§ § § -- February 12, 2004
"Oh, this is beautiful, you two." Anna-Laura had come over with Lisi to have breakfast at Christian and Leslie's house, and she was standing at the top of the spiral staircase in Christian and Leslie's bedroom admiring the L-shaped privacy wall that had been built around part of the stairwell. "It would be wonderful for family photos."
"We were thinking that too," Leslie agreed.
Christian nodded, an arm around her. "We had to live in a spare bungalow for four days late last month, but the results were worth it. The interior rooms in the new wing are almost finished now, and Leslie and I are going to Coral Island next week and see if we can find tile that we agree on for the bathroom."
Anna-Laura laughed. "Don't let it drive you too far apart," she teased, glancing at the translucent blue plastic that still hung in the doorway to the upper floor of the new wing. "I truly wish it were closer to completion, in all honesty."
"Why?" Leslie asked.
Anna-Laura looked at her, then at Christian, then sighed deeply, glancing at Lisi who was sitting in the middle of the bedroom floor playing with one of the decorative pillows from the bed. "I feel as if I'm taking up space that Mr. Roarke needs, and I—" She shook her head disgustedly and folded her arms over her chest. "Don't let this get out, please. But Gregory has suggested that Lisi and I stay in his mansion with him until your twins are born and I can move into the new suite."
Christian and Leslie looked at each other in amazement. "What did you tell him?" Christian asked, frowning.
"I said I'd think about it," his sister replied, her fingers drumming on her arm.
"Maybe you shouldn't," Christian said with a raised eyebrow. "Being a princess makes all the difference, äldresyster. There has to be some measure of decorum. Aren't you the one who's the stickler for propriety?"
Anna-Laura stared at him and said incredulously, "I think Leslie's pregnancy has turned you into an old man, Christian Carl Tobias. It's the only explanation I can think of for this unbelievable change from the prince who defied all attempts at control to the king of conformity!"
Leslie laughed aloud. "Maybe we'll get the real Christian back after the babies are born," she kidded her sister-in-law, who laughed too. She hugged her husband, who was shaking his head in mostly good-natured resignation, and regarded Anna-Laura thoughtfully for a moment. Then she asked, "What was your gut reaction when he first asked you?"
"Shock," Anna-Laura admitted. "We have a nice friendship between us, but he's never suggested that he wants more than that. And I'm not certain I do at this time, either."
"Then it's too soon for you to move in with him," Christian said, "and don't tell me it's not what you're doing. That's what it will look like. Anna-Laura, things do get out, in spite of one's best intentions. If you feel it's too early in the relationship to know whether it's a romantic one, then it's obviously a bad idea to stay under his roof—no matter how platonic his intentions may be. Anyway, Leslie and I still haven't met the man, and I've heard enough about him that I'm not sure I trust him. Has he asked to meet us?"
"No," said Anna-Laura. She looked over at Lisi again. "I suppose you're right…I'll tell him my decision later today."
"In any case, Roald would likely begin orbiting the moon should he hear about it," noted Christian wryly, making his wife and sister laugh again. "Oh, by the way, when did you hear from him last? Has he mentioned how his martial-arts project is going?"
"Yes, he and Torvald Arenstam have been making quite the success of it. He told me that Torvald was actually very enthusiastic about it when he made the suggestion, and the two of them tried to get the rest of that unruly crowd of theirs in on it as well, but they all refused. So Roald and Torvald launched it on their own, and my son has finally had some decent press. Not only that, but Mikael and Gunnela Arenstam are relieved to see their son involved in something constructive for a change."
"That's great," Leslie said. "Father says the original classes Roald supervised here on the island are really popular, too." Just then the phone rang and she grinned. "Excuse me a minute." Christian released her, and he and Anna-Laura followed her deeper into the bedroom. Anna-Laura picked up Lisi and the pillow she was still flailing, while Leslie spoke into the phone. "Hello?"
"Hi Leslie, it's Camille. Lauren just had a boy about ten minutes ago, and Brian's over the moon. His name's going to be Kevin Anthony, and he's nineteen and a half inches long and weighs eight pounds, five ounces. Big bruiser."
"Wow, super!" Leslie exclaimed. "How's Lauren doing?"
"Brian just went back to see her and the baby, so we don't have any word except that the doctor told us she's fine." Camille's gusty sigh relayed as a burst of static in Leslie's ear. "Maybe now that she's had that baby, Lauren'll get back to normal. All her bawling and kvetching was really driving me nuts."
Leslie burst out laughing. "I sure hope so! We'll try to get down there later today if we can, or at least this evening. Do you know if they're going to release Lauren tomorrow, or when? You never know with hospitals these days."
"Yeah, that's for sure," Camille agreed. "I don't know, but we'll keep you posted. If you and Christian can both come, all the better. Brian swore up and down he wasn't going home till he could take Lauren and Kevin with him."
"Okay, I'll let Christian know. Thanks for the news update." She hung up and turned to Christian and Anna-Laura. "Lauren gave birth about ten minutes ago, according to Camille. She had a boy, eight pounds five ounces, and nineteen and a half inches. His name's going to be Kevin Anthony, and they evidently want us to come down there when we can."
"Ah," said Christian and grinned. "I'm sure Brian is thrilled. I think we can make time later this afternoon to get over there."
"That's happy news," Anna-Laura agreed, gently jouncing Lisi in her arms.
"Lauren told me last week that as soon as she—" Leslie stopped short and froze, her eyes enormous. "Oh…oh my God!" she breathed.
"What?" Christian cried, instantly alarmed.
Leslie turned to him and lit up with wonder. "I feel one of the babies moving! Oh Christian, quick, come here and feel it!" Christian's mouth dropped open and he sprang to her side, flattening a hand on her swollen abdomen just below hers. There was a pause, and he frowned slightly, staring at his hand. Then Leslie felt the fluttery movement again, a sort of tentative patting sensation from within her, and she gasped, grabbing Christian's hand and moving it over that spot. A second later, his hazel eyes grew round with astonishment.
"There's really someone in there!" he whispered, awestruck. "Herregud, I can actually feel it!" He focused abruptly on her and asked, "Does it hurt?"
Leslie shook her head. "No, it just feels like someone's pushing in there, that's all, and not very hard." She looked suddenly at Anna-Laura, who was gazing on with a reminiscent little smile. "What did it feel like for you?"
Anna-Laura laughed softly. "Ceci was quieter than Roald; she would push at me with her hands and feet. Roald was a kicker."
Christian grinned at some memory and told her, "I used to watch your abdomen when you complained that he was kicking you. Sometimes I could see bumps appear and vanish there, and it was the most peculiar thing I'd ever seen."
"Oh really, ungstebror?" Anna-Laura asked teasingly. "Just wait about two months, when Leslie starts really feeling it. There are two of them, and you'll probably see more." She focused curiously on her sister-in-law. "Leslie, your hair looks longer."
"It is longer," Leslie said. Her hair was now shoulder-blade-length. "I keep meaning to get a haircut, but somehow I just never get around to it."
"I'd rather you didn't," Christian said wistfully, gathering some in one hand and rubbing it between his thumb and two fingers. "Perhaps when the twins are born, but don't you think you could leave it alone until then?"
Leslie looked at him in surprise. "You like it this way? I had it cut back to shoulder-length not too long before Teppo died, and I've kept it that way ever since then."
"Maybe you deserve to have a change, then," Anna-Laura suggested, "even if it's just a temporary one." She smiled. "And if Christian likes it…"
Leslie giggled and admitted, "Well, it always feels nice to have him play with it. It's just that pregnancy's making it grow a lot faster, and it's longer than I'm used to, so I was going to have it cut. Maybe not…maybe right before my due date comes around, I'll have it done, because there won't be any time after I give birth."
"But…" Christian began.
Anna-Laura broke in, "It's probably wiser for Leslie to keep her hair at her usual length, Christian. She doesn't need to spend a lot of time fussing with it, and she won't have the luxury to do it after she gives birth. And when the babies are old enough to begin grasping things, they'll reach for her hair and pull. Don't argue with her if she wants to cut it; it may be the best choice for her." She looked thoughtfully at Leslie. "In the meantime, if you want to keep it out of the way, you can just tie it back. But you do look different, between your pregnancy and the longer hair. You seem fresher, somehow."
"Exactly so," Christian said with a decisive nod. "You've grown more beautiful than ever, my Rose, and I want the chance to savor that before our family doubles in size."
"Don't think you're going to get away with all that sweet flattery, my love," Leslie teased him, grinning. "You're going to be helping with the twins in just about every possible capacity. We're both going to be done for every day."
"When do you plan to stop working, Leslie?" Anna-Laura asked.
Leslie shrugged. "I guess I'll go on till I'm just too tired to keep going. Father said he can probably get along all right in my last few weeks and during the first couple of months after the twins get here, but he did suggest that if I really got stir-crazy, I could bring the twins to the main house and do light work there while I took care of them. And if anything came up, Mariki would be there."
"But it seems she's bent on working this weekend and for quite a few yet to come," said Christian, sighing gently and then smiling at his wife. "I thought I enjoyed my work, but really, my Rose, you seem to be in love with your job. Sometimes I feel as if I have competition for your heart."
"Impossible," Leslie said and grinned. "You'll always be Number One with me, my darling. Omigosh, there goes that twin again. Quick, Christian, put your hand here." They stood with hands flattened on Leslie's middle, heads touching and eyes fixed on the bulge containing their unborn babies, while Anna-Laura watched, smiling.
§ § § -- February 14, 2004
"And this," Roarke said, gesturing at their second gang of guests that Saturday, "is a group of young collegians who have aspirations we've encountered before. They're here for the Battle of the Bands that is being held here tomorrow and sponsored in part by the local radio station; in fact, young Jeremy Ichino's first job-related duty outside the station will be as one of the judges of the contest."
Leslie watched the group of four—three young men and an equally young woman—come down the dock. A twin patted her from within and she patted back, absently. "Where do they come from? I suppose their fantasy is to win the Battle."
"Yes, that's the stated goal," Roarke said, catching her movement. "Are you all right?"
She blinked and then grinned sheepishly. "It's the first time I've felt it since Thursday," she explained. "I've started feeling the babies move. It feels like they're patting me."
Roarke laughed. "Indeed! I'm sure Christian was quite excited. Anyhow, to get back to the business at hand, these students come from quite close by—Hilo, Hawaii, to be exact. They are Randy Kaapana, Drew Sheridan, Holly Misuki and Brandon Chong."
About an hour later Roarke and Leslie drove the foursome to the greensward where Christian and Leslie's wedding reception had been held three years before; several other bands were setting up shop and launching into rehearsal, and their guests were eager to get started with their own practice. They were thrilled to find their instruments waiting for them already, and Roarke and Leslie left four very happy college students practicing away.
After leaving Leslie at the main house to take phone calls and handle mail, Roarke drove to the radio station and waited for Jeremy's morning shift to end. In about ten minutes Jeremy emerged from the building and was very surprised when he saw Roarke waving at him. "Hi, Mr. Roarke, what's up?" he asked.
Roarke smiled. "I thought you might like to get an anonymous preview of the bands who will be performing in the contest," he said.
"That sounds great," Jeremy said enthusiastically. "How many are we judging?"
"Seven," Roarke said, and filled him in briefly on the various groups on the way back to the greensward. "You'll have more information tomorrow when the contest actually takes place, but for now you will at least be able to get a sample of what you'll be hearing."
Jeremy nodded and followed Roarke down the greensward to where the bands were still practicing. "Are they gonna know I'm one of the judges?" he asked.
"I won't be staying," Roarke told him. "I have some other duties to attend to. However, the musicians don't know who the judges are, so you can join the other people you see here listening to the various bands and make a few preliminary observations."
"Ah, gotcha, Mr. Roarke," Jeremy said. "Thanks for the ride." Roarke smiled acknowledgement and left, and he strolled casually along the grass, glancing at the other spectators from time to time, taking in the sounds of the different bands. It wasn't easy to get good first impressions, what with each band's rehearsal horning in on all the others'; but Jeremy enjoyed himself all the same.
His growling stomach got in the way before he heard all the bands properly, and he decided to head for the café in the town square and get some lunch. While he was there, he ran into Julianne and Jonathan, who were taking their own lunch break, and joined them for the meal. "So how was your first week on the air, bro?" Jonathan asked, grinning.
"Easier than I thought," Jeremy said, "and more fun too. And there'll be extracurricular activities too. In fact, this weekend Mr. Roarke asked me to judge the Battle of the Bands. So this is gonna be a really cool job."
"It sounds cool," Julianne agreed, then grinned. "Any good-looking guys in any of those bands, by chance?"
Her brothers laughed at her. "I wasn't looking for good-looking guys," Jeremy said, and Julianne snorted while they laughed again, before Jeremy's attention was distracted by a young Asian woman walking uncertainly into the café. "Whoa…now there's an example of what I'd've been looking for."
Jonathan peered at the woman and nodded approval. "Nice choice, bro," he said. "If she'll give you the time of day, ask her if she's got a sister." Jeremy glanced at him in amusement, then got up and approached the woman, who had halted in the middle of the floor and was peering hesitantly around.
"Hi," he said, "need some help with anything?"
She started, then smiled sheepishly at him. "I was just looking for an empty table," she said, "but they all seem to be taken."
"It's lunch hour," Jeremy said. "Listen, there's an empty seat at our table—I'm just eating with my brother and sister. Want to join us?"
The young woman looked quite surprised, but she nodded anyway, peering curiously at Jeremy. "That's great," she said, "as long as they don't mind a total stranger sitting with them. I mean, I don't want to crash anyone's private party."
"You won't," Jeremy assured her. "Come on over here." He led her back to the table and gestured at the empty seat, addressing the other quads. "Mind if we have some company? This is—" He stopped when he realized he hadn't asked his companion's name.
The young woman giggled at the sight of his red face. "I'm Holly Misuki," she said.
Jeremy grinned sheepishly. "Hi, Holly. I'm Jeremy Ichino, and this is my brother Jonathan and my sister Julianne."
Holly, Jonathan and Julianne greeted one another; then Holly glanced back and forth between the brothers. "You look like twins," she said.
"We are," said Jonathan. "Julianne has a twin sister too, Jennette, and the four of us together make up a set of quadruplets."
Holly blinked rapidly with recognition. "Hey, wait a minute, I remember…my mother keeps old magazines, and I used to curl up in the basement on rainy days and read through them. We have a whole bunch of them with articles about the famous Ichino quadruplets of Fantasy Island. It must be cool to be quads…and probably a pain in the neck sometimes too, I'd bet." She grinned at them.
Julianne laughed aloud. "Jonathan and Jeremy used to get away with more than Jennette and I did. We kept hoping our mother would get the hint somewhere around fourth or fifth grade and quit buying matching school clothes for us, but she didn't, and we had to gang up on her and tell her to stop dressing us alike because the other kids were making fun of us about it."
"I think it devastated poor Mom," Jonathan cracked. "She thought it was easier dressing us alike because she could just get two of everything. But Julianne and Jennette had to put up with it longer than we did, since my dad stepped in and intervened. He said that dressing boys alike was too cutesy."
"I heard Miss Leslie's twins are gonna be identical," Julianne remarked. "I hope she doesn't do what Mom did."
"You ought to tell Prince Christian so he can pass the message on," Jeremy said with a smirk, and she rolled her eyes. "Sorry, Holly. But yeah…when we were kids it was both a pain and an advantage. Jonathan and I could pass for each other till we got to be about eleven and all four of us caught chickenpox at the same time. Jonathan had a really itchy spot on his right arm, and he couldn't quit scratching it no matter how much Mom told him not to. Now he has a scar on that arm, so anyone can tell us apart by looking for that."
Holly laughed and said, "I bet you guys could really tell some stories. What's Jennette doing these days?"
"She teaches kindergarten in Hawaii," said Julianne. "She's married and has a little boy—the only one of us so far with a family."
"Where in Hawaii?" Holly asked excitedly. "I grew up in Hanalei and I'm in nursing school in Hilo."
"She's on Kauai," Julianne said. "So you're not too far from home. Here for a vacation or something?"
"Sort of," said Holly, "but right now I'm on a break from everything—school, vacation, whatever. I'm a CNA and I'll be an RN once I graduate this summer."
"That's cool," said Julianne. "You could get a job anywhere. Nurses are always in demand. Sometimes I think I should've gone into nursing, but whenever I say so, somebody reminds me that I get sick every time I bleed from a paper cut." On the laughter, the waitress came and took Holly's order, and the conversation became animated; it remained so even after Julianne and Jonathan had to go back to work. Jeremy and Holly discovered enough interests, and enough general ideas about life, in common that when Jeremy asked her if she'd like to go to the Saturday-night luau with him that evening, Holly promptly accepted, her smile indicating that she was very happy he'd asked.
Holly turned out to be extremely impressed with the luau, making Jeremy more than a little glad that he'd taken the initiative and invited her. It had been a long time since he'd been to a luau and was having the time of his life, dancing with Holly, learning more and more about her, and feeling more and more drawn to her. Holly was warm and cheerful, and she seemed receptive to his attention; she never danced with anyone other than him, and he began to entertain thoughts of cultivating a relationship with her. It wasn't outside the realm of possibility; Hawaii was an easy charter flight away at any time, and there was no reason he couldn't see her on weekends when his Saturday shift at the station ended. He could spend an afternoon with her, stay overnight in a hotel or someplace, and return to Fantasy Island on Sunday evening. He was so busy dreaming that it took him several minutes to realize that Holly was singing along with the current song; her voice caught his full attention then, and he listened in amazement. When she finished, she saw him watching with his mouth open and grinned self-consciously. "Guess I'm not as good as I thought I was," she kidded.
"Cripes, no, you're better than anybody else I've heard, short of pros," Jeremy insisted, "and I oughta know—I was a roadie for a few years, with some really good bands. Do you ever sing in public?"
"All the time," Holly said. "In fact, that's part of why I'm here. I'm in a band with three guys from school, and we're competing in the Battle of the Bands here this weekend."
Jeremy felt himself go hot and cold by swift turns. "Oh no," he groaned.
"Huh?" Holly said blankly.
He cleared his throat and found a smile somewhere. "Nothing," he said quickly, "I just remembered something, that's all. Listen, just let me know when you're ready and I'll take you back to your bungalow, okay?"
"Sure," Holly agreed, "but I was hoping to hang out here till it's over."
"No problem," Jeremy said, but he wondered uneasily how he was ever going to put up a façade of normalcy for her. I can't tell her I'm a judge for that contest, he thought, his despair welling up. If I do, she'll back off because I won't be impartial anymore. Or worse even than that…she might think she and her band will have an advantage because I like her, and think they've got it sewn up. Aw man, what'm I gonna do?
Fortunately for Jeremy, Holly turned out to be more worn down from the day's activities than she'd realized, and he was able to take her back to her bungalow shortly after eleven. As soon as he'd dropped her off, he headed straight for the main house. He'd seen Leslie several times at the luau, so he knew Roarke would be awake; but he could only hope the man wasn't out someplace, because he desperately needed to talk to him.
To his relief, Roarke was indeed there, sorting through some mail. He looked up when Jeremy burst in and smiled questioningly. "Good evening, Jeremy, can I help you?"
"I hope so, Mr. Roarke," Jeremy said, collapsing into one of the chairs in front of the desk. "I've got a problem. I met this really nice girl today, and I think she's as interested in me as I am in her—long-term, I mean."
"That's wonderful, Jeremy," Roarke said warmly.
"It might not be," he replied gloomily. "See, she's a singer in one of the bands that's in the contest this weekend."
Roarke's expression showed his instant and complete comprehension. "Ah, I see," he murmured reflectively.
"I'm not sure I could maintain impartiality," Jeremy said, "but even if I could, there's still a problem. I really like her, Mr. Roarke, enough that I want to keep seeing her after this weekend if I can and if she's okay with it. But if she finds out I'm a judge in the contest, I don't know how she'll react. She might tell me she doesn't want to see me anymore…or she might decide her band is a sure bet to win, just because she knows me."
Roarke nodded. "A very difficult dilemma," he said sympathetically.
Jeremy stared at him, tortured, and asked plaintively, "Should I resign as a judge, Mr. Roarke? I don't want to taint this thing. I want it to be as fair as possible, and I don't know if I can do that."
Roarke frowned. "Jeremy, you realize that we need at least two judges…"
"What about Miss Leslie?" Jeremy asked.
"She must attend to the other fantasy while I am judging," Roarke explained, "and I don't know of anyone else who can do it. Christian is very busy, as I understand it—"
"Maybe I can find someone," Jeremy said quickly. "If I can, Mr. Roarke, will it be okay if I resign as a judge?"
Roarke studied him. "What if you cannot?"
Jeremy winced. "I don't really want to think about it." He peered worriedly at the older man and asked, "Is it really gonna be that big a catastrophe if I quit?"
Roarke continued to watch him with that penetrating gaze that made Jeremy feel as if he were a specimen under a microscope. After a moment he said quietly, "I can only tell you to follow your instincts, Jeremy—but you should be aware of all possible ramifications that could result from your decision. Think about it before you do, all right?"
"Okay, Mr. Roarke," Jeremy said after a deep sigh. "Okay…I'll sleep on it. But I still think I should quit." He got up and left before Roarke could respond, and Roarke sat for a few minutes after his departure, gazing thoughtfully after him.
When he got back to Andrea's, Jeremy was very surprised to find Julianne and Jonathan there too, having soda and snacks with Andrea and playing Hearts. They looked up when he came into the kitchen. "About time you showed," said Andrea. "We were waiting for you so we could get a good poker game going. Janine wouldn't play, and Denise doesn't know how, so I sent them to bed."
"I'm not in the mood for poker anyway," Jeremy said, scowling. "I always lose."
"Yeah, and you always win," Julianne said to Andrea, who laughed. "Hey, Jer, what's up? You look like something went wrong."
"It probably did," Jeremy muttered and regarded them. "Jon, Jule, what're you two doing tomorrow?"
"Working," said Jonathan and Julianne together.
Jeremy sagged. "Andrea?"
"I meant to go to Coral Island…I have to replace that ancient mattress of mine," said Andrea. "Why?"
Jeremy looked around the table at them, then sank into a chair. "I might as well start at the beginning," he mumbled, and with that explained the story of how Roarke had asked him to be a judge for the Battle of the Bands, his meeting with Holly Misuki, their date at the luau, and Holly's revelation. "So," he concluded, "I went to Mr. Roarke for some advice, and he said he can't find anyone else who can be a judge. He said Miss Leslie can't do it since she has to supervise the other fantasy, and Prince Christian can't do it since he's busy." He paused and peered at the other two quads. "Is he?"
"Yup. He's got projects everywhere, and we all have to be in the office tomorrow to help him keep up with everything," Julianne said. "Too bad you didn't become a computer programmer or something, Jer. You'd have a sure job."
"I don't like messing with computers," Jeremy said, "except to play games and surf the Net. Anyway, so there's nobody else who could take my place…but if I don't resign, either I lose Holly, or she and her band think I'm their ticket to winning the contest, and it'll be like I rigged the thing."
Andrea and the quads nodded thoughtfully, looking at one another. "Well," Andrea murmured, "I suppose I could put off the shopping trip, but I'm afraid to. If I don't go tomorrow, I won't get another chance till at least two weeks from now, and by then the money I put aside for the mattress will get spent on something else. And I need the blasted thing, because the one I've got now is destroying my back." She surveyed the quads and said with exaggerated doom in her voice, "Don't get old, you guys, it hurts." They laughed, and she added, "Besides, I have to go pick up my laptop. I forgot to get it today."
"I think it's ready," Julianne said. "Boss Prince was working pretty hard on it this afternoon, and I saw him putting it back together and closing it up. Maybe you could stop in and get it when you come back from buying your new mattress."
Andrea nodded. "Might just do that," she mused, thumbing through the cards in her hand. She looked up after a moment and frowned slightly. "Uh, listen…what do you guys know about Anton Lauterhoff?"
Julianne and Jonathan looked at each other. "Well," Julianne said, "he's a nice guy…"
"He's kinda private—I mean, he's got nothing on Boss Prince for fanaticism about it," Jonathan said with a half-grin, "but he doesn't really talk much. He's from Germany and he still has family there—goes back each year to visit them, but so far they've never come here to see him, far as I know."
"Hm," mumbled Andrea with a faint nod. "And that's it?"
Jonathan shrugged. "Well, it's not like Boss Prince thought he had to do a criminal check on him or anything."
Andrea rolled her eyes. "I just figured you'd know him better than that, since you've worked with him for several years by now."
"Any special reason you ask?" Julianne queried.
Andrea glanced at her and shook her head. "No, no really special reason, I was just wondering. Well, look, since Jeremy's home, why don't we call it a night. I'm ready to drop, even if it is on that miserable sack of droopy lumps that calls itself a mattress."