"Do I have to go?" I grumbled petulantly as I sat in the back of the SUV at Boeing Field waiting for Elliot, Ethan and Eamon Kavanagh to arrive. One by one the other guests for the weekend had appeared and were ushered onto the GEH jet; my father, grandfather, a few of Elliot's schoolmates and his foreman. As per the ridiculous instructions Andrea had included on the invites, each man was wearing a loud Hawaiian style shirt, and numerous sets of golf clubs had been loaded into the hold. Not that that added any to my anticipation for the weekend. Golf was the one sport I sucked at – so I expected to be owned by Elliot and his friends on Sunday morning. Hell – last time we played, even my Grandfather outclassed me!
"Yes, you do," Ana purred, snapping photo after photo of me holding Teddy as I waited for the last guests to arrive.
"Feel free to throw up on this shirt," I told Teddy with sincerity. "I'd love an excuse to change. Where did you even get something so hideous?!" I asked my wife.
"At a menswear store down town. Sawyer took me down there and he bought one too," she giggled, and I swear the sound went right to my dick. It had been a week since we'd had the 'good to go' but last Friday had been it in terms of intimacy until this afternoon. Ana announced since there were a few hours between me coming home from work and the time I was due at Boeing Field, she would give me something to remember while I was away. She needn't have stressed about it, I had no interest in any woman bar my wife. That said, I certainly didn't turn her down! Closing my eyes for a moment, I recalled my wife's bare breasts jiggling in front of me as she rode me hard. Hmm!
"Yeah, well. Won't be as bad as the one I bought for Elliot," I chuckled. Something Andrea found online when she'd come up with aloha shirt idea, no one would even notice what I was wearing when Elliot showed up.
"Do I want to know?" Ana giggled, the beautiful sound not helping with my not so little problem inside my boxer briefs.
"Probably not," I admitted, kissing my son's soft, downy head. It was only three and a bit days, but I would miss him like crazy. "Now, Teddy. As the only dude on this bachelorette weekend, I need you to keep your eye out. Take care of Mommy, and I'll get the low down on what happened when I get back…"
"Nothing will happen," Ana laughed. "Unless you consider a day spa, dinner and a winery tour hot stuff?!"
"No strippers?" I asked for about the fifth time.
"None," Ana confirmed. Yeah, I was a possessive fucker. Sue me!
"If it gets too much, I want you to tell Gail, Prescott or McIntyre. Go back to the room and sleep if you need to. Or even return to Escala. Kate will understand." I didn't add that I'd already spoken with Mom and Mia that it worried me the weekend might be too much for Ana, exacting promises from them to step in if needs be.
"We'll be fine, Christian," Ana promised, leaning across Teddy's capsule to brush her lips against mine.
"I worry," I growled.
"I love you for it," Ana responded, silencing my fears with another kiss. "It looks like your brother's here now."
Sure enough, there were Ethan and Eamon Kavanagh each in Hawaiian print shirts, accompanied by my brother. Elliot looked every bit as ridiculous as I'd hoped in a hot pink shirt with half-peeled banana designs printed on it. The shirt was so bright it was practically fluorescent, and while highly suggestive, the bananas were just this side of being in poor taste. Not that Elliot seemed to care. He was busy sucking face with Kavanagh – Kate that is – as her brother, father, Sawyer, and Taylor moved their luggage and three sets of golf clubs into the hold.
"I'm going to miss you so much," I groaned, yet again regretting organizing a three-night bachelor party. I wouldn't see my wife and son again until late Monday afternoon.
"You'll have so much fun you won't have time to miss us," Ana predicted. Fat chance of that. I don't care if everyone thought I'd become a boring, married man. With a wife as beautiful as mine, I wanted to spend all my time at home. And it didn't help I'd had the Taiwan trip take me away recently, too.
"Off you go," Ana said, taking Teddy from me then giving me a long, searing kiss. Great. Now I had to go see my brother and his soon to be in-laws semi-chubbed. "I love you, Christian. I appreciate you're not really into this whole thing, but try to have fun for Elliot's sake?"
"I will, baby. I love you, too. Call every night?"
"Just try and stop me!"
The door opened and there was my brother's fiancée Kate.
"Off you go, Grey," she said, canting her head to the side toward my plane. "You choose a shirt like that, your retinas can deal with it! And take care of him this weekend! If anything happens to him, I'm holding you responsible!"
I smirked, kissed my wife and son one more time and stepped out of the vehicle. Prescott and McIntyre had been waiting outside, giving me privacy to say goodbye to my family. Now they'd be taking Ana, Teddy and Kate back to Escala to start Kate's bachelorette weekend.
"Chrissy!" Elliot shouted, already the little a worse for wear. "You gotta fight… for your right… to parrrrr-tay! Let's get this pussy plane going places!"
I texted Andrea to organize a hefty bonus for Natalia, Stephen and Beighley in their next pay packets. Especially Natalia! While the rest of the party had kept their comments clean and their hands to themselves, Taylor moved to sit next to Elliot's foreman Callum after the man attempted to pat Natalia on the ass as she made her way down the aisle with a tray of drinks. She'd seen it coming, and moved out of his reach, but there was no way I would allow one of my employees to be assaulted or subjected to inappropriate comments! Hence Taylor moved to take the aisle seat beside the inebriated foreman. We'd need to keep an eye on Callum for the rest of the trip.
Now, in two stretch limos on our way to the hotel, I was counting down the seconds until I could get to my room, take off this technicolor shirt, and ring Anastasia.
"What are you grinning about?" Elliot asked, interrupting a particularly pleasant flashback of this afternoon's amorous activities. "Did Ana banana give you a little taste of the icing on her cake before you left, baby bro?"
Embarrassed Elliot had hit the nail on the head, I refused to answer. Thankfully, Grandpa Theo had my back.
"That's your brother's wife you're talking about," he snapped, glaring at Elliot. "I don't want to hear any of your dirty talk about that fine young lady!"
Elliot put his hands up in mock surrender, before leaning over to drunkenly stage-whisper in my ear "Well you knocked her up, so we know you wet your wick at least once…"
"Elliot!" I warned, my tone glacial. His special weekend or not, I wouldn't tolerate ribald comments about Anastasia.
"Hey it's all good, baby brother! Nothing wrong with a bit of bump and grind. I'll let you know my Katie-girl takes good care of me if you know what I mean…" His lewd grin was grotesque, as was the way he held his hands out on either side of him, imitating holding a woman's hips, as he rocked up and down on the seat. Thank fuck Eamon and Ethan were in the other limo!
"That's enough, Elliot," Dad snapped in his no nonsense tone before moving on to the topic of tonight's activities. We'd left on time at 4:00 pm, so would arrive at the hotel around 7:00. Once again, I praised Andrea's forethought. As well as booking out an entire wing of the Caesars Suites for our stay, tonight she'd arranged for us to have a private dinner with celebrity grill chef Chad Bowen. She'd no doubt predicted the guys would imbibe on the plane, so ensured we could start our weekend in a controlled environment.
Bowen had earned himself the moniker 'The Grill King,' amassing numerous awards, commendations, and celebrity recommendations for serving the best steak in the country. Substantial serves complemented by uncomplicated, fresh seasonal sides, it was the perfect dinner for a bunch of guys.
"Sir? I've called ahead and alerted Caesars we'll be there in ten. Everyone can go straight up to their suites; they have a team of bellhops standing by for the luggage."
Taylor's eyes met mine, reflecting my relief. While I wasn't necessarily a big name in Las Vegas, papps were everywhere here looking for public figures misbehaving. The big brother of Christian Grey / fiancé to Eamon Kavanagh's daughter acting like an ass would give enough of a payout to make their time worthwhile, so an expedited check-in was appreciated.
"There's a bonus in this for you if you can get Elliot and Callum upstairs without them causing a scene," I muttered to Taylor, Elliot distracted by telling Grandpa Theo and Dad a joke he couldn't remember the punch line to.
"Am I allowed to drug them?" Taylor replied poker-faced. And for a moment, I wondered whether he was serious.
Upstairs without incident, I was settling into the four-bedroom suite I'd be sharing with Taylor. The rest of the security team and the party participants were distributed amongst the smaller suites on this floor.
We'd arranged to meet at the elevators in half an hour to head for dinner.
"I'm going to shower then call Ana," I called out to Taylor who nodded, busy doing the security checks he undertook any time I stayed at a hotel. The door to my section of the suite closed, I stripped off, stepping into the shower. I kept it short, wanting to use all my time speaking with Anastasia.
A towel wrapped around my waist, I stared out at the Las Vegas lights from the expansive windows before dialing my woman.
"Hey!" Ana answered on the first ring.
"Hey, baby," I replied, feeling good to even hear her voice. "This a good time?"
"Perfect! Teddy's been playing with Auntie Kate. He's had his bath and we're just about to feed." I could hear as Ana put me onto hands free, no doubt guiding Teddy to her breasts.
"I miss you," I voiced. It was true. I'd love to be there now, watching Teddy enjoy Ana's milk.
"I miss you too. We both do."
"Have you eaten, yet?" While my control tendencies were better than they had been, I still liked to know Ana was taking care of herself.
"Not yet. Kate is downstairs ordering take out for us now."
"Mrs. Taylor didn't cook?" It came out sharper than I'd intended.
"No. I told her we wanted to order out tonight. Kate and I are going to get Chinese, like old times."
"Make sure you eat enough, Anastasia. Remember you're responsible for Teddy's nutrition, too. You can't do that if you're not eating sufficiently."
"Yes, Sir," Ana replied with a sultry giggle. Oh, the things that woman could do to me! "How's the trip been so far?"
I sighed.
"Elliot is being loud and inappropriate, and Callum needed reminding my flight staff are not part of the hands-on in-flight entertainment. So as expected for a bachelor party I suppose? We're off to dinner, soon. Hopefully, the food will soak up some of the booze!"
"Poor baby. Is the suite nice?"
I looked around. It was, actually. I should bring Ana and Teddy for a weekend sometime.
"As nice as anywhere can be without you here," I replied, feeling melancholy. "Are you all set for tomorrow?"
"I am. We're all packed, and security is organized."
"I don't want you to overdo it," I explained, worried again at how much Ana was doing.
"Overdo it in a day spa with a set babysitter and numerous family members ready, willing and pushy to take care of our son… I think I'll manage," Ana tittered.
"I wish I was there," I sighed.
"I know. You'll be back with us soon."
Checking the clock, if I would be on time for dinner, I needed to get a move on.
"I need to get dressed," I groaned. "It will probably be a late night. I'll message you in the morning?"
"I'll be waiting for your text," Ana crooned.
"Kiss Teddy and tell him I love him?" I asked, feeling strangely vulnerable. Suddenly, this distance from my wife and son was bothering me. More than I thought it would.
"Every day and all the time," Ana promised. "Have a lovely dinner Mr. Grey."
"You too, Mrs. Grey."
"I love you, Christian."
"You too, Anastasia. Laters, baby," I whispered.
Fucking kill me now… Elliot and his bunch of friends were shouting the lyrics to Tubthumping. Dad, Grandpa Theo and Eamon had left after our superb meal to their suites, leaving Taylor, Sawyer, Reynolds and me with my drunken brother and a bunch of his equally inebriated friends. Keen to go to a nightclub, we'd worked hard to divert them to the entertainment area of my premier suite, sidetracking them with game consoles, loud music and even more alcohol. Approaching 2:00 am, all I wanted was to move them on to their own suites.
Taylor in charge of the music console, he toned down the music. Sure enough, turning the volume and the tempo down, one by one the guys flaked out, heading to their beds.
"Elliot! Let's turn in. I want to be up early to see the hot bitches at the pool," Sawyer moaned. "If we sleep too late, all the sexy ones will already be taken!"
Drawing the short straw, Luke was sharing a three-bedroom suite with my brother and Callum. Worse, because of his medication he couldn't drink! I'd had a couple of scotches to cope with the evening, and even Taylor had enjoyed a few lite beers.
"Alright. Only to help you get your leg over, man. My cock has already been claimed."
"Yeah. Both the Grey guys are now family men," Callum blurted out contemptuously.
"Just goes to show, there's hope for us all," Sawyer mocked, winking over Callum's head before helping him and Elliot out of my suite and down the hallway to theirs.
"I thought we were meant to ease him back into it?" I commented to Taylor, referring to Sawyer resuming duties.
"He's single," Taylor responded with a shrug. "He can talk shit and watch porn with the rest of them. I'd rather chat with my wife!"
I nodded, acknowledging Taylor had a point.
Despite Sawyer's hopes, it was late morning before we all surfaced for brunch on Saturday. Not unexpectedly, Taylor, the rest of the security team, myself and the older members of our party were doing ok while Ethan, Elliot, Callum, and Elliot's other friends were struggling. By mutual agreement, we spent the morning recovering by the pool.
I was happy for the opportunity to sit with a beer and my laptop. I couldn't do much in terms of actual work, but I spent a few hours checking out profit-and-loss statements and acquisition proposals from a few companies Ros had identified, and I didn't waste the opportunity to talk things through with Grandpa Theo. Always astute, Theo often saw potential or synergies I overlooked, so I valued his opinion.
By far the high point of my day was a text from Ana with a photo of her, Kate, Gail and Teddy secured in the back of a stretch limo on their way to Bellevue. Not that Ana's was my only communication from Seattle. Prescott, Ryan, McIntyre and Mom had each been tasked with checking in once an hour. Scheduled to report in fifteen minutes apart, my phone dinged with reassuring reports of my wife and child's safety. I didn't want to alarm Anastasia, but after the abduction I needed to know, beyond a shadow of doubt, that she and Teddy were safe.
Morning turned into afternoon, and before we knew it, we were preparing for some hardcore whiskey tasting. The plan was food, spirits and cigar sampling early in the evening, followed by a private poker game, then – finally – the strippers Elliot had all but demanded.
"I can't believe you beat me at poker, you fucker!" Elliot bitched as we moved through the hotel and out to the waiting stretch limo. We'd had three tables; Grandpa Theo winning at his and Eamon at the other. Dad and Grandpa had retired for the night, and now the rest of us were off to 'Cheyenne Moon,' a venue discreet inquiry had revealed to be the best strip club on the strip.
"Great place, that," Eamon chortled to his son. Not that Ethan looked impressed.
"Been there before, have you?" Ethan asked, eyeing his father.
Eamon shrugged not looking in the least embarrassed. "It's the life of a journalist, son. It's all about the deep throat connections," he explained with a lewd wink.
Ethan shared a revolted look with me, his father's double entendre not lost on him.
"Come on!" Elliot urged, ushering us into the waiting limo for the short trip to the club.
Once there it was every bit as seedy as I imagined. The place stank of stale cigarette smoke, sweat and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on. Sawyer and Reynolds positioned on either side of the entry to the VIP lounge, we were shown into a smallish room with wide, red velvet open booths around the walls facing three interlinked stages, each with a pole. Within moments of us arriving, topless waitresses were bringing us drinks, then one by one three dancers appeared. Initially clothed, the three took it in turns to 'perform,' stripping down to very skimpy thongs.
Provocative, the strip-tease did nothing for me, but Elliot and his friends seemed to enjoy it, so that was the main thing, I guess. Taylor and I were each nursing a beer and watching the sports on a flat screen positioned to one side, when the women stepped down from the stage, moving through our group and asking if anyone would like to engage their services in the private rooms. With my haphephobia, that would never happen, so I declined when offered, as did Taylor, pointing to the thick gold band on his finger.
I knew he adored Gail, so it didn't surprise me Taylor had turned the offer down. I respected him for it though. My brother, however, couldn't get his wallet out fast enough – and soon he and two others were being led down a dark corridor to the private rooms.
"You ever had a lap dance?" I asked Taylor curiously, taking a gulp of my beer.
"Does a bear shit in the woods?" he replied with a smirk. "Every military guy has at some point. It's like a rite of passage."
"You're not tempted, tonight?"
"No. When you have a real woman to go home to, this sort of thing loses its appeal."
I nodded in agreement and we clinked our beers together and returned our attentions to the sports channel. I'd spoken to Ana earlier, and she'd had a wonderful day at the spa. Apparently, Teddy had behaved wonderfully for Gail, and Mom took him for an hour so Gail could also enjoy some pampering.
"Fuck, man! That was awesome!" Elliot declared, swaggering back down the corridor half an hour later with a grin the size of the empire state building. "This is a guided touch club, and fuck me those double-Ds are all natural!"
I was about to point out to Elliot that talking about a stripper's tits in front of his father-in-law to be might not be the best idea, when I saw Eamon being led down the corridor to the private rooms by the same dancer. He turned to give Elliot the thumbs up. Still grinning, Elliot moved across to a table where Ethan, Callum and his school mates were doing flaming shots. With every drink they downed, my chances of success on the golf course tomorrow went up, I thought with satisfaction.
Half an hour later the dancers were back on stage, and the lights dimmed for their second 'show.' If the first dances were suggestive, this performance was almost pornographic. The guys were loudly voicing their approval, jostling with each other for the next round in the private rooms.
"Hey, Chrissie," Elliot said, bring a decidedly worse for wear Ethan over to sit with us. "Keep an eye on Kavanagh, will you? He's had a bit too much."
Sure enough, Ethan had the slightly green expression I associated with overindulgence. I sighed, wondering what my chances were of getting out of here tonight without being puked on. Signaling for a waitress and requesting a large carafe of water and four glasses, I suggested Elliot join us for a while. He wasn't looking so crash hot, either.
"Son! You were right about those tits! Aren't they something?!" Eamon Kavanagh appeared behind Elliot, clapping him on the back. "Come on! I've organized Daisy Double D and one of her friends to give us a two on two!" he declared lecherously. "For an hour!"
Eamon pulled Elliot down the hallway, following two of the dancers. Surreptitiously looking at my watch I saw it was approaching 1:00 am. With a bit of luck, once their hour was up, we'd be able to move everyone back to Caesars and settle in for our second night.
If you want to see Elliot's bachelor party shirt, check out my Facebook page:
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