Chapter 23 --- Senorita Foley –or- What's In A Name

It had been a busy Saturday; Diane had asked him to install an intercom at the front door. He was so pleased that she had recovered from Monday's food poisoning that she could have asked for the moon. While shopping for the intercom, he is attracted to a video system for front and back doors. With a couple of modifications he felt that it was worthy of his loved ones. Speaking of which, he hadn't seen Diane since the tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich she had made him for lunch.

It took him all of two minutes to teach Sarah how to operate the system, just in time for their first visitor.

"Karen," Jake speaks into the intercom, "come on in, we're in the den."

"You know Jake," Karen says entering from the hall, "security systems work better when the door's locked."

"Har-dee-har-har." Jake said with a smile, "I just finished installing it. You're the first test subject."

"Seems to be working, I like the TV hookup."

"It's also hooked up in the master bedroom, Diane's office and a small monitor by the front door."

"Nice. Recording capability?"

"Not yet, I'm going to build a digital system."

"Sweet."

"I don't mean to sound rude Karen, but why are you here?"

Karen looks at Sarah, who looks at Karen and winks. "I asked her to come by."

Jake shrugs and turns to Karen, "My kasa es sue kasa."

Karen snickers and Sarah smiles.

In his ears he hears Diane 'thinking' at him, "Senor Foley?"

Jake turns to see Diane standing in the doorway. His jaw drops and he leans to one side, Sarah steps forward, placing a hand on his shoulder to steady him.

Smiling at his reaction, Diane gives a slow turn, showing off her new dress – she knew he would like it. It is cut similar to the little black dress he likes so much, except it's red with beading and ruffles that give it a Spanish flavor. With her hair pulled back and the red lace shawl draped over her arms, she smiles and pops open the black lace fan she coyly uses to cover her mouth.

Jake steps to her and she closes the fan, using the end to raise Jake's chin, shutting his mouth. She then used it to stop his advance toward her. "Oh no you don't, it's too early for you to mess up my makeup."

When he furrows his brow, Sarah and Karen think he's mad at Diane, instead he's 'thinking' to her. "Diane, what's going on?"

She smiles coquettishly, "In thanks for nursing Sarah and I all week, you are getting the evening off. Dining, dancing and a little romance with the wife of your choice. Sarah is babysitting Nora Lee and Karen is…"

"Visiting a friend." Sarah cuts in not wanting to admit that she's being babysat.

"So I guess I'd better choose which wife I'm taking." Diane just cocks her eyebrow at his statement. "First there's Dr. Hughes-Foley, then Mrs. Jake Foley, Senorita Foley and lastly Diane."

Karen's smiling while Sarah's stifling a laugh, "I wondered why you have a king sized bed."

"Jake, you need to shower and change. Our reservations are in 45 minutes."

"Hold up! We want to know which 'wife' you're taking?" Sarah exclaimed.

"And what's the difference between them?" Karen added.

"Jake…"

"It's Ok sweetheart. This will only take a minute." He steps behind her and wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her back against him. Reluctantly at first, the possessively, she leans back enjoying the intimacy.

"Well, first there's Dr. Hughes-Foley; smart, thorough, controlling…" He feels her bristle at the last description, "…compassionate, confident, calm and the only woman on the planet that can make a lab coat look sexy." Diane leans back a little harder. "Now Mrs. Jake Foley is loving, nurturing, strict, always thinking of others is getting to be a pretty good cook, is good with problems, very good with Nora lee and never looks lovelier than when she's holding our daughter."

Sarah notices a faint blush rising from her friend.

"Senorita Foley on the other hand is impulsive, selfish, sensuous and – eager."

Diane smile and blushes as Jake 'thinks' to her the word he really wanted to end that list with.

Continuing, Jake smiles warmly, "As for Diane, she's my best friend, best bud, my playmate…" Pausing he leans down and kisses her bare shoulder. "…has an understated beauty that drives me crazy, looks really erotic in grey, and is sexier than the other three combined and my favorite. Besides her name means 'Divine Love'."

Diane's eyes close as Jake nuzzles her neck, reaching up she intertwines her fingers in his hair and pulls his head back. Turning her head she stares him in the eyes, "Go shower, shave and into what I laid out for you; or you don't get to see the 'pretty'. You've got 15 minutes."

As Jake runs down the hall, Sarah notices that Diane's face is scrunched up. "Are you Ok Diane?"

Looking surprised, the down, she smiles. "I was just 'thinking' that what I said came out harder than I meant for it to."

Glancing over and seeing Karen looking at the bookshelves, Sarah steps closer to Diane and says softly, "He'll forgive you, if he hasn't already."

"You're right; I guess I'm just feeling anxious."

"Can I ask you a question?"

Smiling, Diane arches an eyebrow and gently nods.

Looking a little embarrassed, Sarah asks, "What's the 'pretty'?"

Laughing softly, Diane leans forward, "It means I'm wearing sexy underwear." Smiling, she whispers, "And their grey." Straightening up she asks, "How's my makeup?"

"Absolutely perfect." Taking a pompously maternal tone she adds, "Young lady, if it looks this good when you get back I'll be very disappointed in you."

"If I'm not properly mussed, Jake's sleeping with the Coi."

"Have you found someone to take them yet?"

"Mot yet, and we need to get rid of them soon."

"I think I know someone who would like them. Want me to ask?"

"Please." Relief obvious on Diane's face.

"I thought I'd seen this somewhere." Karen says approaching the pair, thumbing through 'The Name Book' by Dorothy Astoria. "Ah, here it is; Diane is from Latin, meaning 'Divine Love'."

"You're kidding?" Diane exclaims.

"A bit, it looks like someone – I'm betting on Jake – added the word 'Love"."

"That's sweet, what does Jake mean?" Diane asks.

"Is it Jake or Jacob?" Karen asks after finding the right page.

"Jacob." Diane replies looking eager.

"Jacob is from Hebrew and means 'supplanter'; Jake is English and means substitute."

"What about yours?" Sarah asks.

"And Sarah's!" Diane quickly adds.

Laughing to herself, "Karen is German and means 'pure'." Flipping a few pages she smiles, "Sarah, yours is Hebrew," she closes the book and bows to Sarah, "'Princess'."

Sarah groans, "I'm never going to live that one down, am I?"

"Not in this lifetime." Diane says while bowed and laughing. "What about Nora Lee?"

"Let's see… Nora is Greek and means 'Light'. Lee is German and means 'From The Sheltered Place'. Humm… Light from the sheltered place; sounds warm, inviting and loving."

"If she's like her parents she will be."

"That's a sweet thing to say Sarah." Diane says while giving her friend a hug.

Jake stumbles through the door, distracted with the last stud on his shirt.

"Nice tux Jake." Sarah comments.

"That's not what I set out for you to wear."

"I know Diane, it's in my pocket."

Karen looks at Sarah, "Do we dare ask?"

"No!" Jake interjects.

"Come on Jake, we're nearly late as it is." Taking his tie from him she tosses it on an end table. Accepting his offered arm, she follows him into their evening.

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

Next: Leprechauns, Oak Trees And Discoveries

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