as comic book superheroes but they were instead intrigued by the costumes I’d used.
Lu said, “I like this one the best. I’d look good in this one.”
She pointed to the completed picture that had us wearing tuxedoes with capes.
“But, then again, I like the black with the red sparks.” She mused.
Lucy flipped to a page that had only three of four pencil marks on it and asked what was going to be there. I took the pad from her and after finding a couple of semi sharp pencils, I filled in the picture around those pencils marks. The outfits were leather and I used a background of Harley Davidson motorcycles. Black leather was everywhere from the caps to the boots. I drew whips in our hands; Charlie and Michael had the whips unfurled whereas the whips the women carried were coiled up and ready to cast if necessary. I was standing just inside Charlie’s right side with his arm around me and mine around him. Charlie had steel eyes that looked down at me sternly while the picture of me was looking up into his face with admiration and love. Michael was sitting on the Harley and Lu was standing next to the bike and leaning her back on Michael with her arms folded all sass and attitude. We laughed at each new addition to the picture. When it was finished in a matter of a few minutes we just sat there and looked at it. Finally Lucy broke the silence.
“Can I have?”
I tore the picture out at the perforated top and gave it to her. She gave it her attention for a bit longer and laughed every now and then as she examined it.
Like on cue we all raised our glasses for a night ending toast that we each participated in.
Charlie started it with. “To a night logged and happily remembered…”
I added, “To love shared with friends…”
Michael didn’t hesitate to add to the collective. “To multiple tomorrows of good fortune and understanding…”
Lucy added, “And to us for surviving all of our happiness…”
We all finished with “Cheers, thanks a lot, eh?”
Watching Charlie laugh and smile my heart swelled. I’d gladly say good bye to everyone except him. The great party was over but I still had Charlie to look forward to. I was all gratitude remembering that I had Charlie to look forward to every day.
After they left and Charlie and I were alone I was surprised at how happy I was that they were gone, that everyone was gone but Charlie. We had a lot of pent up need that’d been waiting for our attention. That need started manifesting itself during dinner. I remember thinking that we should be thinking of ways to satisfy ourselves in stealth. We’d employed a stealth attitude in the past and joined our bodies secretly in public when we couldn’t wait to be at home and alone which enabled us to gain some satisfaction and relief.
Right then it didn’t matter because we had each other and were completely alone.
“Well Crazy Woman, let’s go make crazy love.”
“Damn straight.”
I answered him with words and then I answered him without words.
It was nearly dawn before we actually crawled into bed. Our lovemaking was warm and sweet and tender but the second go round took on a raw animal feel, the itch for him agonizingly unbearable and the way to scratch that itch became a ‘free for all’. We worked to please each other as well as ease our own need. Satisfied and completely exhausted, sleep took me while I was cradled in Charlie’s big arms with his large hands stroking my breasts and his lips kissing my neck. For those hours, my life was perfect.
After only a few hours of sleep I got out of bed and showered while Charlie remained sleeping. The four of us had made tentative plans to spend more time going through Miles’ things but it was plainly evident that they’d need to sleep like Charlie.
With toast and coffee I padded off to Miles’ office and jumped right in to the rest of the contents of that old roll top desk. Under the need to complete the task was the desire to learn more about Tut and in that effort I examined everything, every piece of paper, every picture, every note. Again all of the thoroughness was part of the hope of discovering more about Tut.
For the most part, Miles was a fairly fastidious man and kept his personal files as neat as the office files. Still, every now and then I’d find something out of place. Stashed, laying sidewise in a file drawer with household files (paid bills and receipts, etc) was a narrow box about the size of a shoe box lid. Inside the box was a couple of old photographs, one was a group shot of an athletic association of young boys. The picture was taken in front of an ornate school building and at first impression religious in nature. The two other pictures in the box held my attention for a long time. The larger of the two was of a young couple without smiles but their expressions imparted comfort, ease, and optimism. On the back of the picture were the date ‘1927’ and two initials ‘M and C’. The other photograph was of a man in a business suit and a fedora. The man’s expression was kind of a smirk, like he knew a secret. There was nothing on the back of the last picture. All of the photographs were old and extremely worn and for an unknown reason were from that moment on extremely important to me. That thin box became the receptacle of what I deemed most important. Before I forgot about it, I added the picture of ‘Tut and Cleo’ to that same box to keep my treasures together.
The contents of that desk captivated me until I was weak from hunger and went off to the kitchen to see what I could get to bring back to have while I worked. While I was filling a plate full of stuff that would keep my hunger at bay and not mess up my hands, Charlie approached me from behind, wrapped his arms around my waist, cupped his girls and kissed me several times on the back of my neck.
The dilemma was as I heard Charlie’s tummy growl, which was more important to him, food or sexual satisfaction as I could also feel Charlie’s erection poking me from the back, another reminder that I was without clothing.
As food suddenly had no draw for me I turned around to get myself involved in touching Charlie. Charlie liked that and just picked me up and took me back to the bedroom.
After all was quiet and still again I laid, satisfied in Charlie’s sweet embrace.
“That was wonderful, this is wonderful. Being able to react to our need for each other and respond in the moment is what I’d like to have all the time.”
“Woman, have you thought of a place to honeymoon?”
Charlie was on the same page.
“Let’s search the Internet for secluded places after food.”
I pulled Charlie out of bed towards the kitchen.
Back in the kitchen Charlie caught on to what I’d planned with the ‘snack plate’ but wanted a full on breakfast.
“How bout I call you when it’s ready?”
Charlie handed me the plate, kissed me on the mouth, and patted me on the butt at the same time.
Engrossed into a world of searching for clues the time passed without my noticing and Charlie came for me. I found it difficult to switch gears and get into the world of the present. Charlie made the transition easier and his breakfast was delicious and nourishing; I felt his love with every bite. I also felt his eyes on me as I ate the hot scrambled eggs and cottage fries and drank the tomato juice.
Not
