Chapter 15 --- Cotton Candy and the King
"Come in Fran." Diane called at the knock to her home office door. Fran must have a date if she's early; she'll be wanting to leave early.
"Just me." Sarah answered opening the door. "Still Ok to come in."
Closing the screen she was looking at, Diane pointed to a chair. "Of course, do you need anything?"
Pulling the chair close, Sarah sat and stared Diane in the eyes. "I was going to ask what is up with Jake. But that smile on your face tells me… not to worry."
"What did Jake do?"
"Ate cold pizza for breakfast."
"He does that often."
"While humming 'The Last Farewell'?"
"That's a little different."
"Did I mention it was the pepperoni, anchovy and artichoke…"
"The rat! That was my lunch."
"Don't worry about that, by the look on his face, now would be the time to ask for a new car, diamonds and/or a fur coat."
"I'm hoping she'll settle for lunch at Willow's." Jake said from the hall, looking through the open door.
"Sounds nice sweetheart, although could we talk about diamonds – maybe?"
"Keep looking at me like that…" Jake began, then stopped. "I would if I could." And he quietly walked off.
"Damn."
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Later Diane found Jake in the garage fixing a pile of PDAs. "Jake are you Ok?"
"Yeah." He replied turning from the workbench to look at his bride, "I'm sorry."
"No, I am. You've made me so happy. Happier than I ever imagined I could or would be. You give me so much. Take me to Willow's; wine me – er – Sparkling water me, dine me, whisper into my shell like ear those things you know I like to hear."
Jake smiled but looked down at his feet.
"Jake, Sarah's gone to work with Karen, and Fran is in my office. But we can spend the afternoon together." Diane said giving Jake her best schoolgirl-with-a-crush look.
"No fair using that look." Jake said winking at Diane. "It sounds like a good afternoon. It won't be long till 'taking my baby out' will mean something else."
"You think of me as your baby?" She teased.
"Well… I figure even the nanites couldn't save me if I called you my 'old lady'," Diane bristled, "besides," Jake continued," with your complexion baby is more appropriate."
"That's sweet Jake, but I'm not that much older than you, 'boy toy'."
Jake smiled, "You sure are tempting lady. There's a carnival nearby; I could buy you some cotton candy and a spin on the carousel."
"You're such a big spender."
"Hey, Willow's is not cheap and you like the carnival. Especially the violent games: Wack-a-Mole, knock the bottles over, Ring-the-Bell, Dart Throw, Knock the Clowns Down and all the shooting games."
"True, but I'm in more of a Tunnel-Of-Love mood."
"Do tell."
"Not now lover, I've got a hot assistant waiting."
"Hot?"
"Under the collar when I keep her waiting and she's wanting to get away early."
"Best go; our reservations are for 12:45."
"Will you…"
"I already ordered your Baked Alaska."
"I may have to wear my pretty knickers."
"You know, we don't have to go out."
"Yes we do, especially if you want to see the pretty."
"Good-bye, see you later, Ta ta, Adios, Auf Wiederschen, Sayonara, Aloha; what are you waiting for?"
"A kiss."
"Man I'm glad you weren't kidding about me being a 'boy toy'."
"Yakety, yakety." Diane says as she puts her hand behind Jake's neck and pulls him down to her.
The kiss wasn't what epic poems are written about, nor did it lead past the moment; but each of them enjoyed the moment.
"Pick you up at 12:00?"
"Make it 11:15." She smiled, waving her fingers as she passed through the door.
Jake stood there, staring at the closed door; on his workbench the electronics came to life.
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The afternoon had been great; starting with a little one-on-one time, a romantic lunch and relaxing while people watching at the carnival from a shaded park bench.
"Diane," Jake started, momentarily distracted by her licking cotton candy from her fingers.
"Right here." She answered, leaning her shoulder against her husband, before licking a last piece from her thumb.
"I kind of envy those fingers." He said putting his arm around her.
"Short and sticky?" She teased, looking up into his face, batting her eyelashes."
"You know you make the whole 'bespectacled' look totally sexy."
"And if I had my hair pulled up it'd be the whole librarian thing?"
"Am I getting predictable?"
"Actually no, except for telling me you're going away on a mission."
Jake looked at her and took her hand in his kissing it. "Humm… sweet."
"I didn't have cotton candy on that hand."
Jake smiled down at her. "Don't make it any the less sweet."
Diane smiled then laughed nervously, "How long will you be gone?"
"A week to ten days."
"What has you worried?"
"I have to be… I'm going after domestic terrorists." He held out his right arm and rolled up the sleeve – his Wolf Pack scar had risen.
"Are the Wolf Pack involved?"
"No, but Kyle believes it will give me that tough guy mentality."
"Good."
"Good?"
"Whatever it takes, I want you back in one piece. I'll be entering my eighth month, and if you aren't here mom will come down."
"Karen will be staying with you and Sarah. Fran and Kyle will be over more often…"
"I'd rather have Kyle in the War Room."
"Lou hates it when you call Sat Ops the War Room. Besides, think of all the great rumors that Kyle's presence will create."
"I wish the rumors would stop. I don't want our child to grow up where you've got a harem and I'm Xena the warrior slut." Diane said sadly.
"I always thought you were more like Wonder Woman."
Diane arched her eyebrow in disbelief.
"Think about it. First there's the names; Diane – Diana. And the dark hair, fair skin, killer bod, lasso of truth…"
"Lasso? Where?" She looked down at her two empty hands.
Jake laughed and reached into her purse, pulling out her PDA calling up the JMD screen with a glance.
Diane joined Jake in laughing. "It works both ways sweetheart." She looked at the screen and it changed to the DMD screen then to a BMD screen.
"You're monitoring the baby?" Jake's joviality changed to grave concern, "Has there been an infestation?"
Taking his hand in hers, "No infestation, the BMD is reading from my nanites. If something happens an alarm will sound and hopefully I'll be able to prevent infestation."
Jake rapped his forehead with a fist, "Knock on wood."
"Sweetheart," Diane cooed lovingly, "that's not where your wood is."
He blushed, "I haven't had to worry about that for 21 months tomorrow."
"You remembered, that's sweet!" She grins as she pulls his head down for a kiss. "Ok stud, lets go home. I hear there's a hot woman waiting for you there."
"I doubt it. Only woman in the world is right now," Jake says while helping Diane to stand, "under protective custody."
Diane puts her arm around his waist and he his arm went around her shoulders as they begin to amble towards their car.
"Then who are…?"
"Just some guys with funny shapes and queer fashion taste."
"So you think I'm pretty?"
"Yes, pretty."
"And?"
"Beautiful."
"And?"
"Gorgeous."
"And?"
"You know, this could take a while."
"Keep going Thesaurus man."
"Hey, call me Roget. Sexy."
"And?"
"Alluring."
Half an hour later as Jake turns the ignition off in their driveway, a slightly hoarse Jake concludes with, "Vixen."
"Vixen?"
"Female fox."
"Ok, you win."
"What did I win?"
"Your choice on the pizza tonight, and…" Diane spreads her arms slightly and indicates herself.
Jake's eyes run up and down her gravid form a couple of times, his smile turning into a grin. He has a spas moment, first forgetting to unlock the car door before trying to exit, then forgetting his seatbelt was still on. Finally getting around the car to help his laughing wife out. She pulls him down for a long loving kiss.
"It's a good thing I find spas attacks irresistible."
"You married the King, baby." Jake says with a bad Elvis imitation.
Stepping back, Diane gives a sleight bow. "How may this humble wench be of service o' King?"
"Get thee to the Royal Bed Cambers and make yourself presentable whilst I behead the Knave that spies on us from yon hedge." He escorts the fair wench across the moat and through the castle gates before turning to deal with their nosy neighbor, Jon.
"Hi Jon, you need something?"
"Yeah, I was talking with some of the neighbors and we were wondering if you were opening a boarding house."
"You against pretty girls?"
"No. But you're starting to look like a polygamist."
"Well I do have a wife, girl friend and a mistress…"
Looking around to see if they were being listened to, Jon asks in a hushed voice, "How do you keep them separate?"
Jake leans closer to the hedge and says in a conspiratorial tone, "It helps when they're all Diane."
"Oh. Helps to keep their names straight." Jon said clearly missing the point.
"It also helps that they're all so high," Jake raises his hand to show Diane's height. "Have dark brown hair," He spreads his hands about two feet apart. "And they all look exactly like the woman I just brought home."
"You really stick to a type don't you?"
Jake just shook his head. How could anyone be that dense. "Was there anything else?"
"We were just wondering how long the blonde was staying?"
"We're not sure. She's here to help Diane during her pregnancy. Tomorrow a new brunette moves in."
"What?!" Jon's eyes bulge out.
"Relax man, you'll stroke out. She's just going to be here while I'm on a business trip. It should be no more than a couple of weeks."
"Why does an NSA tech support guy go on a business trip?"
"I'm going to the west coast for training on some new equipment." Jake was tiring of this conversation, he stared at Jon's house for a second.
"Dad!" Jon's 11 year old son called, "The cables out!"
"I better go see…" Jon said under his breath as he turned towards his home.
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Jake had enjoyed the afternoon, once Diane got through the whole teasing part about his wife, girl friend and mistress crack she had overheard.
By the time Sarah and Karen arrived the first and third aspects had been explored and the second was being examined while they watched 'The Matrix'.
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Next: Texas, Tears and a Car Crash
9