and trailing her hands down till she grasped his cock. She found it hard and ready. Edgar's hands weren't idle either, his hands found her core stroking it gently, getting her ready. Wrapping his hands around her waist he lined up and sunk home. Natalie grunted as Edgar stretched her, seating himself fully inside her. Edgar held still allowing Natalie time to adjust to his size. When Natalie began to move slightly Edgar took this as his cue to start thrusting. The water in bath began to shift splashing both Edgar and Natalie. Edgar found this distracting and lifted Natalie out of the bathtub balancing her on the edge of the tub before climbing on top of her and beginning to thrust in earnest. Natalie felt Edgar's hand slip between them and finger her clit. When Natalie started to cum Edgar was prevented from moving by the tightness. He felt her pulse around him and he gritted his teeth holding off his impending orgasm. Once Natalie stopped squeezing him he flipped her over and entered her again. This time Edgar was rougher, taking more than he gave and when Natalie came again he followed her over into completion. Natalie felt Edgar collapse on top of her and for a moment she relished the weight before pushing him slightly. He took the hint and pulled himself off of her dislodging himself from within her at the same time. They were both slightly dazed. Slipping back into the bathtub they both sat in silence for several minutes before Edgar finally spoke.
"I don't really know what to say. That certainly wasn't my intention when I asked you to join me."
"It was very unexpected but pleasant" said Natalie.
"I hope this doesn't really change things between us" said Edgar.
"I won't say anything or act weird" assured Natalie.
Natalie was true to her word, she spent the rest of her vacation drinking coffee with Edgar in the mornings, having wine with Louise in the evenings and letting the kids play together all the time. When she and Gabby's last day arrived the kids exchanged email addresses and promised to write everyday. Louise and Natalie exchanged mailing addresses for Christmas cards. Edgar just smiled and gave Natalie a parting embrace whispering a quiet good bye into her ear.
"It's been a great vacation, I'm going home with quite a few memories" said Natalie. As she and Gabby drove towards the airport she smiled to herself at her truly amazing luck. Not only did she have a great vacation but she got to meet and get to know on a very personal level THE Edgar Hansen. Gabby and Natalie smiled sappily the whole way home to Japan.
A month or so later Edgar was going through the mail and happened upon a thick envelope. Cutting open the packaging out spilled photos from the Hawaii trip. There was a short note from Natalie expressing her gratitude to Louise for sending pictures with the Christmas card and these pictures were Natalie's way of returning the favor. She also included a few hand drawn pictures from Gabby to the kids and a separate note wishing Edgar a safe and prosperous Opillio season. Edgar smiled and tucked his personal note away, he planned to take it on the boat with his other letters from home.
