Padmé wailed next morning.
"Ani, I'm pretty sore, I can hardly sit, let alone walk."
"Oh? was I too rude?"
"You were exactly how I wanted you to be, my husband."
"I like the title... let me help you, I will kiss your pain away."
"I couldn't take another orgasm right now, I'm overwrought."
"Honestly, me too. Do you know what we're going to do now, Angel?"
"What?"
"We're in one top notch hotel, there's always brunch for the late guests..."
"Oh yes, I'm kind of hungry...after so much gymnastics."
They showered und got dressed. Anakin chose jeans and a polo-neck sweater, Padme wore a Burberry skirt and a camel-colored cashmere twin set.
In the breakfast room, where the brunch buffet was set up now. They met all their friends.
"Look, the newlyweds honor us with their presence. Missy, can you still walk?"
"Uh... with the utmost effort, Dormé." She winked.
"...and you Bro, legs like a jelly, huh?"
Rex needed to tease Anakin otherwise it would be boring, but that was to be expected. Also, even in their adult age, they felt and acted like teenagers when they were together. It made them feel that togetherness and captured the memory of the lightest time in their lives, their youth.
"Asshole. I'm still in good shape, ready for round two, three, four..."
"Show-off, I see your good condition, you can't wait to sit down and your plate is more than full, you have no strength left."
"You are really an asshole."
"If you can't think of anything else..."
"I can, indeed. You jumped beyond your means to get the garter and Sabé has the bouquet….so what's the status?"
Rex put his arm around Sabé's waist.
"We are together."
"Is it all?"
"It's only been three weeks, Skywalker, but we're working on it."
"...I mean New York, Miami...thirteen hundred miles..."
"Yes, but for now we can only commute."
"And what about you Cody?" Ben piped up.
"I don't know how much you know about football, you're a lightsaber fighter and practice Soresu..." everyone laughed loud "..but in off-season talks are going on about free agency, trades, draft etc. I'm in talks to transfer...to the Washington Commanders."
"WOW, I think it can't get any better than this."
"And if that happens, it will take a while. Trades only run from mid-March."
"What are you doing until then?"
"Exercise patience." Cody laughed and kissed Dormé.
"You taste like avocado, honey. What's new with you guys, Satine?"
"I have a good chance of getting a job in a good law firm in about two months...in Washington D.C. "
"What? You come to Washington D.C. and I don't know anything about it?"
"Cool down, I've only known since Friday."
"Oh... and Ben?"
"Ben is staying in New York for now, until he finds something too...maybe."
"And Serena?"
"She stays with my mother."
"That doesn't smell good, girlfriend."
"I can't find anything in New York at the moment that meets my needs. I don't want to sell myself short, I have a Harvard degree."
The discussion started to get a bit more serious and personal.
"Do you want to go to D.C. too, Ben?" Padme dared to ask.
"We have our differences on this."
Nobody said anything further. They all chewed and swallowed, even if it wasn't just the food. After a round of silence, Anakin suggested:
"So friends, it's 2:00 pm. , I suppose you will be hungry again after a few hours. How about we hang out at a nightclub or lounge somewhere tonight, have a drink, snack, dance and the like, huh? You are invited, as long as you are here, everything is paid for."
"I'm for all of it...as long as there isn't just a bite to eat."
"If you don't burn those 10.000 calories Rex, you're going to get fat till the regular season and the extending of your contract won't do you any good, you can still be traded, or you'll be moved to Defense to get position of a linebacker."
"I'll make sure he holds his position." Sabé answered.
"Fine, but keep the promise, please. His career depends on you."
"Point taken, Anakin."
"Ben, have you already been at The Grand Boston, or we can go to Tunnel?"
"The Grand Boston is great, but I think they're closed on Mondays."
"Then Icons."
"You know all night clubs."
"I've lived here for a while….but now we take a long walk down Harbourwalk, across the Evelyn Moakley Bridge to Fan Pier Park and take lots of nice photos there with our hotel and Boston skylines in the background. What do you think about?"
"Oh yes, I need that now...after eating so much."
"You ate so much, Ben?" asked Rex.
"I've never heard you say you can't eat any more. There is still something left at the buffet, there is nothing until tonight, Rex."
"Then I'll have some more."
"Make yourself another sandwich for to go."
Everyone had to laugh.
After brunch everyone went to their rooms and dressed warmly for a long walk. When they left the hotel, it was cold, a full 30°F and the rain started to freeze.
"What do we do now? It's a slide, nobody needs broken legs, especially a football pro." Cody remarked.
I have an idea." Anakin offered. "...we wanted to check out anyway, we'll do that right away and then we'll go to our home. That was planned for tomorrow, but the opportunity is now. Everyone agree?"
The friends said yes.
"And something else; we don't have to go to the Icon tonight. We'll stay at our home and Padmé and I will make something to eat for all of us, so we can go to the Tunnel or Bijou tomorrow..."
"I agree, but can you cook, Padmé?" Rex asked, only thinking about eating.
"Believe it or not, my Padmé is a very good cook."
"You're lucky, Skywalker."
"I don't know why men think that educated women can't cook." Dormé wondered.
"Perhaps because educated women think they are above such menial jobs."
"You are wrong, Rex."
Exactly came from Sabé, Dormé and Satine.
Padmé went into the suite to pack her things. She got help from her friends.
"Is that wedding dress, that's on the floor, still OK.?" Dormé teased.
"It wasn't far from being cut open...but I won't need it anymore."
When everything was packed, Anakin came to get the suitcases. He checked out, they ordered two taxis, told the driver to be careful because of the black ice, and headed Back Bay.
They stopped at 122 Beakon St and all got out.
"Nice area." Cody was unfamiliar with Boston.
"Typical Boston upper class." Satine commented.
In the apartment, on the top floor, Padmé showed them every room and then everyone was amazed at how tastefully everything was furnished.
"Your last apartment was also nice, Anakin." Satine recalled.
"It was just rented. I had this one done by an interior designer, but it was a bit bare until Padmé gave it a personal touch and made it a home."
"Thank you, Ani... and now, be a good host."
"Sit down, guys. What can I offer to drink? Maybe Whiskey on the Rocks and Cosmopolitan, hm?"
"As always."
"You don't have to ask."
Anakin poured whiskey and Padmé mixed the Cosmopolitans. They toasted each other and wished to see each other again soon.
"I'll make the starter now, Rex must be hungry by now, it takes about an hour, and then I'll put the roast in the oven. Potatoes are halfway through and salad is made quickly."
"Yes, I'm hungry, tell me what are you doing exactly?"
"The starter is a Greek Pita with feta-cheese. I'm sure you'll like this, Rex. Main course is veal, saddle piece, potato and chicory salad with creme fraise. For dessert, vanilla ice cream with rum-pot fruit... and there's plenty of it, you'll definitely be full. If you're still hungry after that, I'll hang myself." She laughed.
"No, please don't hang and don't jump from...Shit, sorry."
"It's okay Rex, I know it runs deep with all of you."
Rex got up and hugged Padmé.
"Get your paws off !"
"Cool down, I'm just a friend, or like a brother she doesn't have."
"I know, just kidding."
"So, Missy, tell me, how do you whip up dinner for eight like this?"
"It's all a matter of planning and organizing, Dormé."
"Smartass."
"I've got all this planned for tomorrow, so it's all there. It's not a problem."
"Dormé honey, would you please watch how she does it."
"Cody honey, are you saying I can't cook?"
"Oh no honey, just see if she can make it faster."
"I understand."
"If Anakin helps, we'll be done in no time." explained Padmé.
"Oh, I see. Well, Cody honey, if you didn't always have your long legs on the coffee table, I'd be done quicker too."
"And how do you do that, Ben?" Cody wanted to know.
"I stay out of everything."
Satine said nothing.
"Rex, I think we've learned a lot." Sabé said with a smile and thought about she heard.
It went like this on and on. After an hour the appetizer was ready and eaten, the men were talking about all sorts of things and women were in the kitchen with Padmé, sitting at the counter and watching her make the dinner. Two huge pieces of roast took two and a half hours, while Padmé prepared the rest and spontaneously decided to make broccoli florets with butter sauce. No problem for her. Anakin poured another round of Cosmopolitan for the ladies and, being a good host, made sure the gentlemen had full glasses. He laid the table in the dining area, everyone wondered how Padmé and Anakin worked so perfectly without words.
Dormé and Sabé wanted to follow suit so that things would go smoothly later on, but the Kenobis…. there was somthing absolutely wrong ...somehow.
When the food was on the table, Padmé asked the friends to sit down. Anakin opened a bottle of Riesling at just the right temperature.
"I have the German Rieslin here, one from the German Wine Route, Wineyard Knipser, grand cru, special location, called Mandelpfad. I hope you like it."
"Have you become a wine connoisseur now?"
"Actually not, Ben. Padmé knows all about wines and always has a good bottle in the fridge."
"My father is a wine connoisseur, so I learned something."
"Is wine so appreciated at your home?"
Satine's question made Padmé a bit suspect, but she answered truthfully.
"...not appreciated very much, we drank only on holidays and when we had guests. So do Anakin and I."
Everything Padmé cooked was well received, everyone praised her, it felt good, she made an effort.
"Well Padmé, all of it was perfect and plentiful, I'm full, really full."...said Rex, leaning back in the chair and rubbing his stomach.
"Thanks Rex, you're always welcome."
Anakin kissed her. "That's my Padmé...oh friends, I still cannot realize, she is my wife...after all this shit..." he shook his head.
"Anakin stop ! She ist here, we all are here just like seven years ago. It is wonderful." said Sabé.
They talked about everything and nothing and before they were about to leave, Anakin was asked about his dissertation.
"Tell us Skywalker, we all have degrees, bachelor or master, but how does it feel to have a doctor degree?"
"I don't have the title yet, but I can tell you, Rex, it's a lot of work to get to that title. I don't want to brag, but I intend to graduate summa cum laude."
"Why are you making it so difficult for yourself?"
"It's not easy, true, but once you get going, it works. I'm just unlucky with this Corona Pandemic, it must have set me back nearly two years...but if Corona hadn't existed, Padmé wouldn't be here. Of course, it's a shit she had Corona."
"When do you think you'll be finished?"
"Early to mid-next year."
Then he told something about his dissertation and what he wants to do later.
"You will be all over America and far from us. How will we see each other, again every six years?" asked Rex.
"We'll find the way."
Well after midnight, the friends decided that the hosts might be tired and it was time to go back to the hotel. Anakin wanted to invite them all Tuesday night and Wednesday to lunch before they left.
"We will talk tomorrow. Bye."
"Thanks for a fantastic dinner and good night, keep busy." Cody winked.
Anakin hailed two taxis and said goodbye to his friends in front of the house.
.
Best regards from Germany