Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 10:06:43 -0700 (PDT) From: Orrin Rush Subject: The Lifeguard Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction. If you are offended by graphic descriptions of homosexual acts, go somewhere else. Copyright c 2002 by Orrin C. Rush. All rights reserved. Neither this story nor any parts of it may be distributed electronically or in any other manner without the express, written consent of the author. This is a work of fiction, any resemblance of the characters to anyone living or dead is pure coincidence and not intended. They are all products of the author's imagination. -------------------------------------------------------------- THE LIFEGUARD Chapter 63 "Look who I found wandering the halls!" Eric said as he ushered Al the superstar, and Rick, his lover, into my office. We went to the "conversation" area and caught up on what'd been happening to everyone. Tina stuck her nose in, and had the opportunity to thank Al and Rick for the fabulous wedding present they'd sent. She even got a big hug from Al which I'm sure made her day. Eventually, Al pulled a video cassette out of his pocket. "I wanted to deliver this in person," he said, handing it to Eric. "It's a run-through of the presentation. Actually, two different ones, one for the liberals and one for the conservatives." "Don't we have a big screen down in the auditorium?" Eric asked me. "I'll see if it's free," I told him and grabbed a phone. "It is," I told them. "It'll take a few minutes to set up." While we were waiting, Eric and I took them on a tour of the Foundation's offices, introducing Al to everyone as one of our "Advisors". With half of the Foundation Staff in tow, we found our way to the auditorium. The screen was just slightly smaller than ones in a movie theater. We found seats, Eric on one side of me, Al on the other. The music came on, a catchy tune that I'd never heard before. The scene was a school gymnasium. The music faded, then a very up-tempo piece started and the troupe bounded onto the floor, doing a variety of tumbling moves. There were three hunky guys and three beautiful girls. The guys were wearing spandex, mid thigh shorts and tank tops, the girls short skirts and halters, all in red, white, and blue. As they found their positions, the music went up a notch and the clapping started. I assumed that with an audience, they would be joining in. One guy and one girl were the leaders. "ARE YOU READY TO HEAR HOW IT REALLY IS?" The guy leader yelled into his headphone, after getting everybody worked up. >From there, he and the gal leader talked to the crowd. It wasn't a lecture, but a humorous discussion of how things "were" in this, the 21st century. The points they stressed were Love and Caring, Responsibility, and Safety, and were done in such a way as to make them important but not onerous. The music went up and the show was over. "All the performers will then man the exits and hand out brochures and posters," Al said. George got up in front of everybody. "I cannot see how ANYONE could possibly object to that presentation, Liberal OR conservative! A magnificent, powerful presentation!" "Let's hold our discussion until we see the other version," Eric suggested. It had the same cast, and was basically the same with a few script changes. Just as funny and just as powerful, but the part about 2 people of the same sex getting together had been eliminated. To me, they were the most important. We filed back to the Foundation conference room and all got seated around the table. Eric stood. "Al, I don't know how we can thank you for shepherding this project through to such an awesome conclusion." There was a round of applause. George took over from there. "It'd sure be easier just to play that tape, but we all feel that a live performance would have a lot more impact. We're really going to have to work to make our performances live up to the standards that you've set." "That was taken into consideration when it was written," Al said. "There are only two significant speaking parts, the others only have a few words. The performance you saw was done completely by amateurs." After a few more formal comments, we settled down into a "bull session" with ideas flying around like crazy. At this point, I excused myself. It was late afternoon before Al, Rick and Eric returned to my office. I invited them to come home with us for dinner. At first they refused, saying they had a plane to catch. This objection was overcome when I reminded them that we had a couple of planes of our own and could fly them home anytime they wanted. At home, conversation continued about the Lifeguard Project. Al was really fired up about what we were, or, Eric was doing, and wanted to know everything there was to know. "Our goal is to have five troupes on the road by September fifteenth," Eric told him. "We already have them scheduled through January first. Hopefully, before then, we can have at least another five on the road, but we're not scheduling them until we see how the first five are received." "How're you going to move them around?" Rick asked. "We're having five new busses converted," Eric said, "It'll be just like a 'Road Show'." "We've been really surprised at the response we've gotten so far. Just about every school we've contacted has accepted our offer, even without the preview video we'll be able to use now. "Our goal is to have 25 troupes on tour within a year, making at least one performance per day. At that rate, we could cover every High School in the country every four years." Eric went on to tell them about other programs that they were working on, some I hadn't even heard about yet. "Lifeguard", he explained, would remain non-oriented, neither gay nor straight, to avoid controversy, and subsidiary or separate foundations would be set up for specifically gay programs. Al and Rick wanted to help in any way they could. Rick, who ran a modeling agency, offered to help find cast members if Eric had trouble finding enough real lifeguards. "Gorgeous guys are a dime-a-dozen in Hollywood. All of them want to get into the movies, and there just aren't enough jobs, even as extras, and decent modeling jobs are just as hard to find. A lot of these would jump at the opportunity. No problem with beautiful girls, either." This idea really excited Eric. He'd been worried about finding enough Lifeguards. - - - - - We decided to grab Neil and Dan and fly to Houston to check out what was really happening with the building delays. We got into Houston early and got a rental. Not economizing, but we all decided it'd be easier. The Plastics plant was much, much larger than I had envisioned. The molding part was in the front. Behind that were silos for raw materials, and behind that were warehouses and loading areas. The silos were up, and the warehouses looked nearly complete, but the most important part was mostly just poured foundations. The floors hadn't even been poured and there wasn't any sign of walls or roof. "How come?" I asked Neil. "The contractor says the steel hasn't arrived," he answered. "How's it being shipped?" "By rail, it'll come in on flatcars back there," he said, pointing. "This is bullshit. Do you happen to know who it's coming from and where?" "I talked to one of their Reps when he was here," he said and gave me the guy's card. I found a piece of concrete to sit on, and called the steel fabricating company. I managed to get through to the manager, and asked about the status of our buildings. He was very apologetic, saying that the order had been cleared for production only two weeks ago. It seemed that our contractor was a "Cash in advance" customer and his check had just cleared. There wasn't anything that this guy could do at this point, but I asked him to push as much as possible and to call me if any snags developed. He was also located on the CLP Railroad, and agreed to call me when they were ready to load. I handed the phone to Neil. "How about giving our contractor a call? Have him meet us at our hotel later this afternoon. He WILL be there." The Chemical plant, a short distance away, looked ready to start up - from the outside. On the inside, Neil explained that a lot of equipment was still missing, but would arrive and be installed well ahead of deadline. Normally, I don't give an ass chewing in front of others, but in this case it was unavoidable. The contractor knew why he was being called on the carpet, but did his best to act like everything was wonderful. "We've just been out to the plant site," I told him. "I wasn't too pleased with what I saw." "The steel's been slow. It's on the way right now." I stared at him. Do anything, but don't lie to me! "That's an outright lie, and we both know it! They just started fabricating it, and it'll be a couple of months before they'll ship. I talked to the plant." "But, but, but..." "If you'd had the balls to tell me that you needed cash up front, we could've worked something out. Now, I want to know if there are any other snags that we have to look forward to." "nnNo," he stuttered, "I don't think so." "Well, if anything comes up, grab the goddam phone and call me. I think you're aware that you're on a deadline. If those buildings aren't ready the day and hour they're supposed to be, I'm going to own a construction business plus every other dollar you've got or ever will have." "I understand how you feel," he whined. "Let's just be goddam sure there aren't any other delays," I threatened. The meeting was over. Dan was sitting there wide-eyed. "Feel better, babe?" Eric giggled. "Sure do," I told him. "Pride again. He just couldn't admit that he had a problem, and now we both may be in trouble." Dan and Neil took off to see Neil's house, and wouldn't be back to join us for dinner. Eric suggested we call Ron and Jason to join us for a night out, and that we go get some jeans so we could do a little shit-kicking later on. - - - - - Annie was in a quandry over whether to go to Germany for the engagement announcement or to ask Hans to come to California. Germany was finally decided on, but she wanted the whole family to go with her, not including Georgia, of course. Eric and I were ready and rarin' to go, but Tina and Rick weren't as eager. They were both buried in work and didn't feel they could take the time off. Annie did a "Sales Job" on them, and eventually everyone agreed. We were to leave the day after Spence's graduation. They had set a wedding date in mid September, in Germany, at the family Castle in Koenigsburg. "Do we have to learn how to curtsy?" Eric asked Annie. "God no!" she laughed. "Hans' family wouldn't know how to act. Just be yourself." "Do they know we're gay?" I asked. "Oh yeah! I made sure of that. Remember Kevin? Don't want a repeat performance of THAT!" We went on to discuss what would be happening once we got there and what type of clothes we needed to take. - - - - - The night before Spence's graduation, Eric and I took him and Dirk out to dinner. They showed up smiling from ear to ear. During dinner, they told us all about what was going on. The big news was that they both felt their major problems with each other were behind them. "I've been an absolute angel since I met Spence," Dirk said, "I've got calluses on my palm to prove it, but it was worth the wait." "Does that mean...?" Eric asked. "Nosy fucker," Spence giggled, "but yes, that means yes..." "About time!" Eric snorted and we all broke out laughing, the two red faced boys included. "Just between us," Spence giggled, "Dirk has the most beautiful, tasty, filling, dick I've ever laid eyes on. You can bet I'm not going to give up that baby without a helluva fight!" "What're you calling a 'baby'?" Dirk kidded him. "OK, so you got me by a quarter inch." "OK, OK, guys, so you're both hung like horses. We don't really need all the details," Eric laughed. "Here I get used to all the money Spence's got, then he tells me it's doubled," Dirk said, changing the subject. "I guess, after a certain amount, it doesn't matter any more." "It wouldn't surprise me to see Micron continuing to climb," I commented. "How're Alex and Ricky working out?" "They're great," Spence said. "The only time I'm out of their sight is when I'm sleeping, and if Ricky had his way, they'd be there too. Damn, I've never seen such a horny guy!" Eric and I exchanged grins on that one, no surprise. "You're any different?" Dirk teased. During dessert, they told us their plans for the summer. Dirk would be staying on the West Coast and they planned to just jump in the car and go. No plans, no destination, just go wherever the road led. "Of course, if you guys go anyplace and wouldn't mind a couple of KIDS tagging along," Spence said in his little boy voice, "we'd sure love to go." "We're going to Germany in a couple of days," Eric told them. "Annie and Hans are going to announce their engagement, but I'm afraid the whole family's going." "That's OK," Spence said. "We need a week or two to wind down." The Graduation ceremony was the same as Eric's, but there weren't as many in Spence's 'School', so it went faster. As soon as it was over, Spence ran up to us, Ricky and Alex a short distance behind. Dirk got the first hug, but Dirk didn't stop there. He laid a big lip lock on him that raised a few eyebrows. Eric got a hug and eventually, so did I. As I was holding him, he whispered in my ear "They're standing right over there." "Who?" I asked. "Mom and Dad, and I'm sure they saw Dirk kiss me. It's gonna hit the fan now." "They won't touch you if you don't want them to," I told him softly and motioned to Alex and Ricky who rushed over. Spence let go of me, and was immediately enveloped by Dirk. I could see Spence whispering in his ear. I looked around to see if I could pick out the Youngs. A very well dressed couple was walking toward us. As they neared, the woman's hands flew out "Spencer Darling!" Before she could reach him, Alex was in front of Spence blocking her way. Spence just stood there, Dirk's arm still around him. When she stopped, a man I assumed was his father stopped beside her. "It's OK," I heard him murmur to Alex. Alex stepped aside, but stayed between them, Ricky was on the other side, tensed. "Hello, Mother, hi Dad," he said unemotionally. "You're looking wonderful, Spencer, you've put on a lot of weight," his mother said. Dad just stood there and scowled. "It's all the good clean living I'm doing," Spence said with that gleam in his eye, unable to resist the needle. "I'd like you to meet my friends. This is Dirk, my best friend, this is Eric, my big brother, and this is Dave, Eric's partner." Mother nodded to each of us in turn, but Dad didn't make any effort to shake hands. I also noticed that Spence hadn't used any last names. "Who are these thugs?" Dad spoke for the first time, nodding toward Ricky and Alex. "They're my good friends and bodyguards," Spence answered. A very awkward silence followed. Everybody looked everyone else over carefully. Dirk didn't let up his protective grip on Spence either. How fucking cold, I thought. Not one congratulation to Spence on his achievement. At least he knew that the three of us were enormously proud of him. Dad broke the silence. "Got a job yet?" he growled. "No, Dad, I don't have one, and I'm not looking for one either. I'm planning to take some time off and play, something I've done very little of in my life." Momma stepped in. "Could you have dinner with us tonight, so we can talk, Spencer?" "No Mom, I can't," Spence said, looking her straight in the eye, with kind of a grin. "I already have plans... with my Family here." Spence's Dad looked like he was on the verge of some kind of fit. Momma must have seen it too, because she grabbed his arm and started moving. "We'll be in touch in the next day or two, Spencer," she said over her shoulder. "I don't think so, mother," Spence murmured as we all watched them walk on out of the outdoor amphitheater. On the surface, Spence looked calm, but I could tell that inside, he was churning. Even if planned, the confrontation couldn't have gone much better than it had. Actually, it hadn't been a confrontation, more of an exchange, but the little that WAS said carried enormous meaning, and what wasn't said carried even more. Even though Spence may not realize it yet, that conversation had been a turning point in his life. "Do you want to go out tonight or come over to the house?" I asked him. "Can we come over to your house where we can relax and be ourselves?" he asked, "and bring Ricky and Alex too?" "Of course," I said. "Anything special for dinner?" Eric asked. "Food at your house is always wonderful, I'll take potluck," he giggled. "Can we come early? I don't feel like going home." "Anytime," Eric told him. - - - - - "Why'd those assholes have to horn in and spoil it for him?" Eric asked on the ride home. "I don't think they spoiled it for him, and might have done him a favor." "How's that?" "His dad showed up to reassert his authority over Spence, to take back control. That didn't happen, and now probably never will. Spence stood up to him, not arrogantly, but made it clear that he was making his own decisions. I think once Spence realizes this, he'll be much more comfortable with himself." "I see your point," Eric said, "and there wasn't any screaming and yelling either. His father scares me, though." "Me too. Let's get the boys out of town for a week or two. That'll be my graduation present to Spence." - - - - - "I did it!" Spence roared as the four of them came in. "Did what?" Eric kidded him. "Actually two things - I got my Diploma, and I stood up to Mom and Dad." "Congratulations on both," I told him. "I'm really really proud of you." About that time Annie roared in. "Hiya Brat," she said. "Heard you conned them into giving you a diploma!" "You got it all wrong," he told her, "I bought it, for $24.95 plus shipping and handling." "Congratulations, anyway," she laughed. "Hi guys," she acknowledged the other three. "I'm off to Tina's to help her pack. See you all later." Before leaving she walked over and gave Spence a big hug. "That's what I mean about 'Family'," he said to Dirk, hugging him close. "Well, how do you guys feel it all went?" Spence asked us. "You looked great getting your Diploma, summa cum laude and all. Hope the pictures turn out," I told him. "I'm pretty proud of that," he admitted, "but I'm even happier about the way things went with Mom and Dad. Rather civilized, I thought, but I don't think Dad's going to give up yet." "I kind of feel sorry for him," I said. "First, you 'out' yourself, then you make it clear that he no longer controls you, then you tell them you no longer need them. All of that's hard to swallow. But there'll never be an excuse for what he did to you." "Someday, I might be able to forgive him, but not soon. Just talking to him, even if it was only a few words, has made me feel different. I don't think I actually fear him any more, and I don't feel guilty about defying him either. It's kind of like gaining my freedom. It's easier to see him for what he really is, a poor soul so caught-up in religion that he doesn't recognize reality." "Do you think he'll leave you alone?" Eric asked. "Hell no! Seeing me now, and how I've changed, will only goad him on to undertake a Holy Crusade to 'save' me. He won't give up this easily, and now he knows where I am." "OK Spence," I said. "Your parents will probably only be in town for a few days. Eric and I are leaving for Germany in the morning, so we can't watch you, not that Ricky and Alex aren't doing a damned fine job, but I'd feel much better if you weren't anywhere around." I paused for breath. "I know that Eric got you a Graduation present from both of us, but I have one for the two of you. Tomorrow, a plane will be waiting to take you to Disneyworld for as long as you guys want to stay. Your rooms, a car, and anything else you might want is taken care of. How does that sound?" They took a look at each other, grinning, and chorused "YESSSsss!" "After dinner, you can go home and pack, but you're staying here tonight," I told them. "If you forget anything, buy it." "Can we go pack now?" Dirk asked, "it's still afternoon." "Good idea," I said as the four of them headed for the door. "You keep reminding me why I love you so damned much," Eric said. "Are you going to send Ricky and Alex with them?" "No, I don't think it'll be necessary," I answered. "They need some time by themselves, an opportunity to be on their own." I called Sam, The General, to set up the plane. The General was in the mood for a pissing contest. "I can't," he said. "Every plane is booked solid for the next week." "Sam," I said, "I want a plane waiting tomorrow morning at 9:00, fueled and with pilots ready. I don't care which plane you use." "I can't." I lost it. I held my temper with a great deal of effort. "Sam, one last time. There will be a plane waiting as I asked. That is now a direct order, and it WILL be obeyed. Let me warn you, this is the last incident of insubordination we will ever have while you're a Metalco employee. I think you know what that means. I'm at home. Call and confirm those arrangements and let me know who the pilots will be in an hour." "Yes Sir." "Old Sam acting up again?" Eric chuckled. "I wonder who the hell he thinks he's working for? It's a cinch that I'm not putting up with any more of this crap." My next call was to Dan. He would make all the arrangements, get them a suite at one of the Disney Hotels, and get the whole package over to the house sometime that evening. I told him it was a graduation present. No need to give out any more information. The boys came back all packed. I took Alex and Ricky aside to tell them that I didn't think they'd be needed. No problem, as far as they were concerned. "When are you guys going to get packed?" Spence asked Alex and Ricky. "We're not going," Ricky said. "Dave feels that you guys need some time alone, and we agree." "Oh no!" Spence said and came over to plop between Eric and me. "These guys have been real good to me, Dave," he said. "They told me about your 'order', and I'll vouch for the fact that they were well behaved. They deserve to go." "No Problem," I said. "I thought that you'd be safe and might like a little time just to yourselves. But, I gotta tell ya, I'm pulling back the orders I gave them earlier. Fend for yourself, baby stud! ...However, that doesn't give permission to anyone to force anything on anyone else. Just have fun, Willingly!" - - - - - When we got to the airport the next morning, everything was very quiet. Only one plane, ours, was ready. Two of the other planes, including the other Gulfstream, were gone, and one was in the hangar. I went looking for Ron and Jason, Eric right behind me. They were working on their pre-flight checklist in the cockpit, and when I told them what had happened, and Sam's evident refusal to follow orders, Ron went ballistic. "I don't care if he is doing a good job," Ron said, "this shit will not be tolerated." "Excellent timing, too," Jason added sarcastically. "We're all on our way out." "Let's go find out what's going on," Ron suggested. "Can I fire him?" "If you don't, I will," I told him. When we got to the office, Sam was sitting there at the computer with a big smile. "Good morning, Gentlemen," he said cheerily. "Good morning, Sam," I said. "How come the other plane isn't ready to go?" "I decided to stick to the original schedule," he said. "Then there's no plane scheduled to fly my guests to Orlando this morning?" I asked. "We couldn't fit them in until Wednesday," he answered. "If they want to go sooner, they'll have to fly commercial." "That's not the way it works around here," Ron told him. "You're fired." "You can't fire me!" Sam roared. "Well, I sure as hell can," I said. "Sam, you're fired for insubordination. Get out NOW. You can come back in an hour to collect your personal belongings under the supervision of our Security people. Now, get your ass out of here!" He started to say something, thought better of it, and left the office. Jason sat down at Sam's desk and started looking around. "Here's the flight schedules, I'll take care of the other flight," he said. Taking another desk, Ron asked Jason "Is Rich scheduled today?" Jason shook his head. "He can man the fort today, at least, then we can organize the next few days by phone." I got out my cell phone to call Bob and give him his instructions. Ron or Jason would keep him up to date on what was happening. Eric and I went back out to the plane to tell everybody what was going on. They were all aboard the Gulfstream with Jacques and the other Steward serving coffee. As soon as I'd explained the situation, Spence spoke up. "We can fly commercial, that's no problem." "Not when I've got a plane sitting over there that's scheduled to take one passenger to Seattle late this afternoon," I said. "Whoever THAT is can fly commercial. You may be an hour or two late taking off, but you'll get there by this afternoon, a helluva lot faster than commercial where you'd have at least two stops along the way." Annie looked nervous, so I sat down beside her. "Relax, kiddo. We won't be more than a half hour late taking off. There's always a cushion built into the schedule, so we'll arrive just about on time." "OK Dad," she smiled. When Bob and another carload of his people pulled up, Eric and I went out to talk to them. Following right behind them were pilots who went right to work getting the other plane out of the hangar. Ron reported that the plane had been fueled, and that he'd ordered food from the caterer. "Can't let four growing boys go unfed for five hours, no telling what they'll be chewing on," he giggled with a leer. Ron briefed Bob on what had to be taken care of. He was capable, and if he didn't have an answer, would find someone who was more knowledgable. The four boys climbed out of the Gulfstream and stowed their stuff in the smaller plane. Ron went over to introduce them to the pilots and show them where food and drinks would be. Eric and I said goodbye and we all climbed aboard and got settled in for takeoff. "Nothing like a little excitement to get the day rolling," Annie quipped. "It'll all be back to normal by the time we get home," I assured her. The Steward took breakfasts to the cockpit and Jacques brought us ours. Almost too much "service", two stewards for five passengers and the three pilots. Rick and Eric were deep in discussion, Annie and Tina were talking, and I had an opportunity to sit back and look my family over. Rick was a fine addition, fitting right in, comfortably, once he realized that we were all harmless. He and Tina seemed blissfully happy, and he'd developed a relationship with Eric that was more like brothers-in-law than "step Father-in-law". I believe it grew out of mutual respect. Rick was insistent on calling me "Mr. R". Actually I liked it. "Dad" was reserved for my girls. Eventually it would grow into "Dave". Tina was happy and content. She'd grown up in the short time she'd spent with us as a "family". I couldn't be more proud of her. Annie had changed enormously since she'd shown up on my doorstep. From a very angry young girl, she'd blossomed into a mature, responsible woman, who now was bringing another addition to the group. >From what I'd seen, Hans would fit right in. No bullshit, no pretense. I looked forward to getting to know him better. My reverie was interrupted when Ron and Jason came out of the cockpit. "Doesn't somebody have to fly this damned thing?" I asked, chuckling. "Kirk's doing just fine," Ron assured me. "Thought we needed to talk about the 'Sam' mess." "Got any ideas?" I asked. "Actually, we do," Ron said. "As it usually happens, just when you've found somebody for the job, you run into all sorts of good candidates. Now, all we have to do is find them and hope they haven't already found good jobs." "We don't need a 'yes-man', but somebody who'll follow the rules. Do you guys think I've been unreasonable?" I asked. "Hell NO!" Jason said. "I think you ask very little, and hell, you own the company and should be able to do anything you want without question." "The guy - or gal, for that matter, that we get, doesn't have to be a pilot," Ron said. "All they need are good organizational skills and the ability to learn that program that Sam got. I did, and I'm sure no computer whiz. "Don't worry," he continued. "Everything's under control right now, and we'll have a permanent solution a week or two after we get home." - - - - - Hans literally stormed the plane as soon as the engines were shut down. Annie was the first one off and jumped into his arms. We gave them a chance to say hello in peace, then the herd descended. We all hugged him, Rick a little shyly at first, but Hans was insistent, just grabbing him. After the enthusiasm settled down, Hans told us that nothing was planned for that day to give us a chance to get over jet lag, but things would get busy the next day, and gave us the schedule of events. Two limos pulled up and the crew unloaded all of our baggage. The six of us climbed in one, and the crew in the other, putting overflow luggage in the back seat with them. Our arrival at the hotel was like an invasion. The doorman ushered us into the lobby and Jacques took over the luggage. We left our passports at the desk and went directly to our rooms. Eric, Jacques and I were in the biggest suite, with Annie next door on one side and Tina and Rick on the other. The rest were in rooms down the hall. We were pretty high up and had a sweeping view of the city. "I'm going to find the pool and see if swimming helps jet lag when you travel East," Eric said. "Want to join me? I'm wearin' speedos..." "Then, definitely!" I told him. "I think I'll see if anybody else wants to join us." Neither Jacques nor the kids were interested, but the crew were, meeting us at the rooftop pool. It was a warm, sunshiny afternoon, but the pool wasn't crowded. The eyes of those there just about popped out when Eric took off his robe. How he managed to stuff his dick into that tiny little thing was always an amazement to me. Kirk, the new pilot, and Joey, the steward, were a bit awed too, their jaws dropping and eyes boggling. I watched them for a minute, then looked at Eric myself. My God, what a body! what a face! what a basket! No man could ask for more. He looked at me and grinned, not the least bit self conscious. I loved the way he handled himself. He was outstanding. He knew it and the effect he had on others, but he wasn't the least bit conceited. To me, his looks were a small part of his attraction. I loved the whole man. We spent quite a while in the warm water. No serious swimming, just playing around, talking and splashing. We all went to dinner together then Eric and I headed for bed, the rest heading out to check out Hamburg's "Hot spots". - - - - - The next two days were pretty well planned for us. First on the agenda was lunch with Hans' father. Hans came to collect us and drove us to the tallest building in the city. Up the elevator to the top floor, naturally, whizzing past secretaries and receptionists to the huge, unmarked, double doors of his father's office, and right on in. His father rose and came around his desk. He was tall, very distinguished looking, graying at the temples of his medium brown hair, and the same blue eyes as Hans. His Teutonic bearing brought the words "stiff as a poker" to mind immediately. "Dad, I'd like you to meet Dave Rush and Eric Lundborg," Hans said. "Dave, Eric, this is Otto Koenigsburg, my father." The stern expression vanished, and was replaced by a huge smile as we shook hands. "So nice to finally meet our biggest customers and, I hear, soon to become the newest members of our family." It took less than five minutes to dispel the "stiff as a poker" image. He was as down-to-earth informal as Hans, and was obviously very close to him. We moved to a private dining room that was as elegant as Otto. Lunch conversation switched back and forth between the upcoming engagement and business. Otto's sense of humor came through with his constant kidding of Hans and general lack of seriousness. He sure didn't LOOK like the personality he was turning out to be. One of the things I really liked about him was the way he effortlessly included Eric in everything that was said. Lunch lasted well into the afternoon, then Hans took us back to our hotel. A limo would call for all of us that evening. While Eric and I were sitting around discussing our lunch with Otto and Hans, my cell phone rang, or dinged as this one did. It was the Senator. After exchanging pleasantries, she asked how soon we could be in Washington. "Eric could probably be there tomorrow," I said, winking at him, "but I couldn't make it for a few days. My daughter's engagement party is tomorrow night, and we're in Germany." "Don't EITHER of you miss it," she said. "What I have to tell you is highly confidential and will have to be in person, but let me tell you this, it's GOOD news." "That's real encouraging," I told her. "We can be there on Friday, for sure." "That would be fine. How about noon and I can take you to the Senate Dining Room for lunch?" "We'll be there," I promised. "Please give your daughter my congratulations," she said. I relayed the news to Eric. "Don't get your hopes up yet," I told him. "This thing could drag out forever." He sat and grinned at me. "I know it'll work out. It's just that neither of us have any patience," he said. "I spent most of the trip over talking to Rick about building houses up there. I think we may have something going there too. That's how confident I am that this thing will fly - eventually." Dinner that evening was a family affair, the five of us and Hans' family, including his younger brother and his wife. As Annie had told us, Hans' mother Charlotte, Lotti for short, was delightful. She wasn't exactly petite, but not a Brunhilda either. Dinner was informal, or as informal as it could be when served by five maids in a baronial dining room with enough antique silver to supply the Mint for a year if melted down. Eric and I were seated on either side of Lotti, and she was a great talker, wanting to know everything there was to know about the two of us. Not nosy but interested. Hans' brother Kurt and his wife Edith were a stunning pair. He was classicly handsome with high cheekbones and mischevious blue eyes, Edith was an adorable blond. The two of them really seemed to hit it off with Tina and Rick. It turned out to be just a family dinner, lots of laughing and teasing back and forth, making Eric and me feel very comfortable and welcome. We left fairly early, the next day would be a busy one. - - - - - Annie was spending the day shopping with Lotti, Tina and Rick were doing something with Kurt and Edith, and Eric and I were going on a plant tour with Hans and Otto. Our first stop was at the docks. Cranes were hoisting crated machinery into the hold of a freighter. "This is the first boatload of your molding equipment going to Houston," Hans explained. "The first of six." >From there, we went to an enormous factory where the equipment was made. It was more like a steel mill with furnaces melting the iron to be cast into the large parts that would be machined and end up as our molding equipment. I didn't have a clue how they worked, so Otto explained, ending with "The ones we're building for you are among the biggest we've ever built. With these, you can handle more cavities and produce more pieces with each cycle of the presses." We invited them both to come visit us when our plant was up and running. They both eagerly accepted. We spent the whole afternoon at their electronics plant. It too was enormous, they made a lot of other things besides disk copiers. At the moment, the majority of their production of copiers was for Lundborg Rush, and Eric warned them that LR was on the verge of explosive expansion and to hold lots of production slots for us. We got back to the hotel in time to rest a little before the evening's festivities, but instead, got caught up on something else that had been neglected. Freshly fucked, showered and dressed, I think we both glowed when we met the others in the hotel lobby. Our limo whisked us off to a private club where the party was being held. We went into a lounge where drinks were being served. Otto and Lotti were waiting for us. Kurt and Edie whisked Tina and Rick off in another direction. Annie was already someplace with Hans. With drinks in hand, we were introduced around to some of the other guests, certainly not all because there were a LOT of people there. Then out of nowhere stepped the most regal lady of all, none other than Sarah! She walked straight to us, threw her arms around Eric for a hug, then me, then the von Koenigsburgs. "Where're my girls?" she asked. "They're here someplace," Eric told her. "Want me to find them for you?" "No, that's fine," she said. "They'll show up sooner or later." Then she turned to me. "They may be getting married, but they'll always be MY girls," she smiled. The dinner itself was spectacular. The "family" sat together at one big, round table, including Sarah, of course. There were toasts to the newly betrothed, then dancing. They even played some waltzes for the old farts. Eric was dancing up a storm with the younger set, even Hans, to everyone's delight. Sarah and I had a chance to talk while they all worked up a sweat. "Everything work out with the Georgia mess?" she wanted to know. "What mess?" I grinned. "Officially, nothing happened." She laughed, understanding me perfectly. "Annie says that Georgia's not going to be within a thousand miles of here when SHE gets married." "That's a good idea," she said. "But how can you keep her away?" "I'm not sure, but Annie's determined, so we'll figure out a way." "Annie's already asked me to help her with the wedding," Sarah said. "You should," I grinned, "afterall, you're responsible. By the way, did you fly over on one of our planes?" "No, none were available, or so I was told." "That will never happen again," I told her. "Our flight operations manager who did all the scheduling was fired on our way out. I wished you'd have let me know." "I have to admit I'm spoiled," she said. "It's so nice to go when you want to, and those nice young men of yours spoil me rotten." "We're going home tomorrow by way of Washington D.C., want to go with us?" "No, I'm going to Paris for a few days." "Call when you're ready, we'll come get you," I told her. "Why don't you come to Paris with me? I'll take you to some grand parties." "Wish we could, but we have to be in Washington on Friday." "No problems, I hope," she said. "Don't you know that the two of us always find problems, or they find us?" I laughed. "This time, though, we're getting dragged into politics, which I hate!" "Serious?" "I'm confident it'll get worked out," I said. "I'll tell you all about it when the dust settles." Around midnight, Eric slumped into the chair next to me. "Don't be fooled," he whispered in my ear. "This afternoon was only an appetizer! I'm ready to go whenever you are." "That's an offer that's impossible to refuse. Let's get the hell out of here." To be continued.