Partner's Club
***Chris and David's apartment***
Chris came in and locked the door behind her. She and Mary Beth had just been given 2 weeks off from work because they had racked up too much overtime. She couldn't wait to figure out how to spend it. She changed clothes into some yoga pants, a tank top, and some flip flops, and pulled her hair into a ponytail.
She texted David that she had a surprise for him, and that she would be home later, and that she loved him. She headed out to find a dress for the partner's dinner.
***Bloomingdale's***
Bridgit was working, so Chris went to her floor.
"Hi, Aunt Chris! What are you doing here?"
"I am looking for a dazzling, amazing dress to wear to David's partner's dinner tomorrow night. It's formal."
"well, let's get going". They headed towards the evening gown section. "What colors do you want?"
"I will try anything, Bridgit".
Bridgit grabbed them a cart, and they started looking through the dresses.
She started grabbing ones that she thought Chris would love, like a beaded sparkling sequined bright blue dress, and a deep red sequined dress with a thick black trim, and a bright red dress with black lace over it, and a gold glittered one with a sweetheart neckline. Chris had found some dresses to try on too, and she went and got a fitting room. Bridgit took all the dresses she had found into the dressing room for her, and waited outside the door while she put them on.
"Let me know what you think".
The sparkling bright blue dress was really pretty. Chris liked the lace dress better than the sparkling red one. She came out and showed all three to Bridgit.
"You look amazing in all of them. Try on the gold one, and I will go get a few more".
Chris tried on the gold one. She loved how it felt, how it fit, and that it wasn't heavy.
Bridgit selected a Purple and silver sequined gown, that was strapless and sweetheart, as well as a V-neck thin strapped gown that was black on the bottom and had a silver sequined bodice, and a navy blue off the shoulder cap sleeved dress that had a v-split and was sparkly, with a train. She also grabbed a short sleeved plunge cocktail dress that had rows of sequins and gemstones. It was silver and grey. She also grabbed a floor length purple gown with a black lace bodice that was V-necked and slightly off the shoulder.
She brought all of these back to Chris.
"Ok Aunt Chris, let's see the gold one".
Chris stepped out.
"You look amazing in that one! How do you like it?"
"I like it. But I am not sold on it, just yet. What else do you have?"
Bridgit hung the dresses up in Chris' dressing room, and then took the ones that she had said no to- the bright blue, and the sparkling red.
Chris started trying on more dresses, while Bridgit grabbed the overflow cart and started looking. She found a short beaded zebra cocktail dress, and a raspberry colored dress with a ruffled bodice.
She came back in, and Chris showed her the navy blue one.
"I love that one! Is it comfortable?"
"Yes, but it's heavy".
She tried on the others. She loved the zebra one, and decided to get that even if she wasn't going to wear it to the dinner.
"Ok I think this one is my favorite". She came out in the purple gown with the black lace bodice.
"I agree. That is the best one yet".
She had Bridgit take a picture of her in it, and then she put the red and black lace dress on again and had her take a picture of her in that one. They did the same with the gold dress, and then Chris sent the pics to Lisa, Ann, and Mary Beth. She told Bridgit to pick a favorite as well.
Lisa responded first.
"I like the gold because it's sparkly and you look amazing in sparkling dresses. Do you have anything darker? Your skin tone looks great in dark colors".
Mary Beth texted back. "You always look great in dark dresses".
Chris told Bridgit to go get the dark blue sequin dress back, and she would try it on again. She did, and they took a picture and sent it to all 3 again.
"Is this better?"
"YES! That one!" was Lisa's response.
"The blue is the most beautiful on you" was Mary Beth's reply.
"Just seeing this, sorry. I vote for the blue, and I hope that I look half as pretty as you do at my next formal event".
"Thanks, Ann, you are too kind".
She took the dress off and put on the zebra one. She had Bridgit take her pic in that one too.
"Where will you wear that, Aunt Chris?"
"Probably just on a date night with David."
"Ooooh! I have the perfect date night dress for you, Be right back!"
She ran and grabbed this high neck halter dress, that was pink/coral in color, and was a solid fabric with a lace overlay. It was a mini dress, with a fitted skirt.
She brought it back to Chris. "Just trust me, and put it on."
Chris complied. She felt sexy in it, that's for sure, and she could see herself wearing it for sure.
She opened the door and handed her phone to Bridgit.
"This girl is on fire!", sang Bridgit, as she took the picture.
"Gosh I have the hottest aunt around".
"I do like it…."
She sent the pictures of the zebra gown and the coral one to Lisa and Mary Beth. "These aren't for the partner's dinner, but do you think they would be date night appropriate?"
"Holy smokes get both! Do we wear the same size?" Lisa could always make Chris laugh.
Mary Beth texted back. "Absolutely".
So it was decided, Chris was getting the coral gown, the zebra gown, and the blue off the shoulder V-neck gown.
She had Bridgit bag them and hold them for her, while she went to try on shoes. She found a pair of beaded black heels, and a glitter-crusted pair of black peep toe heels, and she grabbed both.
She went to the register, and Bridgit rang her up and gave her a discount plus a couple coupons. The blue dress was $499, and the two cocktails were $88 each, and with the shoes, the total was $800. Chris felt guilty but she figured she would tell David and if he didn't like it, then she could bring them back.
"Thanks for helping Bridgit, I appreciate it".
"You look so hot in those, I can't wait to hear what David thinks of you in those".
She hugged her and then Chris headed home.
***Chris and David's apartment***
She stopped and picked up their favorite sushi rolls plus a few new ones on the way home.
She pulled into the parking garage and saw that David wasn't home yet, so after she parked, she texted him.
"Gonna be home soon, honey?"
"About 5 minutes away".
She got the dresses out of the car, and her purse, and the sushi, and locked her car doors. She could hear David pulling into the garage. She waited for him, and he got out, and came over and kissed her.
"I have some dresses to show you". She kissed him back.
He carried the sushi, and they headed to the elevator.
They came inside and she took the dresses to the bedroom and hung them in her closet. He put the sushi in the fridge.
She came out to the den.
"The one I am wearing to the partner's dinner is a surprise. But I want you to see the other two I got and if you don't like them, I will take them back".
"Ok babe'.
She went and took down her ponytail, and put her hair in a clip. She put on a black strapless bra, and then put on the zebra dress first. She paired it with the peep toe heels, and then came out into the bedroom.
"Ok honey, where are you?"
"Sitting on the couch, babe".
"Close your eyes"
"Done".
She walked out and stood in front of him.
"Would you go on a date with me in this?"
He popped his eyes open, and his jaw dropped.
"Have mercy….".
He got up and danced with her some and kissed her a few times.
"Just wait till you see the next one".
She kissed him and then headed to change into the next one.
He came and sat on the bed, while she changed in the closet.
She put on the coral sheath dress, and put the peep toe heels back on.
"I don't know if I would wear these shoes with it, but here it comes. Close your eyes".
She came out and stood before him.
"Open, honey".
He opened his eyes and his jaw dropped again.
"Babe, you look so beautiful in that".
"Thanks, honey."
"Is that the end of the fashion show?"
She nodded. "Until tomorrow night, when you see the dress I bought for the dinner."
"I am sure you are going to look sensational".
"Now, these dresses plus the shoes, plus the shoes I bought for tomorrow's night dress, it was a little expensive. I can take some back if you want".
"You deserve all of it, babe. No taking it back".
She kissed him.
"The other part of the surprise, is that Mary Beth and I racked up a ton of overtime, so the NYPD is making us take the next two weeks off. So I left at 2 today, and I get tomorrow plus 2 full weeks off, with pay. And I was thinking, we could plan and take our Greece trip week after next, if you can get away".
"Sounds wonderful, babe".
He kissed her and then she went and took the dress off, and put on some pajama shorts and a tank top.
"I picked up sushi for dinner tonight, babe, and there is leftover steak and veggies also. Wanna eat on the couch on tv trays?"
"Yes. Wanna watch a movie with me?"
"Absolutely".
She got the TV trays set up, and got the sushi out of the fridge. She pulled the steak out and heated that up as well, along with the veggies, and cut the steak into equal portions. She made their plates and brought them to the TV trays. David was picking out a movie. She grabbed two glasses and poured them water to drink.
After she grabbed them silverware and napkins, they sat down on the couch, and snuggled together under a blanket. They took turns feeding each other sushi rolls.
They ate, and only finished about ½ the sushi. They watched the entire movie under the blanket together, and then when it was over, they got up and cleaned up from dinner, and put the rest of the sushi in the fridge.
She turned to David, and leaned back against the counter. "What do you want to do now, honey?"
"Climb in bed with my hot wife and watch the news, and then drift off to sleep with my hot wife in my arms".
"Your hot wife wants to do the same thing with her hot husband".
She kissed him, and then refilled her water glass, and they headed to bed. He locked the door and set the alarm, and turned off the TV while she folded up the blanket.
She climbed into bed, and grabbed her phone and turned the alarms off.
As soon as she put it on the charger, a text from Bridgit came in.
"Aunt Chris! The most AMAZING dress was returned tonight after you left. You have to try it! Want to see a picture?"
"Sure, send me a pic. David has seen the two cocktail dresses, but not the blue one."
She got the picture then. It was a sequined white and silver zebra patterned dress with spaghetti straps and a deep v-split cleavage. It was a long dress, and Chris could see herself wearing it, but she didn't know which one to choose.
"Honey, for the partner's dinner tomorrow night, do you want to see me in a floor length solid color gown, or a floor length white and gray patterned gown?"
He kissed her neck and said "Solid color, babe".
"Ok, honey".
She texted Bridgit that she was going to pass, but thanks anyways.
"How did David like the cocktail dresses?"
"He said they were sensational. His jaw literally dropped open".
"Yay! I knew he would love them!".
She put the phone down, and then she and David snuggled up to watch the news. After the weather, they turned the news off, and Chris reached up and turned out the lights.
"Honey, we did it. We finally had a night in, just the two of us".
"You're right, we did. Nobody else I would rather spend it with".
They made love and then fell asleep.
***Friday morning***
Chris woke up when David's alarm went off, and got up to brush her teeth and make them breakfast.
She made bacon and scrambled egg whites, and cheese toast with tomatoes, just the way he liked it.
He came out of the bedroom and joined her in the kitchen, and helped her get breakfast on the table.
They sat and ate.
"What are you going to do today, babe?"
"Not sure. Might try and get my roots done, and maybe lay by the pool if the sun is out. What time is the dinner?"
"We have to leave by 5. Babe, if I was to wear a blue and grey tie, would that match your dress?"
"Yes, I believe it would." She looked at him pointedly. "Did you peek?"
"No. I was just trying to pick out my tie color. And the options are Blue and Grey, Red and Grey, and Green flecked with grey".
"Do you have blue flecked with grey?"
"Yes, I do. I have a solid blue silk, I have the blue and grey flecked, the blue and grey striped, and a blue and grey pinstripe".
"Well, you can put away the red and the green. Blue will match my dress the closest. And after you see my dress tonight, you can decide what tie".
"Gonna keep me in the dark, huh?"
"Yes, that is the plan, David."
He stood up and put his plate in the sink. She ate her last bite and took her plate to the sink and she decided to start loading the dishwasher.
"I will be home by 4, babe. I love you more than anything".
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
"I love you too honey, have a great day".
He left and then she locked the door behind him.
She called her hair dresser and made an appointment for 1. She thought for a moment and then called a spa, and made an appointment for a deep tissue massage and a facial for 10.
It was 8:15, so she went and showered and then got dressed. She loaded the dishwasher and cleaned up the kitchen, and was headed out by 9:15.
***The Spa***
She got to the spa at 9:30, and signed in. She was given a robe and flip flops and then she went and sat in the quiet room. Her massage was first, and she had asked for the 80 minute one. The massage tech was amazing, and got all of her knots out, and even walked on her back at one point. She stretched her to her limits and really got her stress out. After it was over, Chris put her robe back on and then went back to the quiet room for her facial.
She was only in the quiet room for 10 minutes, and then the facialist came and got her.
Chris explained that she wanted her face and neck and chest and shoulders to glow as much as possible because she had a big event tonight. Her skin was already very, very healthy, so it wasn't going to be an issue. They didn't even have to do any extractions, since she didn't have any blemishes. They also massaged her face very well, along with her neck and shoulders. After she was done, she felt like a new woman.
She got dressed and then went and changed back into her clothes, and headed to pay. After she was done, she headed to her hair appointment. It didn't take near as long since she was getting her roots done only, and then she headed home.
***Chris and David's apartment***
She came in, and locked the door behind her. She grabbed the leftover sushi, and ate a few rolls. She went and tried her dress on, and began to panic. Her strapless bra just didn't work right with this dress.
She texted Bridgit. "Are you at work? I need help with this dress. My bra isn't working with it, and I am running out of time".
"On my way with some rescue methods. Charli is coming too".
Chris changed out of the dress and put her robe on, and then started picking out her jewelry. She wanted to wear the diamond bracelet Charlie had given her, and the diamond earrings that David had given her, and the new sapphire necklace that Lisa had given her.
Bridgit knocked on the door, and Chris ran and let her in.
"HI honey, hi darling".
They came in, and Chris saw that Bridgit had 2 bags plus a Bumbo chair in her hand, and Charli on her hip.
They went into the bedroom, and Bridgit set Charli up with the Bumbo, and turned to Chris. "Can I turn the TV on for her?"
"Sure. The remote is on my nightstand".
Once Charli was all set up, she turned to Chris.
"Ok show me what is happening with your bra and your dress".
Chris slipped it on. And she showed Bridgit that depending on how she moved, it would show either in the front, or in the back.
"Well, we have a few options. One is pageant tape, but it will leave residue on your bra. Another is a backless bra. And the final option, which is the one that I use all the time, is sticky boobs".
"Sticky what?"
"Sticky boobs. They stick to your skin, and give you lift, keep you from nipping, and let you wear backless dresses with ease".
Chris was hesitant. "Let's try the backless bra, first". Bridgit got it out and helped Chris put it on, and then they put the dress back on.
"Is it comfortable?"
"Not really. Better than the strapless, but not really".
"Wanna try the sticky boobs?"
"I suppose".
Bridgit got those out while Chris took the backless bra off, and showed her how to put them on.
"So you hold the boob up with one hand, and put the sticky boob under it with the other. Importance on placing the sticky boob under your boob, so that you can give it some lift."
Chris did the first one, and Bridgit encouraged her. She did the second one, and then Bridgit showed her how to stretch it to cover the nipples, and then stood back.
"They look even to me. Now pull the dress up, and let's see how it looks with the dress".
She pulled the dress up and zipped it. She turned to look in the mirror.
"This is the one! This is what I wanted it to look like".
"It looks fabulous, Aunt Chris".
"How long do these things last? What if they fall off during dinner?"
"That's never happened to me. I have worn them for 12 hours straight one night, and they never moved. When you get home, put them back in the box. As long as you keep them in the box, they should last about 8 months".
Chris slipped the gown off, but kept the sticky boobs in place. She put a tank top on and some pajama shorts, and then she went and grabbed her checkbook. She wrote Bridgit a check for $250 and came back and handed it to her.
"this is for the sticky boobs plus for helping me yesterday, honey. I really appreciate it".
"Thanks, Aunt Chris".
Chris looked at the clock. It was 3:30. She still had to straighten her hair, and put her makeup on. Bridgit and Charli left, after a few hugs and kisses from Aunt Chris. Chris locked the door behind them, and went to take a nap.
She texted David before she fell asleep. "Wake me up when you get home, honey".
After about an hour and 15 minutes of blissful rest, Chris felt David wrap his arms around her. She rolled over and kissed him.
"Hi, honey".
"Hi babe."
"How long have you been home?"
"Just about 15 minutes. Good news. They pushed the dinner back to 7, and we don't have to leave till 6, so we have an hour to sleep".
"Great news, honey". He kissed her cheek, and then went to squeeze her boobs.
He felt the sticky boobs and looked at her.
"Did you get a boob job today, babe?"
She laughed. "No, they are called sticky boobs. Bridgit brought them over. They are for my dress, and I didn't want to take them off since they were already in place. It's like a bra, but it's not".
"You look great with sticky boobs, babe". He kissed her neck and they made love, and then fell asleep for 45 minutes.
When the alarm went off, he went and got in the shower, and she got up and washed her face and straightened her hair. She put her makeup on, and then went and put her dress on.
After she was all ready, she selected a black sequined clutch, and put on the peep toe heels, and came out into the den. David was completely ready except for his tie.
He turned around when he heard her coming, and his jaw dropped.
"what do you think?"
"I think I am going to have the hardest time keeping my hands off you babe". He kissed her. "You look gorgeous."
She helped him pick a tie, and then at the last minute she went and got the cushions for her shoes.
"Honey, are we dancing tonight?"
"Absolutely".
She put the cushions in her shoes and then put them back on. Much better.
She switched purses, and only had her wallet and cell phone and keys, plus a small makeup bag.
She gathered her train, and they headed out. They went to the car, and David helped her into the car, and shut the door behind her, and then got in.
"Where is the dinner, honey?"
"At the Library, in the ballroom".
"Oh that's a pretty place."
They drove there, and David valet parked the car, and then they went inside.
***New York Public Library***
David's firm had pulled out all the stops. All of the partners from all their firms were coming in to NYC for this dinner. 150 partners in one place. They had a photographer taking pictures, and elegant flower displays, and waiters offering appetizers and drinks. They were even checking purses and coats.
There was a huge ballroom with plenty of tables and a great big dance floor. They were having a silent auction, at the back of the room, and the food line was on the other side.
David and Chris posed for a few pictures, and everyone was admiring her dress.
They went inside and were handed several pieces of paper, and a program for the evening. They made their way to their table, placed their drink order, and then Chris started looking at the papers. One had the rules and details of the silent auction. The other was a raffle contest.
They were doing superlatives this year, and Chris saw they had a cup of pencils on the table for them to use. David started filling his out, and Chris filled hers out as best she could. She let David fill in the blanks for the ones she didn't know, like best researcher or most pro-bono wins.
After they were done filling them out, they went and put them in the box, and then grabbed their plates at the buffet. The firm had gone all out on the food, also. Steaks, baked potatoes, crab legs, prime rib, a carving station. She and David brought their food back to the table and ate, and Chris noticed that everyone kept telling her how pretty she was, and asking her name. David was introducing her to a lot of partners from other cities.
The waiters came and took their plates, and she and David went and looked at the silent auction items. She bid on a few things, like a spa day, and a weekend getaway at an inn in Vermont, and David bid on things like noise canceling headphones, and a Yeti cooler with new Yeti cups.
The lights dimmed, so they went and sat down again, before the presentation started. They were at a table with the other partners from David's firm.
The presentation was by the founding partner's son, who talked about what their firm's mission was, and how they could achieve it together. He also talked about changes to policy that were forthcoming. One of the more significant changes was that David would now be getting an extra 2 weeks of vacation per year, and that for the first 6 months of the next year, they were going to experiment with a 4-day work week, where the lawyers could work from home on Fridays and the office would be closed. They were also going to give out bonuses, and some partners were going to get car allowances.
"And, we are going to form a partner's club. This club will be made up of partner's from all of the firms, and they will get together every other month to make firm decisions. We are pleased to announce to everyone tonight who the inaugural partners in the Partner's club are. From the Boston office, Matt Stevens. Pennsylvania, Andrew West. California, Shelly Grimes. Texas, Brett Watson. New York City, David Keeler. New York State, Owen Williams. Virginia, Tanya Young. D.C., Allyson Pittman. North Carolina, Mark Andrews. Seattle, McKenna Graves. Chicago, Todd Bates. Nashville, Wyatt Roper. Congrats to all the partners in the partner's club". Everyone clapped at all of the incentives, and after the speech was done, the music started. The emcee for the evening told everyone they had 30 minutes left to get their ballots in, and told everyone to eat, drink, and dance and have a good time.
"Way to go, honey. I am so proud of you". She kissed him.
"Thanks, babe".
Chris and David chatted for a minute, and then he asked her to dance. She followed him onto the dance floor, and they danced for several songs in a row. They easily won the dance contest of staying on the dance floor the longest and everyone was just in awe of them dancing. They danced the slow songs staring into each other's eyes and didn't even notice anyone else was around.
After the dancing had stopped, and the music was over, they took their seats.
The emcee took the microphone to announce the winners of the superlatives.
"Ladies and Gentlemen: Here are your superlatives for this year's partner's ball!"
There were only 4 categories that Chris was interested in, and remotely cared about. Best lawyer, Most Knowledgeable Partner, Hottest wife, and Hottest couple. The other ones were all law firm related, that she wouldn't have an interest in.
They did the law firm ones, first, and David won for Most Knowledgeable Partner, and tied for Best Lawyer.
"The award for Hottest Wife goes to: Christine Keeler! Congratulations, Christine, see the table up front on your way out to collect your prize. And last but not least, instead of King and Queen of the prom, we have the hottest couple. Your hottest couple for this year's partner's ball is…. Drum roll please…David and Christine Keeler! Take a spin on the dance floor!"
David took her hand and led her to the dance floor, and they slow danced to "Can't Help Falling in Love".
He kissed her at the end, and they left the dance floor and headed to the dessert table.
They selected a couple desserts to share, and he had the waitress bring them new drinks.
"Is there anything left to do tonight, or do we just do what we want?"
"In about 10 minutes, they are going to announce the silent auction winners. We can always go look and see if we got outbid.'
"Good idea".
They grabbed her purse and headed to the silent auction table and found that David had been outbid for the headphones, but Chris hadn't been on the weekend in Vermont. So David rebid, and also bid on a technology package, that had Apple TV, wireless surround sound, another wireless Bluetooth speaker, and an Ipad mini. He bid pretty high on that, to hopefully keep away other bids.
They mingled and took their pictures in the photo booth until the emcee took the mic to announce the winners of the silent auction.
As expected, Chris won on the weekend getaway, and David lost on the headphones but won on the technology package.
They headed to the front table to pay their bill and collect their awards from the superlatives.
Winning Most Knowledgeable Lawyer got David a $1500 VISA gift card. Tying for Best Lawyer got him a $100 gift card to Benihana. Hottest Wife got Christine a $500 gift card to Bloomingdales, and the hottest couple award got them another $1500 gift card. Chris owed $750 on the weekend getaway, and David owed $500 on the technology package. So they spent $1250, and won $3600 in prizes. Not a bad night.
They collected their winnings, and headed for the car.
***Chris and David's apartment***
Chris and David came in, and she put the gift cards on the counter. She headed to change. She kicked her shoes off, and then started unzipping her dress. She got it off, and got her pajamas on, and bagged the dress up to take it to the cleaners.
She took her jewelry off and put it in her jewelry armoire, and then went to wash her face. David had locked the door, set the alarm, gotten her a glass of water, and was now changing out of his suit.
"It was a great night, honey. Not what I pictured at all".
"It was very fun. We won some nice things".
She dried her face off and put her hair up in a loose ponytail, and started putting lotion on her face.
"They were spot on giving you Best Lawyer".
"Thanks babe. They were more than spot on giving you hottest wife, and we are very deserving of hottest couple".
He kissed her, and wrapped his arms around her.
She hugged him for a minute, and then they headed to bed.
She climbed into bed and started rubbing her feet.
"Here, let me". He grabbed her foot and started giving her a foot massage, and pressed hard like she liked, so he wouldn't tickle her. They turned on the news like they always do.
He put her almost totally to sleep with his foot massage, and then he cuddled up with her and started giving her a neck and shoulder massage too. She turned her head and kissed him a few times, and then reached up and turned out the lights. After the news was over, they went to sleep.
***Saturday***
They woke up to a rainy, stormy Saturday. They went back to sleep and slept till about 10, and then David made a deli run for bagels, lox and cream cheese and juice. Chris got her laptop and the gift cards from last night, plus all of the trips and gift cards they had won or been given recently, and sat on the couch under a blanket. She began to sort it all out, and started looking at dates. They had a trip to Greece, a trip to the British Virgin Islands from Brian and Ann, and the weekend getaway to Vermont, plus the Visa gift cards, which could be used to plan a 4th trip, possibly.
She wanted to take at least one of the trips while she had the 2 weeks off. She looked up reservations for both Greece and the Virgin Islands. They both had open accommodations. She checked the weather for both, and the Virgin Islands were sunnier, but Greece was sunny too.
David got back with the bagels and she stopped to eat.
She told him what she was planning.
"Do you want to go to Greece next week, or the Virgin Islands? They both have openings, and they both are having good weather. And both are paid for except for spending money".
"I am ok with either, babe. What is your first choice?"
"I am ok with either as well. Guess we could flip a coin?"
He nodded. He pulled a quarter out of the coin jar, and looked at Chris.
"Heads is Greece, tails is the Virgin Islands".
He flipped it, and caught it and put it on the back of his hand.
"You ready, babe?"
"Yes".
"Heads it is".
"Greece, alright!"
He went and sat by her and tried to help with the planning.
"So if we take the Greece trip now, we can take the Virgin Islands trip in the winter, when it's cold here?"
"Yes, honey. And we can take the Vermont one anytime".
"Awesome. Let's book it".
She booked their flights, and the resort. It was all inclusive, which was a great bargain. It had a spa too, so that was a big plus.
They booked an excursion for a glass bottomed boat ride, and one for a hike, and a day at the hot springs spa in the volcano.
They were both pretty excited about their trip. They were going to be gone from early Thursday morning till the following Wednesday.
They spent the rest of the day lounging and watching movies together. She made him one of his favorite pasta dishes for dinner-vermicelli with marinara sauce and diced tomatoes and onions, bacon, sliced sausage, and parmesan cheese on top. She made them caprese salads to go with it, and she made him his favorite peach tea.
She loved having pajama days with him. They usually stayed so busy that the occasional pajama day was very rewarding.
***Sunday***
Chris and David woke up and went out for brunch. They went to Target afterwards, so that David could get some extra cords for the technology package he won. That was going to be delivered to their home the next day.
Chris found a few extra things that she wanted at Target, such as a book to read on the flight, and a new suitcase. They checked out, and then went home.
They came back to their apartment, and put everything away. Chris texted Bridgit and Lisa to check on them, and they both responded they were doing great. Bridgit was packing, and Lisa was working on her resume and some sketches.
Chris got her laptop and started looking on Amazon. She found a really nice pair of noise-cancelling headphones like the ones that David had been outbid on. She ordered him a pair and decided it would be a surprise.
She went on the delta website to reserve their seats for their flights. They were flying first class both ways, and they had one of those planes where the first class seats were in little pod like things, with the seats that reclined the whole way. She got them 2 seats together, going and coming.
They took a nap together in the afternoon, and she woke up to David making her dinner. For someone who doesn't normally just sit around and do nothing, Chris was at her limit, and it had only been 2 days.
She went into the kitchen, to see if she could help him with dinner.
"Hi babe, have a nice nap?"
"Yes, it was glorious. Can I help?"
"Sure. I am making you my world-famous chicken fried rice, with teriyaki steak kabobs on the side and marinated grilled veggies. So, do you want to cut the chicken off the bone, or do you want to cut up the veggies for the grill?"
"I will take the chicken". She washed her hands, and got out a cutting board. He got the chicken out for her and she grabbed a special boning knife, and starting cutting the bones out. After she got the bones out, she cut the chicken into chunks for the fried rice. With them working together, they were able to get dinner prepared in about 25 minutes.
She cleaned up from the chicken and scrubbed the cutting board, and then she washed and dried her hands and set the table. David went outside and started the grill, and she got his grill plates and tools ready for him. She made both of them drinks, and set them on the counter. She sautéed the chicken for him while he was outside, and put the veggies on low with butter in a different pan, like she had seen him do hundreds of times. He came back in and set the timer, and then took over the chicken fried rice.
She grabbed her phone and saw that Bridgit and Lisa had both texted back, asking if she could see them that week. She responded that she was on vacation and would be home until Thursday, so to pick a day and come on.
David mixed the chicken, rice and veggies together, and got out the garlic butter that he had made while she was napping, to mix in to it. He went outside and turned the veggies and then came back in to finish the rice. About 6 minutes later, the steak was ready, so David brought steak and veggies in, and then they sat down and ate.
"Thanks for making dinner, honey."
"You're welcome babe." He lifted his glass. "Here's to a relaxing evening with my hot wife".
"Cheers!" They clinked, kissed, and sipped.
They devoured the chicken fried rice, because it was just that good. She got up and put away the leftovers and cleaned up the kitchen since he had cooked. He gathered the trash and took it to the chute. After the kitchen was all clean, she started the dishwasher and turned out the lights in the kitchen. She headed to the bedroom, and found David putting his board shorts on. He grabbed her and pulled her into an embrace.
"Want to go to the hot tub, babe?"
"Sure, honey". She went into the closet and pulled out her pink paisley bathing suit top with the white shimmery bottoms, and quickly put them on. She put her hair in a ponytail, and grabbed them towels, and the wireless speaker. She met him outside, and they got it all set up and then climbed in.
Hot tub nights were always nights that she slept well afterwards.
She put her head on his shoulder and they stared up at the stars.
"One week from now we will be in Greece, babe".
"I am so excited! I have always wanted to go to Greece, and now that Samuels made it possible for us to go….gosh, I miss that man".
"He was a great friend. You are lucky that you were able to learn from him and work with him".
"Extremely. I might not have made it as far had I worked for anyone else".
"Why do you say that?"
"When I first started working for him, not too many other Lieutenants were keen on letting women advance as quickly as he let us advance. Mary Beth and I clawed our way and earned every advancement, but other Lieutenants could have made us wait longer for them".
She looked at David. "Any word on Nick Granger this week, or Meredith Watson?"
"Nick called our office, trying to get a lawyer to represent him. Because of my connection to his victim, our senior partner put him on the non-representation list. Meredith Watson, last time I heard, was on suicide watch."
"Well, considering she will be spending a good portion of her life behind bars, I can't say it wouldn't cross my mind in her position".
They soaked for a long time, and just chatted. Chris felt so relaxed, which was good for her, since she usually held her stress in.
David's phone rang then. He picked it up and answered it. She closed her eyes and just soaked. She heard him say goodbye, and opened her eyes again.
"Babe, do you care if we go to dinner with someone tomorrow night?"
"Not especially. Who is it?"
"My ex-wife. We remained friends and she is in town on business and wants to see me and meet you".
"Well, isn't that nice. Where are we going to meet her?"
"She told me to pick the place. I was thinking we could go somewhere original to New York, but upscale".
"How about Trattoria L' incontro? Does she like Italian?"
"From what I remember, yes".
"That place is upscale, it's Italian, and you haven't ever taken me there".
"Well, I am taking you there tomorrow night".
"Just the three of us?"
"She's remarried, Chris. Her husband will be joining us".
"Just dinner, right?"
"Yes. Babe, you have nothing to worry about". Chris nodded. She knew she was being petty for no reason. David's marriage to Katie had ended a long time ago, and she believed him when he told her that he was in love with her and only her.
"Honey, were you still in love with me when you were married to her?"
"I don't know how to answer that, Chris. I moved out of this state to get over you, and I put you in my past because that's where you wanted to be. If I had seen you somewhere while I was married to Katie, then I might could tell you yes or no, but that didn't happen. I feel like on some level, I never stopped loving you Chris. Ever".
He kissed her.
"Do you think you still loved me when you were married to Jimmy?"
"Not the way I loved him. He was very unique-he was giving, and affectionate, and great at sex, but at the same time, he was emotionally distant. He wanted everyone in his life to live in the moment with him, and not have moments from other times of your life. It was very hard to get used to. I was completely over you by the time I married him. The relationship that I wasn't over you in was when I dated Nick. I tried like hell to make him be like you, and it didn't work".
"I tried to make a lot of the women I dated after you act like you. It didn't work for me either".
"I guess we are just destined to be together, babe, since we can't make anyone else act like us". He kissed her and she kissed him back.
She texted Mary Beth that they were going to dinner the next with his ex-wife. Mary Beth responded "You're a good woman, Christine".
"What does one wear to meet the ex-wife?"
"You wear one of those dresses that you bought for date night, and David might share a meal with his ex-wife, but he will only have eyes for you, my friend".
"Good point".
They both put their phones away and focused on each other.
After about an hour and a half, they got out and headed inside. She dried off and changed into a spaghetti strap nightgown that David liked and then she went to the kitchen to get them a snack. She made them a plate of sliced strawberries and cheese, and got herself a glass of water and brought it back to the bedroom. David was in his pajama pants, and had just came in from turning off the hot tub.
She grabbed them a bed tray and climbed into bed with their snack and David.
He turned the TV on, and found one of their favorite movies to watch. She snuggled up to him, and they fed each other strawberries while they watched the movie. He laid back on her shoulder and she rubbed his chest, and then, when the movie was finished, they finished eating the strawberries, and cheese. David put the bed tray on the floor, and she turned off the lights. They snuggled up, and made out for a little bit, and after making love, they fell asleep.
***Monday***
Chris woke up when David's alarm went off. She climbed out of bed and washed her face and brushed her teeth, and then went to make them breakfast, while he got ready for work.
She made one of David's favorite breakfasts- Pancakes rolled up with sausage links on the inside, covered in syrup. She also made them some scrambled egg whites, and squeezed him some fresh juice.
He came to the table right as she was finished making everything, and helped her get everything on the table.
"Do you have court today honey?"
"No, just a deposition."
"What time did you tell Katie we would meet her?"
"7. We probably need to leave here by 6:20, or so".
"I will be ready".
She got up and put the dishes in the dishwasher and started cleaning up the kitchen.
He brought his dishes to the sink and kissed the side of her forehead.
He went and got his jacket from the bedroom and came back to the kitchen.
"I will be home by 5:30, babe."
"Sounds good, counselor." She straightened his tie, and then embraced him.
"Have a good day babe". He kissed her.
"Have a good day? That's it?" She had a confused look on her face.
"I love you babe, have a good day." He kissed her again.
"That's better. I love you too, honey". She kissed him a few times.
"I will see you when I get home, babe. Wish I could spend the day with you".
"Me too. Greece…."
She kissed him once more and then he headed to work. She locked the door behind him and set the alarm, and tried to figure out what to do with her day. She started by making some coffee in the Keurig, and settling on the couch with the Today show. She texted Bridgit that she was going to wear one of the date night dresses tonight, and asked her if she wanted to help her with her makeup.
"Lisa is a professional makeup artist! We can come help you if you'd like!"
"Sounds great. Can you come this afternoon? I don't want David to know that I didn't do it myself. He will be home by 5:30, so we gotta be done before then".
"Deal. We will be there at 3!"
She looked at the clock. It was 9 a.m.
She went and changed into lounging pants and a t-shirt, grabbed her book and came back to the couch.
After a couple hours of reading, she started getting hungry. She decided to order in some sushi, and called and placed the order. About 20 minutes later, it was there. One of her favorite things about New York was that just about everyone delivered.
After she ate a couple rolls, she went and showered, and then straightened up the house a little bit.
Bridgit and Lisa got there exactly at 2:45. Charli was still at the babysitters. Lisa had brought 2 huge makeup boxes with her.
"Come in, come in! Right this way". Chris led them to the bedroom, and she pulled a chair into the bathroom, to her vanity.
She got out her makeup for Lisa to look through, and Bridgit was looking in Chris' closet.
"Aunt Chris, you and David go out all the time. You are married. Why is this date night so different?"
"Because we are having dinner with his ex-wife. And even though she is remarried, I am feeling somewhat intimidated by someone who I haven't even met yet. I want to make sure he looks at me all evening".
"Good plan Aunt Chris!".
"His ex-wife?! We got this, you will be the only woman David can look at tonight!"
Bridgit set about styling Chris' hair, and flat ironing it, while Lisa was figuring out what products to use. Chris had some good stuff to use, and Lisa only had to add a few things.
After Bridgit had Chris' hair all straightened, and parted like she liked it, Lisa set about with the makeup. It only took about 20 minutes to get the basics on, and she decided to do glam makeup for Chris' eyes. After she was done, Chris looked absolutely gorgeous. She looked like a movie star, all glamourous and sexy. She gave Chris some clear gloss to put on her lips to plump them and pout them, and told Chris right before she left, to apply her lipstick on top of it.
Chris looked at the clock. It was 4:30. Lisa helped her pick out her perfume. Bridgit had already put a few outfits together, and Chris chose the zebra one shoulder dress, and the black strappy heels and black clutch. She wore the diamond bracelet Charlie gave her, and the earrings that David had given her, just like she always did on special occasions. She texted David and asked him what time she would be home.
He replied back "In ten minutes. We changed the dinner to 6". She looked at the clock. 5:05.
"He's going to be home in 10 minutes girls. Bridgit, help me get my dress on, and then I can take it from there".
After Bridgit had her zipped up and in the dress, she and Lisa hugged her gingerly and headed for the door.
"Girls, thank you so, so much! I will text you tomorrow and let you know how it went".
"Love you Aunt Chris. Just remember, he's already yours, and she is the one who sent him back to you".
They left, and Chris hurried back to the bedroom and threw her shoes on, and grabbed her clutch. She put on more of the plumping stuff, and then added lipstick, and sprayed the perfume on like Lisa told her to do, shielding her face from it the whole time.
She heard David come in the door.
"Be right out, honey".
She walked out, and saw that he had his back to her, as he was putting something in the fridge.
"Ready or not…"
He turned around. She saw his jaw drop.
"Babe, you are absolutely mesmerizing. You are so beautiful".
"Thanks honey. You look pretty good yourself".
He kissed her, and then went to put on a fresh shirt and tie. She quickly changed purses, and dabbed on this stuff that Lisa had given her, that had pheromones in it. Lisa had told her that It would drive David crazy.
When he came back to the kitchen, she was done changing purses. She grabbed her bottle of water with the squirt top from the fridge and squirted a few long sips into her mouth.
David came up to her and put a hand on her waist. "You ready to go babe?"
She nodded.
"Happy date night to us". He kissed her.
They headed out the door.
***Trattoria L' incontro***
Chris and David took a taxi to the restaurant. David was touching Chris in the cab the whole way there, and kissing her neck. He couldn't keep his hands off her. She wondered if it was the dress, or the makeup, or the pheromones, or if it was the whole package.
They arrived at the restaurant, and held hands all the way inside.
David saw her as soon as they walked in.
"Hi, Katie. You look great!". He gave her a hug.
"This is my wife, Christine. Chris, this is Katie".
"It's so great to finally meet you! David told me a lot about you when we were married".
Katie was very beautiful. She was brunette, with a slim build, and she was as tall as David, and probably an inch or two taller. Chris knew that she was a corporate lawyer, and that she stayed on the West Coast when they divorced. Chris couldn't believe David had told Katie about her-that proved that he never really got over her after they had broken up.
Katie's husband walked up then. "Hi, I'm Zeke".
She introduced him to everyone and they all shook hands.
The hostess came and sat them, and David ordered an appetizer for everyone.
Katie spoke up. "You guys order whatever you want to- my boss is paying for this dinner".
"That's very generous of him, thank you".
David and Katie chatted about lawyer stuff, and then Katie turned to Chris.
"So are you a lawyer too?"
"No, I am a Lieutenant with the NYPD. I work at the District Attorney's office, but I am a cop".
"A cop, wow. As passionate as David is about civil rights, I am sure that you two butt heads a lot, huh?"
"We used to. Before we got married. Since we got married, we haven't really disagreed over my cases a lot".
"We used to have some great disagreements, though, didn't we?"
"Yes, honey, we did. Good times".
The waitress came and took their order, and gave them their drinks.
David turned to Zeke. "Are you a lawyer?"
"NO, I am a mortgage broker, out in LA."
"That sounds interesting. I thought of being a mortgage broker before I settled on law".
"It has its good days and bad, just like everything else. One of my fraternity brothers was on track to make senior partner at his law firm, and called me up one day, asking me if I could get him a job. I told him yes, and he's pulling in as many clients as I am, if not more after only a year".
"What fraternity were you in?"
"Phi Kappa Psi, at USC".
"I am a Phi Kap from the University of Boston".
They did the secret handshake/fist bump combo and smiled.
David looked at Katie. "So do you and Zeke have a family?"
"We tried for kids, just like you and I did. But it's me, not him. So we are going the surrogate route, and we will have our first child in about 4 months".
"That's great! I am so happy for you".
"Congratulations".
"Thanks. I haven't really gotten to a place where I understand why I can create the egg for the baby, but I cannot carry it. But I accept it and she is a wonderful person to carry our baby for us."
She looked at them. "Do you have children?"
"We don't have any together. After we were married, I found out that a girl I dated in college just so happened to use a sperm bank to have a child, and she just so happened to pick the sperm I had donated as a broke college student. When the child got older she wanted her to know who her dad was, so she paid the sperm bank to tell her and it was me. She and I have a beautiful teenager named Miranda, and Chris is a wonderful stepmother to her".
"That's great. Guess we are both getting what we always wanted".
"Yeah, looks that way".
She looked at Chris. "So how did ya'll meet?"
"We met when I was a detective and he was an ACLU lawyer. We dated for several months, and then we had a pretty big disagreement that broke us up."
"What was that?"
"I represented someone as a favor to one of my law school professors. But the person I represented was accused of trying to kill her in the line of duty".
Katie looked at David. "Are you crazy as hell? This is the woman you love and you represented the person who tried to kill her?"
"Thank you, Katie. My thoughts and feelings, exactly".
He leaned over to Chris. "Sorry babe". He kissed her.
Chris continued. "So we broke up. Then my dad passed away and he came to the funeral and wake, and then, afterwards, I went on a bender and got out of control, and he came and took care of me and took a lot of abuse from me, that would have made a lot of other people permanently walk away from me. So we were friends, because I was giving up alcohol, and I wasn't ready to be in a relationship sober, but we were great friends. Then we get romantic again, and he proposed and I said no, because I didn't want marriage. So we broke up after I rejected his ultimatum. I dated other people, and I eventually did get married, and it fizzled. David married you, and then when he came back here, he won me over in grand fashion".
"What did you do?"
"I sent her flowers, and I sent her candy, and I didn't sign any of the cards, you know, secret admirer style. Then I sent her a final bouquet, and put on the card "If you want to know who this is, text this number". I had bought one of those 5-digit text numbers, and I gave that to her. I sat on the couch in my apartment praying that she would text the number. She did. I told her to go to the top of the Empire state building, and I had arranged it with the guard that she could give him her name and he would let her skip the line, and I had left a camera with the gift shop lady so that we could take an old-school picture together. I was banking on the fact that since it was a little cooler that night, there wouldn't be anyone in line, and therefore nobody on top of the building but us. Rather, there was about 100 people on top of the building. So I walk up to her, and she is looking so pretty and beautiful. I say 'hi Chris', and she says to me 'Hi David. Listen I am meeting someone, so I can't talk'. And after I convinced her that it was me, she agreed to go somewhere to talk to me, and we have been together ever since".
"That's great. You really stepped up your game, David." She looks at Chris. "When we met, we were at a party, and he used the cheesiest line ever to pick me up. 'Are you ok, because I swear you just fell from heaven'."
"Honey, I love you, but that is really bad".
"Worked, didn't it?"
Chris looked at Katie. "How did David propose to you?"
"At dinner, in the cheesecake".
"That's so sweet!".
"Yeah, he was very romantic when it counted. How did he propose to you?"
"Well, we had been through a lot of stuff together. We were living together, and I had just completed chemo for breast cancer. We took a trip to Jamaica to just get away and relax and start fresh, and we were on the beach, in a hammock, and he just said it. Marry me. And I couldn't figure out why he wanted to marry me, because everything we had was perfect. So he spent the whole day showing me how wonderful he is, and making realize that we could do this. And later that night, when we were back in the hammock, looking at the stars and I just looked at him and said yes. And then the next day we went shopping and picked out our rings, and before we came home, he got on one knee and asked me properly".
"That's great. How long have ya'll been married?"
"About 2 years. How long have you and Zeke been married?"
"Almost 4 years. Our engagement story is a good one too. It was in December, and we had been dating about 8 months. We were supposed to have taken a trip that weekend, but I had gotten sick and his work at the time had canceled all vacations. So even though he was on call, he spent the weekend with me at our house. He took me to the doctor, and they gave me like 5 medicines. I officially had pneumonia. Well, 2 of the meds were steroids, and would hype me up like crazy. So we get back home, I go to bed and we were both thinking I would sleep all day. 30 minutes later, I am up, and I am full of energy, and I am ready to go somewhere and do something. So we go to the movies, and see two movies back to back. Afterwards, we head home, and the next day, I can barely move. I am feeling so bad, and he promised to take me to lunch. Well he leaves, and doesn't come back for like 6 hours. And I was feeling so horrible, and my medicines weren't working and I couldn't rest. So he comes back finally, and I had no idea that he had waited for the jeweler to make my ring just like we had talked about. So I am yelling at him for taking forever and not answering his phone, even though it was more like whispering because I had no voice, and he pulled the ring from his pocket and slammed it on to the counter and said "You wanna marry me or what?" And I was angry so I was like "Yes! I do". And then he angrily says "Great, I do too". And I said "Ok". And then he said "Kiss me!" and we kissed for a long time, until we weren't angry anymore". They were all laughing.
Their food came and they all started eating. Chris had ordered mussels with pesto, and a side of meatballs, and David had ordered Chicken Parmigiana. She was very careful not to get any on her dress. They ate till they couldn't stand it any longer.
She asked for the check, and David and Chris thanked her again.
"Well, Christine, I am glad that you sunk your hooks into David all those years ago. He used to tell me stories about you all the time, and I could tell that you really left your mark on him. I am thankful for that, because even though my marriage to him didn't work out, I wouldn't have Zeke now if he hadn't left me. And if we can't be together, I am glad you two are".
"Thanks, I am glad ya'll got divorced too. I am glad in some ways that David and I broke up twice before we got married, because I learned a lot from my marriage too. And I think that David and I just needed our timing to be right."
"Yeah, timing is very important. Zeke and I probably would have never met if I hadn't been going through the divorce from David. That's when I went to a support group for divorced women and that's where I met my best friend. She took me to the bar one night a few weeks after we met, and that's where I met Zeke".
"Sometimes life just works out the way it's supposed to, no matter what we do, I suppose".
"True".
They all stood up and headed out of the restaurant.
"It was wonderful to meet you, Katie. You too, Zeke". The women hugged and the men shook hands. Then Katie and David hugged and said "Love you, have a safe trip home. It was so great seeing you Katie".
"It was great to see you too David. Next time you're in LA…."
"You got it".
David hailed Katie and Zeke a cab, and then another one for him and Chris. He and Chris headed home.
***Chris and David's apartment***
David was all over Chris in the back of the cab. "I have been wanting to do this all night babe. You are irresistible".
"Glad you like the outfit, babe".
"it's not just the outfit. It's you." He kissed her passionately, and took her breath away. Before they knew it, they were back at the apartment.
They came in to their house, and she went to change clothes. He put the leftovers in the fridge and got her a glass of water. He set the alarm, and locked the door.
She had taken off her dress and shoes and was in her robe. She was washing her face while he put on his pajamas. She went into the closet and straightened up some, and then put on some silk pajamas and headed to bed. She climbed in bed with David. He promptly put his arms around her and kissed her neck. "Nobody else I would rather be in bed with, babe".
"Honey, does it ever bother you that I didn't give you a child?"
"No, not at all. Does it bother you?"
"Not really. I think I am a better person without the stress of motherhood in my life".
"Stress? What do you mean, stress?"
"Well, you know, you can't just name the kid and then feed it and watch out for it. You have to teach it life lessons, and things about the real world, and how to make the right choices and what to do in the face of peer pressure. I would lose all of those battles, David. I accepted a long time ago, that I am not mommy material. I do alright when we have Miranda, but she's at the easy age, for the most part. I am better as an aunt, David. Or a stepmom".
"Well, I disagree. I think you would have made a wonderful mother, Chris. And I can't think of anyone I would rather have by my side, as a step mom to Miranda".
He kissed her tenderly, and then pulled her on top of him. He kissed her passionately, and then they rolled over and he started kissing her breasts.
"These silk pajamas of yours always drive me wild".
"Anything you wear drives me wild, honey". They had mad, passionate sex for 4 hours, and then fell asleep.
***Tuesday***
Chris and David both woke up when David's alarm went off. She headed to the kitchen to make coffee and breakfast. He headed for the shower. She made them Spanish omelets just the way he liked them, and had the table all ready when he came out to go to work.
She was making their plates when he came up behind her.
"Morning, babe".
"Morning, honey". She turned and kissed him. They ate and then he got his stuff ready to go to work.
She straightened his tie for him, and wrapped his arms around his neck. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. They kissed for a few minutes.
"As soon as you get home, honey, we can go back to bed".
"We will, babe".
"I love you more than anything babe, and can't wait to come home to you".
He kissed her.
"I love you too, honey. Have a good day". She kissed him back a few times. He headed to work, and she headed back to bed. She drew the curtains to make it as dark as possible, and climbed back into bed. She set the alarm for 4 hours and fell asleep.
Chris woke up when the alarm went off, and got up. She showered and got dressed, and made herself lunch. After she ate, she unloaded the dishwasher, and reloaded it. Then she went and got her suitcase out and started packing for Greece. After a few hours, she was mostly packed. All she was lacking was hygiene and lingerie, and pajamas. She was pleased though, that she was mostly done with packing.
She printed off their boarding passes and all their travel documents. She started a load of laundry, and changed the sheets on the bed, and gathered all of the towels to wash. She got out some chicken to thaw, and got out the crockpot.
She had gotten a lot accomplished and by 5:30, David was walking in the door and she couldn't' believe it was that late.
"Hi honey! Have a good day?" She kissed him.
"Hi babe! Yeah, not too bad". He kissed her back.
"What did you do all day?"
"Packed, got ready for Greece".
He went to change clothes, and she started on dinner.
She had set out 8 chicken breasts to thaw. She decided to use 4 for dinner tonight and the other 4 for dinner tomorrow night. She marinated the 4 for dinner tomorrow night in lime juice and put them in the fridge. She marinated tonight's chicken in lime juice also, and covered it, and set a timer. She started getting things out of the cabinet so that she could make brown rice, and then she grabbed some veggies and started cutting them up to sauté. After the timer went off, she sprinkled the chicken breasts with zesty seasoning, and then asked David to start the grill.
30 minutes later, they were sitting down to dinner, and talking about what they wanted to do in Greece. After they were done eating, Chris cleaned up the kitchen, started the dishwasher, and headed to the bedroom to resume packing.
She had made a huge mess in her closet, so she focused on picking all of that up. After she had picked that up, she went and changed out laundry, and then finished packing. Tomorrow, she was going to get a mani/pedi, and pick up David's dry cleaning, and finish getting ready for their trip. They had to be at the airport at 2:30 a.m. for their flight.
She suddenly had an idea. She grabbed her phone and texted Bridgit. "Honey, when do you have to be out of your place?"
"Thursday. And I can't get in to my new place till this weekend. So we are trying to find a hotel….so stressed".
"We will be in Greece. Do you want to stay here? We are going to be gone Thursday to Wednesday"
"YES! Charli and I will love you forever! Thank you so much! I promise we will keep the house sooo clean while we are gone!"
"No worries, sweetie. We will leave a key with the front desk. And the fridge is stocked. Please eat what you find".
"We will! Thanks Aunt Chris! Love you!"
"Love you too sweetie!"
Chris put her suitcase on the floor of her closet and then went and ran a bubble bath. She put the relax bath salts in, and lit some candles. She climbed in and soaked for a long time, and then David came and joined her. They snuggled up while he massaged her, and he noticed that she seemed very down.
"What's wrong, babe?"
"I am just thinking about everyone that we have lost recently. Samuels, Al, Dory…and I was thinking about how I am so excited to be going with you to Greece, and the one person I want to tell about all of this, I can't".
"I know how you feel honey. The only thing we can do is just to choose that they are watching over all of us, and possibly even seeing it before we do it, and that they are proud of us".
"I would give anything to talk to Samuels one more time. To hug him…to run a case by him".
"You can always run a case by me, if you'd like".
She turned to look at him. "You and I argue about cases, David. He just listened".
"You will see him again, one day, babe. And we will have a wonderful time in Greece because of him."
She kissed him. "You always know just what to say to make me feel better, honey".
He finished rubbing her back and shoulders and then washed her hair for her, and after he was done scrubbing her head and rinsed her hair, they got out. He helped her get a towel, and they dried off. Chris washed her face, and then put on her pajamas.
"I texted Bridgit. She has to be out of her apartment Thursday. But she can't get into her new place till the weekend. So she is going to stay here while we are gone. I told her we would leave a key at the front desk and I am going to text her the alarm code".
"That will be nice for her to stay here, babe. Good call".
Chris towel dried her hair, and then climbed in bed. David went and locked the door, set the alarm, and got her a glass of water. He climbed into bed next to her after putting the water on her nightstand.
"Honey, do you need me to wash any clothes for you tomorrow so that you can pack them?"
"Yes, that would be great. Jeans, and my polos, please".
"Ok honey".
David turned the news on, and Chris threw her hair up into a bun and then snuggled up to him, and rubbed his chest. They fell asleep right after the news was over, all wrapped up together.
***Wednesday***
Chris woke up when David's alarm went off. She got up and made him breakfast while he showered. He put his jeans and polos on the bed for her to wash. While he ate breakfast, she cleaned up the kitchen.
"I am in court today, babe. As soon as it's over, I am coming home".
"Good. I am ready to get this vacation started". He brought his dishes to the sink, and then wrapped his arms around her.
She turned and embraced him, and then straightened his tie, and then kissed him.
"I love you babe, more than anyone or anything else in the world. I am so glad I get to do life with you". He kissed her.
"I love you too, honey. I am so glad you are mine". She kissed him back.
"See you tonight". He kissed her again, and then walked out the door.
She headed to the shower.
After she showered and changed, she set about doing her errands. She was heading to the grocery store to stock the fridge for Bridgit. She was also going to drop off David's dry cleaning, and pick some up, and get a mani/pedi.
She did the mani/pedi first, and chose a light shimmery pink color for her nails and a shimmery purple color for her toes. She also enjoyed the massage from the pedi chair while she was waiting.
She did the dry cleaning next, and then the grocery store. After she was done there, she headed home.
She pulled into the garage and parked the car. She unloaded all of the groceries and grabbed the dry cleaning and struggled to get to the elevator. She had to make two trips, but she did it.
She managed to get everything inside and went and hung up David's dry cleaning. She unloaded all of the groceries and put them away. She made a list for Bridgit of what was where.
After everything was done, she went and took a nap, since they were going to have to be at the airport in the wee hours.
She pulled the shades and made the room pitch black dark. She fell asleep rather easily, and slept till David got home.
****Later that afternoon***
It was almost 5 p.m. when David came home from work. He came in to find Chris sleeping. He changed into his pajama pants and then crawled into bed next to her. He set his alarm for an hour, and wrapped his arms around her. He fell asleep quickly, and they slept hard till the alarm went off.
When the alarm went off, he felt Chris move and stretch in his arms.
"HI, honey. How long have you been home?"
"About an hour." He kissed her and turned the alarm off.
She got up and went and switched out the laundry, putting his jeans and polos in the dryer.
She came back to the bedroom to find him still laying there.
She crawled back into bed and embraced him.
"Honey, I have some bad news and you aren't going to like it. But I need you to remember, that I am just the messenger."
"Ok. What?"
"There is a very strong possibility that Nick Granger is going to have his charges dropped in Lisa's case. And there's an even stronger possibility that he is going to have the bulk of his charges dropped in the child porn case, and that means that what is left could mean a sentence of time served".
She sat up. "You're kidding!"
"No, babe".
"How?"
"Well, in Lisa's case, she is his only victim. And that's a misdemeanor. None of his past victims are willing to testify. And his lawyer is prepared to argue that the computer wasn't his, therefore the porn wasn't his, and with a jury, it's a 50/50 shot if they believe that. So the DA is most likely going to drop the charges to avoid losing on a case like that".
"David, you have to do something. Lisa deserves justice…the kids in the kiddie porn do too".
"I know, babe. I agree. Lisa can still get an order of protection against him, and there is still a chance that the kiddie porn charges that he is convicted of, will carry a long sentence."
Chris was silent. David could feel her shaking. She was fiercely protective of her nieces, and this was very upsetting to her.
"Do you know the lawyer prosecuting him?"
"Yes, I do. And she is very good".
"Can you do me a favor and impress upon her the importance of not dropping charges here?"
"I sent her an email before I left the office today, and I explained all the moving parts. How you are connected, how I am connected, all of it."
"Thank you".
She sat up and turned on the light.
"what else do you have to do, packing wise? Your jeans and polos are in the dryer."
"Not a whole lot. You hungry? I will make us dinner".
"I will help you".
They went to the kitchen. David made them some hamburgers and grilled them, while she made them a caprese salad. They finished the last of the peach tea she had made him, and after they ate, she cleaned up the kitchen while he went and covered the grill and tied the cover on.
She heard the dryer go off, so she took his laundry to their bedroom and folded it on the bed.
She grabbed her suitcase and brought it to the door, and started getting her carryon bag ready.
In a few hours they were leaving for Greece.
To be continued…..