The Reunion (15 page)

"Mr. Brockton, Mr. Connally and Mrs. Connally."  Lee greeted them and led them to the limo.  They waited a few minutes for bags to be loaded and were whisked away to a plush hotel.  Mike was glued to the windows.  Everywhere they went he absorbed the sights, sounds, smells, taste and feel of everything around him.  Mike didn't notice the way he drew attention, or the tall dark man with the small blond woman.  The family was strikingly handsome. 

They spent a long time being introduced at the headquarters and several managers from other facilities insisted on meeting the chairman and the computer consultant.  Mike braved it all.  When he had a few minutes he got online and posted pictures and where they were so his aunts and uncles were kept informed.  He told them what they were doing or going to do next.  When tied up with business he entertained himself studying pamphlets or on a computer or reading.  He adapted as needed.  By the time they got back to the hotel he had to be carried in.  Again it reminded Brockton that he was only a child.  There were several packages and gifts in their room.  They'd only had time for the flight over the Great Wall before flying to Sidney. 

Mike asked to do two things specifically in Sidney.  The Alligator guy and the bridge.  Brockton and Mike did the 3.5 hour bridge climb.  They caught the last show at the zoo and hardly had time to walk around after their tour of the office.  Again a hurried tour and helicopter ride then the flight to Marseilles.  They made a refueling stop somewhere in the Middle East where Em was terrified to be.  Mike counted it as part of Africa even though it was actually part of Asia.  In refueling they were greeted by a small delegation from their chief OPEC counterparts.  Em was very uncomfortable being stared at.  She remained in the back of the plane for the most part.  She knew she was profiling and that not everyone from the Middle East were terrorists but she didn't feel comfortable until they were back in the air.

They arrived in Marseilles after dark and drove through the city before going to the hotel.  They indulged themselves in an amazing dinner in their rooms then turned in close to midnight.  There was a "Walk in the footsteps of Cézanne" in Aix about a 20 minute drive outside of Marseilles and they shopped in old town, ate in the open market and returned to their hotel exhausted and grumpy.  The offices there were small and efficient and everyone spoke perfect English and they were so friendly; Em couldn't understand the frosty relationship Americans had with the French.  Of course it was probably just something to sell papers.  She found them charming and very hospitable.

They flew to London and promised themselves an extra day just to catch up.  They were taxiing to the hanger and a second limo pulled up then the first limo pulled away.  Mike flew out of the plane and at his Uncle Ty who stepped out of the limo and into the hanger.

"I guess she wasn't kidding about the crying and hormones."  He hugged her but didn't throw her about as he was accustomed to doing.  "Congratulations and congratulations."  He ran his hand over her still flat tummy, then smirked, and shook Brockton's hand.  He picked Mike up and threw him over his shoulder.  "I can't believe you brought the troublemaker with you on this trip.  I’m going to steal him for a few hours and ride that wheel thing."  Ty looked at Em. "You'd get sick and spoil it for me."  He carried Mike to the limo and threw him inside.  "Lock the doors and don’t let the pipsqueak out Ronald."  He stepped out and Mike started playing with all the knobs, dials and television, game and computer things in the limo.  "I've been delegated to take you to Harrod's to pick out a wedding gift.  I hope you don't mind if I tag along with you today.  Doesn't matter since already I sent the other driver packing."  He opened the door for them and followed them into the limo. 

"Here kid, use these."  Ty handed Mike headphones that looked like a piece of string with earplugs on the end, but didn't plug into anything.  He switched the sound to remote and started telling Em where they were and what they were passing.  They pulled in front of a long brick building with a plain entrance and were dropped off.  Ty handed Mike a new hand held game machine and warned him about erasing his high scores.  Then just hung back and enjoyed the tour.  He was introduced as a business associate and recognized by several for his position in his own company, at least by name.  In business Ty kept a low profile, a recluse and there weren't many pictures or any information on him.  Ty diverted them from the tour of the city to a hotel to drop off their luggage. 

After entering the lobby, a dark elegant woman unfolded herself from one of the chairs and was promptly picked up and thrown over the huge man’s shoulder then kissed by the small blond woman and the tall dark man.  The kid stood there dumbfounded, mouth agape.  There were barely disguised disgusted whispers about those Americans making a spectacle of themselves.  The boy received kisses all over his face.  She walked with the boy her arms wrapped affectionately around him to the elevators.

"HOW DARE YOU SKIP TOWN WITHOUT TELL ME!"  Toni yelled as soon as they were in a suite near the top floor of the hotel.  "MAKING ME CHASE YOU DOWN AND CALL IN FAVORS FROM THIS GUY!"  She wouldn't release Em then turned to Brockton.  "Hi handsome."  She smiled.  "You're not going to make me call my brothers are you?"  He shook his head and left Em to stand there crying with her arms around Toni.

"She screamed into the phone for five minutes before I could get a meaningful word out of her.  I think she cursed at me in four languages."  Ty went to the bar and fixed himself a drink and poured scotch neat for Brockton.  "What are you having Toni?"

"Tea, Em and I are having tea."  The maid came out of nowhere and left a tea tray and biscuits (cookies) on the table.

"Your staff?"

"I live here sometimes."

"Nice."  Brockton sipped his scotch.  "How come she's never married?"

"Which one?"

"Either of them.  Both of them."

"Em's been hiding out in computer rooms or behind her son for years."  Ty looked at the two of them.  "Toni says she's holding out for someone better than me."

"Why not you?"

"She's been my friend and partner-in-crime for too long."

"What better?"

"True, and believe me I've thought about it a number of times."  He looked at her and signed.  "She's many a man's fantasy.  I think I can still out run her brothers but she's picky.  I don't know.  She hasn't had any relationships that have lasted five minutes in at least five years."

"She had the consultants going and chatting me up that night we were playing poker."

"Hey Toni marry me!"

"Next week, love. I have a baby shower to plan."

"Have you two…???"  Brockton made a rather non-specific hand movement that was internationally man-speak for hooking up.

"Nah."  He smiled. "Not for lack of trying, at least playfully.  I knew the only ones that were off limits were Em & Robbie.  The rest of us aren't related."

"But you have too much history."

"Something like that."

"Would I be going around Em to ask what happened between her and Mike's dad?"

"She's never said and won't identify him."  He took a drink and lowered his voice. "I have a suspicion it was someone from the college she met at the bar but I could be off.  She flew out of town and didn't come back for a few years.  The name changed, the career changed.  It was very deliberate."

"I'm going to adopt the kid.  [I’m] just wondering if there’ll be problems."

"None."  He smiled.  "So what came first the baby or the ring?"

"From my side it was ring then baby, it was pretty close to a tie for her."

"You shouldn't have brought up Toni and getting naked.  Now I'm going to have to get drunk."  Ty walked over to join them.  "Toni, I have a hundred euros that says I can get you wasted enough to take advantage of me with only two bottles of scotch."

"It would take less than one bottle to get you wasted enough and I'd rather rumba with Ryan.  No offense to Ryan."

"Just a thought.  I'm bored, let’s go shopping."  The two women jumped to their feet. 

"Don't you love him?  He speaks our language."  Toni kissed Ty's cheek.

"That's about as hot as she gets for me."  He said over her head to Brockton.  "Shame of it is I think I'd rather see her in the Thames than naked in bed."

"You don't know what you're missing.  And you have pictures of me naked in
your
bed."

"True."  He kissed her nose.  "Let's go get a wedding gift and some baby blankets."

The men dropped the women in the shopping district and took the kid to see the sites.

"How is it you have a passport?"

"I've always had a passport ready in case some wealthy urbanite stumbled blindly into the bar and asks me to marry him.  I'm ready to go."

"Sure thing."  Em laughed and picked up the same white blanket she had previously picked up three times.  "I think I have to keep this one.  I can't put it down."

"How do you feel about having another baby?"

"Scared to death."

"But your last pregnancy was so smooth and the delivery…  I never experienced anything like that and you were so beautiful."

"Right up to the point I clawed out the anesthesiologist's eyes.  It helped bond you to Mike.  This one the father wants and I'm excited to be having."  She ran her hand over her still flat stomach.

"You don't talk about Mike's father."

"It's not time.  Mike will need to know one day and it'll all come out."

"Ok."  She handed Em a white towel set with ice skating penguins.  "Josh thinks Charles is adopting Mike."

"Mike's so…"  Em smiled. "You should have seen Mike ask.  It was precious."  She rubbed a hand knitted sweater and hat set to her cheek.  “Summer baby, this would be wasted, unless they have a six to nine months.  I had Mike in zero to threes for almost a whole week.”

“How pregnant are we?”

“We?  Approximately six weeks is all.”

“VEGAS?”  She laughed.  “Well that will be a reunion you'll never forget.  He nailed you in one.  God I hope I don’t have your luck.”  She put her arm around Em’s shoulders.

“Prospects?”

“Bored to delirium.  I’m getting too old to hustle up the energy to be charming let alone look the part.”

“Yeah, you look so matronly for your age.”  Em smiled.  "I used to look so much younger than everyone. Funny how your being taller made people think you were older.  Until the last couple of years."

“I’m right on your heels.”  Toni reminded her, even though she knew she didn’t have to.  “I just haven’t met anyone that’s the least bit interesting and no one compares to who we already have.  Between Ryan, David, Pete, Tommy, Josh and Ty, and that I haven’t had sex in over a year.  I can’t tell you how much that annoys me.”

“Not for lack of offers I’m sure.”

“Yeah, if I want a puppy to hump my leg.  We’re too close to the college and unless I can get a professor who happens in by mistake, it’s mostly the ones I have to card before serving.”

“You take their breathes away.  You always have.”

“I’m every teenaged male’s fantasy.  I’m just not meeting any
men
.”

“Marshall was asking…”

"And he was sweet, but he’s at least five years younger than me and I’ll look like his mother in another few years.”

“Ty would love to show you the sites.”

“Ty thinks I’m his sister and…  That’s not what you meant, never mind.”  Toni walked over to a display of baby monitors.  “Can’t get the electronic stuff here, I’ll have to see what they have at Babies-R-Us or online.”

“Tyler?”  She went to Toni and put her arm around her.  “Ty loves you.”

“Not
that
way, he doesn’t.  I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I think you’re wrong.”  Em started playing with a rattle that was covered in terrycloth and was softer than a cotton ball and added it to the stack.

“I’ll jump him and if he doesn’t die of shock we’ll see where we go from there.  At least I’ll've had a little sex.”

“As I recall from swimming with them, it wouldn’t be that little…”  They laughed.

“What the hell are we doing down here we still have to get you married.  Let’s go find a dress and the perfect shoes.”

“I like the blue dress Ty got me.”

“That was a damn nice dress but unless you get married in the next five minutes you won’t get that thing over those boobs.”

“First change I noticed.  I started getting bigger, like I need any more.”

“Honey I didn’t hear anyone complain about too much.  And they wouldn’t dare say too little around me.  I’ve got enough.  But poor Debbie, she never got out of trainers, even after a couple of kids.”

“She has other assets.”

“Ass-sets being the operative there.”  Toni stopped dead in the shoe department grabbing a pair of red 4" heels with an ankle strap and opened toe.  "MINE." 

“Oh God here we go.  I’m getting married barefoot on a beach.  Don’t even think about getting me in heels while pregnant.  You’ll be lucky to see me in anything but tennis shoes and flip-flops for the next seven months, and probably six months if my feet swell like last time.”

“Nursing.  Baby.  Wedding.  Not in that order, I need to sit down, I’m so jealous I could spit.”

“We’re driving these poor proper people crazy talking like a couple of horny teenagers.”

“Hell you’re getting married and already pregnant and I’m looking to screw the next man to cross my path.  Where’s those guys looking for Bridget Jones? I’ll take them both on, one at a time or together.”

“Toni you’re the best!”  Em hugged her.  “Get yourself a pair of shoes and I’ll see if I can find a little maternity top to wear to my wedding.”

“Don’t you even think of getting married without me OR I will have my brothers…  Forget it, I'll come after you.”

“No, we’re doing this together.  We’re not having the WHOLE family though.  I just saw them and I don’t need to right away again.”

“I was thinking Vegas part Deux would be perfect.”

“We’ll get married at the Elvis and Priscilla chapel.”

“Can’t picture it.  I've got it, we dress you like one of those dancers at the Flamingo—is that hotel even there anymore?  You know, topless with the big bird feathers stick out of your head…”  Em rolled her eyes and took the red shoes Toni could die for and put them on Ty’s account.  “How did you get his card?”

“Need you ask?”