#I MADE LAMB YESTERDAY AND STEAK TOMORROW

[sporecringe]

How lucky am I to be a dog that can make his own kibble to his liking

[duketheman]

Generation 4 Part 6

We go to the Dining room & are seated. Menu consists of: Stuffed lamb breast with lemon, ricotta, & oregano variety of cheese, Selection of Bread & Cracker, Jams, chutneys, spicy mustards, caramelized onions, candied nuts & pistachios, Rich flourless chocolate cake with a glass of sweet port wine, Small pieces of chocolate & Brandy. Father says Prayers: My God in Heaven. Please Bless this meal & Bless our Family with Your Grace. We thank You my God for all that you've provided & for the Miracle of those two tiny new lives that You so Graciously Blessed us with. Thank You my God, in the Name of our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen! 8:30pm we finish dinner & retire to the Drawing room for Coffee & Brandy! Sodas for the kids & Juice for Mary & Lucy. The Doctor recommended that Lucy attempt to Breastfeed again, so she too has decided to refrain from alcohol! The room is filled with Christmas Music! Mother says: ~Family, it's time to realize "The Reason for the Season"! We have a lot to be grateful for! It's time we start acting like it~ She begins to sing along with the music! We too begin to sing & the mood in the room becomes festive! We've hired a nurse to help with the babies, as to give a little bit of a break to our wives. Mary has pumped extra Breast Milk into bottles. Lucy has Formula for Anabel until she takes hold! It's now 12:45am & we've been enjoying ourselves so much, that we didn't realize how late it is! We decide to call it a night & go to our rooms. Mother was right! Tis the Season for Joy! God Bless us everyone!

I pick up my son & hold him, & pray a prayer of thanks to God! I turn to Mary, who's ready to feed him before we sleep & say: ~Darling, thank you for being the best wife a man could ever be Blessed with! I love you Mary Grace Newport!

She replies: ~'O my sweet Harry, no woman could ever hope to be Blessed with a husband as loving, generous, thoughtful & sweet a man as you! My love, you have never disappointed me in anything you've ever done. Now we're Blessed with another child. I feel my life is only getting better. You Harry, are my life!~ She has always made my every day & night! I thank God for allowing her into my life! She feeds little Harry, burps & changes him. Places him in his Bassinet, careful to lay him on his back. He falls asleep immediately. Such a good baby! We climb into bed & she falls asleep in my arms. I'm tired, Goodnight!

Skipping forward:

Sunday December 22 Little Harry's & Anabel's Christening

8:00am & the whole Family is enroute to Church. Today we'll be dedicating little Harry & Anabel to Christianity. It's 8:45am & we arrive. We enter the Church & the Family are seated. Mary, Myself, Lucy, George & both Babies are escorted to the front of the Church where when called, we'll bring the Babies forward! 9:00am service begins. After the Choir sings the opening hymns, Pastor Reverend Johnson calls the names of "Harold Joseph Newport Jr." & Annabel Josephine Richards" to the Altar. Mary holds little Harry in her arms & I stand by her side. The Pastor Asks: ~Who will be the Godparents?~ George & Lucy Step forward! Pastor Johnson recites: ~Harold Joseph Newport Jr., In the Name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit! He then pours water over his forehead three times. He wipes dry little Harry's forehead.

Pastor Johnson says: ~Who will be the Godparents?~ Mary & myself step forward! Pastor Johnson recites: ~Annabel Josephine Richards, In the Name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit! He pours water over her forehead three times. He wipes dry Annabel's forehead & Congratulates us! He invites the Congregation to take photographs! We're seated & service It's 10:30am & service is over. We're enroute back to Newport Mansion. 10:45am, we're arrive at the Mansion. We take the babies upstairs. The Family retire to their rooms to get ready for lunch. It's 12:00pm & Huntington rings: ~Lunch is being served in the Dining room!~ We go into the Dining room & are seated. Linguini, White Winter Truffles, Aged Parmesan is on the menu! The meal is delicious. 1:15pm we finish lunch & retire to the Drawing room for drinks & conversation! 2:15pm My wife & I are having a Date night. We're going to dinner & a movie! She wants to see "Jumanji, The Next Level". Showtime is 8:15pm at the Woodard. We go upstairs where she will feed little Harry. We'll nap a little before leaving!

It's 5:00pm & we're enroute to Grumpy's Diner on Main! There are no Fancy restaurants in Madison, but we do enjoy a good Burger & Grumpy's has great Burgers! We've arrived at the Diner at 5:45pm. We're seated & read the menu. I order the Steak & Tarter Special Combo with Lemonade. Mary orders the Burger Bowl Combo with Sprite. We finish eating & leave a tip. It's 7:40pm & we're enroute to the Woodard so we can get a good seat. It's 8:00pm & we park, buy the tickets & enter the Cinema. We're seated in the fourth row from the front. The previews are already showing, so I take time to by Popcorn, BomBoms & Soda! 8:15pm the move starts running. 10:20pm, the movie has ended. It was a great movie, starring Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, & Karen Guillan. It was funny, exciting, mind boggling, test of skills & scary all in one game! We both enjoyed it! 10:30pm we're walking out the doors & getting in the car. Enroute to The Waffle House on Bandit st for Coffee. 10:45pm we pull into the Parking lot & enter the restaurant. We wait to be seated just a few minutes. We order coffee, decaf for Mary! We tip the Waitress & leave the restaurant, its Midnight. Were enroute to Newport Mansion. It's 12:30am & we've arrived at the Mansion. We go upstairs & get ready for bed. Mary has that look in her eyes. She winks & smiles, holding the covers up for me. I know what that means & I'm eager. It's been a while & long enough. Goodnight!

Tuesday, December 24

It's 8:00am & Huntington rings: ~Breakfast is being served in the Dining room!~ We go into the Dining room & are seated! Menu for the Morning consists of: Waffles with flax & almond butter, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, a fruit salad & protein shake, juice, coffee! 9:30am, we finish eating & retire to the Drawing room to discuss tonight's festivities! Mother has planned a Christmas party for friends & family! The party will be in the Grand Ballroom! She's been known to have the most entertaining parties in two hundred miles of Madison.

Christmas Eve

It's 5:00pm, I'm putting on my Tux, while Mary nurses little Harry! I can't help but to think about those we've lost! But I know God has a plan for all of us. JR has another week before we've got to get him back to the Academy. We're lucky to be able to have him for the Holidays & his Birthday! He'll be sixteen on New Year's eve. My God, where's the time gone! It seems like yesterday I was holding him in my arms. Tomorrow morning is Christmas & the anniversary of the first day I met Mary, the day I began to live again!

It's 6:00pm & we're in the Drawing room discussing the music for tonight, Mother of course has the last say!

We're expecting Governor Ron DeSantis to attend, as well as other Dignitaries she's friendly with! Busy day ahead...........

7:00pm

Governor DeSantis arrives & my parents greet him immediately! Other guests are arriving, to include; Mayor Jim Catron & his wife, Chief of Police Reggie Alexander & his wife, & friends of the family totaling over 150 guests!

Huntington escorts each of the Guests to the Grand Ballroom where food & drinks are being served.

The tables each are marked with the guest's name on a card. Christmas music is playing. The wait staff are offering hors d’oeuvres & Champagne.

The menu consists of: Goose, apple sauce, ham, bread stuffing, crawfish cornbread stuffing, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, green beans, broccoli, ambrosia, a cranberry mold, goose gravy, a relish tray with green onions, watermelon pickles & olives, Russian caviar, pumpkin, pecan, apple & cherry pies. A crisp white wine, eggnog, syllabub, & sweet potato punch! More Champagne! We have Non-Alcoholic Champagne for Mary, Lucy & the kids!

My wife looks stunning in her new Red Christmas Gown.

George, I've never seen him decked out before. He looks like he belongs in that Tux. Lucy's wearing a Bluish colored Evening Dress, slitted in the arms & down the left leg; also looking quite Beautiful. The kids look like a Prince & his Princess! The whole family, I must say are showing their Best. Mother looks quite pleased with herself! 

This will be a party to remember, I only wish Rachael could have been here! The babies are upstairs with the nurse. They're bringing more hors d’oeuvres & Champagne around.

My Father's dancing with Mother, to Tony Bennett's Christmas Waltz. It's my Mother's favorite. I better get my wife out on the Dance floor, before someone else does, I'm somewhat stingy!

The Governor & his wife Casey seem to be enjoying themselves! They've been on the Dance floor over two hours already! The Ballroom is alive tonight & Happiness is it's heart! My Brothers don't seem to have a problem finding someone to dance with, I wish they'd settle down & have a Family. Sis & Bill are dancing the night away! Santa is expected to arrive at 12:01am!

12:01 2019 Christmas

The music starts playing: "The Santa Claus Rock" by INFANTIL! Everyone's rocking with the music as Santa enters the room! The music stops, Santa grabs his Bag & begins to pass gifts out to the Family & friends! He calls out each name, without hesitation or looking at a note. He just hands the gifts out as if he knew what was in them! Everyone seemed surprised but pleased with the gift they received.

I ask JR: What did you get Son?~ He replies: ~The Nutcracker Soldier, I've been wanting it ever since I can remember! Only my Mother knew, she promised to get it for me for Christmas, the year she died!~ I ask: ~What's the card say?~ He replies: ~ From Mommy with Love! Dad, I never told anyone!~ We both left it like that! I received the Gold ring I lost some years ago off my Boat. I had dropped it in the water, never to be seen again; so I thought! It's inscribed with the words: Dolphins Bring You Luck" dated 2004. These were words Julia said on my Boat when I took her to see the Dolphins, the year we first started dating! She had given it to me for Valentine's day! The card read: Love never dies Harry, be Happy! anta leaves as fast as he arrived, with a HO HO HO, Merry Christmas to all, & to all a Goodnight! I followed him out, but strangely, he just disappeared, poof he was gone! I really wanted to congratulate him on how good he was & ask him how he knew! Mother says: ~Son, that wasn't our Santa, your Father was suppose to play the part! We have no idea who he was, where he came from or disappeared too!~ Kind of got everyone thinking....... The last song is playing: "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas" by Bing Crosby! I take Mary out to the floor & dance the last dance with her, cheek to cheek! It's 2:00am & everyone's left. I & Mary say Goodnight & we go upstairs & get ready for bed! I didn't tell Mary about JR's gift, nor mine; but it was weighing on my mind! Even in Death she was able to keep her promise to our son & assure he got his Christmas present as well as; to send me a message! God is good! Merry Christmas to you all from the Newport Family & Goodnight!

Skipping forward:

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Happy Birthday John Ross/New Years Eve 

It's 6:00am & my wife is feeding little Harry. We're drinking coffee in the room, Decaf for Mary. When finished, we'll go downstairs for Breakfast. Eggs Benedict, Toast, English Butter, Jelly, fruit, & juice is on the menu this morning.

We got to get things together for today. Its JR's Birthday & we want it to be a special! Mother has planned a big party for him, lots of guest!

The cake will be delivered some time today!Kellyanne has asked if I would take her & her Dad to the Mall, so she can buy him something special for JR! Tonight Mother will be putting on her Annual New Year Fireworks display!

7:00am, Huntington rings: ~Breakfast is being served in the Dining room ~ We go downstairs, to the Dining room & are seated! It's 8:30pm & we're finished eating. Myself, George & Kellyanne get in Father's car & proceed to the Valdosta Mall just over the State line. She wants to go to Jared's. It's 9:45pm & we're pulling into the Mall's parking lot. It opens in fifteen minutes. That's good, no rush. 10:00am sharp & they open the entrance, we head for Jared's.....

Kellyanne finds a ring she says is perfect! It's a Black Diamond ring 1/2ct tw 10k Gold running about $1300.00! I have to say she has impeccable taste. Not feminine looking, yet beautiful. JR will love it. She has them inscribe the words: Love is forever! I can't help to notice how much Kellyanne is like Julia the way she thinks! No wonder JR loves her so much!

It's 12:30pm & we are enroute to Madison. We stop at Dairy Queen for lunch. Its 1:00pm. 1:45pm & were on the way back to the Mansion. 2:10pm we arrive. Mother is outside supervising the setup for the party & Fireworks tonight. I go upstairs & my wife is talking a nap. I kiss her on the forehead, careful not to wake her, check on the baby & go back downstairs to have a beer & help wherever I can!

It's 3:30pm & the cake is delivered. The stage for the Band has just been finished.

Mother has hired The Frequency Band for tonight. Mother is a perfectionist, everything must be right. She's hire fifty extra staff for the Party, she loves JR. He was her first Grandchild!

Dinner will be finger sandwiches & hors d’oeuvres, as well as cake & ice cream; served during the party! Dress is casual.......

t's 5:30pm, the band has arrived & setting up! Though not like when he was a child, this party will still be big.......

6:00pm, the guests are arriving & the band is already playing music. They're quite good actually, from LA is what I hear!

7:00pm & the party is in full swing. Kids & adults alike are dancing. They're playing all the latest favorites. Drinks are being served but Alcohol is in one tent under the control of Huntington. Soda & Fruit Punch in another, self serve! There's Sweet Tea for the asking.....

8:00pm, the band starts playing Happy Birthday to John Ross, & a table is rolled out with a cake!

Two candles in the shape of the number sixteen, on top of a Beautiful Black Cake. JR makes a wish, blows out the candles, takes a knife & cuts the first piece. 

Kellyanne hands her gift first. The ring & a kiss! She says: ~John Ross, take this ring as a symbol of my everlasting love for you. Happy Birthday John Ross, may you have many more!~ He slipped the ring on his finger & kissed her. He says: ~Kellyanne, I'll never take it off for as long as I live!~ 

He begins to open the many gifts from everyone here.

Mary bought him a Beautiful Compass inscribed: "To my son: Wherever your journey in life may take you, I pray you'll always be safe.

ENJOY THE RIDE & NEVER FORGET YOUR WAY HOME. I'm Always Here For You; Mom"! The compass is made of Gold in a Sailor's pocket watch casing. Quite elegant, I could see him trying to hold back tears!

I got him a Man's music box with my recorded words to him: "To my son: SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO FIND WORDS TO TELL YOU HOW MUCH YOU MEAN TO ME. IF I HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN Loving you & breathing I WOULD USE MY LAST BREATH TO SAY ~I LOVE YOU~ I WILL ALWAYS BE THERE TO LOVE YOU, I WILL ALWAYS BE THERE TO SUPPORT YOU. You will always be my baby boy. ~Love Dad~"

My Parents got him a Pocket watch with the inscription: "To my Grandson: Never forget that I Love you. I hope you believe in yourself as much as I do.

George & Lucy gave him a Gold wristwatch.My Brothers gave him a check for a thousand dollars. My Sister & Bill gave him an authentic Navy 1860 Officers Cutlass with His name on it, inscribed: "With His Swift & Terrible Sword "

It's 11:00pm. JR received well over two hundred gifts. He will have to leave some of them behind when he returns to the Academy on Thursday!

11:59pm & were getting ready to countdown to the New Year. Were counting down from 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 & the Fireworks display goes off as the band plays "Auld Lang Syne" The new Year's Anthem! I take my wife in my arms , kiss her, really kiss her & tell her : ~I love you Mary!~ She replies back: ~I love you my Harry!~ Everyone is kissing, singing & wishing all well! It's now 1:00am & the Fireworks Display is over. The band has played it's last set & everyone's leaving! Everything went well & we all had a great time. It's New Year's day & JR goes back to school tomorrow. We will be going home too! It's been a great vacation except for losing Rachael! 

We say Goodnight & go upstairs. We're tired, The baby senses we're here. Mary nurses him before we lay down. She lays little Harry down, we lay down & fall asleep in each other's arms!Wednesday, January 1, 20206:00am, I've decided to let Mary get some rest after a long night. I change little Harry, feed him with stored Breast milk in a bottle, burp & play with him a little while! This brings memories back of when JR was a newborn! He fell asleep in my arms, I lay him on his back in the Bassinet! It 8:00am, I wake Mary up to see if she's hungry. She wants to sleep another hour,I go downstairs & Brunch is being served. I ask Huntington to assure that Mary has something to eat when she wakes up. I sit down & eat, it's only myself, my parents & Mary's parents! Seems like everyone else decided to sleep in..... I say Good morning & they reply almost simultaneously: ~Good morning Harry!~ Mother asks: ~Sleep well son?~ I reply: Yes Mother, I did; Thank you! She says: ~How's Mary & the Baby, is Harry Jr sleeping through the night?~ I reply: ~Yes Mother, he is & Mary's sleeping in another hour!~ She replies: ~Good, a new Mother need as much rest as she can get!~ Mary's Mother adds: ~Yes they do! Harry, you're a good man, our daughter loves you very much & so do we! We feel Blessed having you part of the Family & you to John Ross!~ I reply: ~She is my Blessing Laura, she & my children are my life. I'm more than proud to be part of the Family & I love you two as well!~

8:30am, JR sits down at the table, followed by Kellyanne! They both say Good morning & sit down at the table. JR remarks: ~I'm starving!~9:15am Breakfast is over. Huntington has told Cook to hold Breakfast for an hour in case the rest of the Family is hungry! I go back upstairs & check on Mary. I find she's up & the baby seems to be hungry again. She's nursing him! I call downstairs to the kitchen & have them send Mary's Breakfast up to the room!...... We've got to pack & get ready for our trip home. JR's flight takes off for Valley International at 5:30am & the rest of us are scheduled to take off for Miami International at 7:15am! My wife finishes nursing little Harry, I take & burp him so she can eat! She says: ~Lord, I can really use a strong cup of regular coffee! But our son is more important! But just as soon as he stops nursing, I'm going to nurse on a whole pot of Community!~ She laughs, but she's more serious than she let's on..... I'm having fun with little Harry! He sure does smile allot, but Mary says it's gas! I think he smiles because he's a Happy baby! I put our son in his Bassinet because he's fallen asleep! I sit next to my wife & say: ~Mary Grace Newport, I love you! You married me & gave me life. You took my son as your own & raised him! Now you've given me another son! You have been & are my life. I'm truly Blessed! Thank you Mary, I only hope I tell you enough!~ She replies: ~Harry, you tell & show me every day! It fills my heart with joy & happiness everytime I hear your words. I love you Harry, with every essence of my being! I live for you Harry, you're my heart & soul!~ We embrace & kiss for more than a few minutes! We go ahead & pack up everything we can for now. We have laundry that has to be brought up to the room later!

Were just going to hangout with the Family today, we're going to miss them all very much! JR & I will visit the Cemetery this afternoon, so he can see Julia's & his Grandparents graves one more time before he goes back to Texas! He wants to plant flowers on the graves........ I think he wants to tell Julia thank you for his gift. I know that sounds strange but so do I, there's no other explanation!We go downstairs & everyone is congregating in the Game room. Mother has declared this day, "Family Day"! She says: ~We see far too little of each other, & I think it nice if we spend the day enjoying each other's company!~...... She has Finger sandwiches, Olives, Dill pickles, Cheeses, Sweets & Drinks set up on a table. We'll not have to stop for lunch, yet we can eat as we wish! I & George immediately challenge my Brothers to a game of Eight ball! I'm quite good at this, though it's been a while..... Father is acting as Barkeep! My Sister & our wives are Bowling on the indoor alley! Mary's parents & Mother are playing cards! JR & Kellyanne are playing Table Soccer!......... it's 4:30pm & as promised, I borrow Father's car: I & JR are enroute to Newport Cemetery to place flowers on Julia's & her Parent's graves. We'll place them on my Grandparents grave as well! It's 5:30pm & already getting dark. We leave the Cemetery enroute back to the Mansion. It's 5:55pm & as we're walking in the doors, Huntington rings: ~Dinner is being served in the Dining room!~ We all have our last Dinner as a Family! It's 7:30pm & Dinner is over. We retire to the Drawing room & share a little more time together. We plan next Christmas vacation together. It's 9:00 & we say our Goodbyes to my siblings. Mine & Mary's Parents will be up to say Goodbye in the morning. The Chauffeur will drive us to the Airport, theirs eight of us with the Babies & Father's Car won't have enough room. We say Goodnight & go upstairs so we can be fresh in the morning. Mary nurses little Harry while I take my shower! After; I take, burp & play with him while Mary takes a shower! I see him smiling more & more, warming my heart with everyone! He falls asleep in my arms & I lay him down on his back! I didn't know that SIDS was a growing threat in the USA & laying a baby on their stomach or side was the leading cause! Mary taught me that! She's a very cautious Mom & I thank the Good Lord for it! We lay down & I say: ~Mary Grace Newport, I love you!~ She replies: ~Harry Joseph Newport, you are my whole life &I Love you!~ We fall asleep in love!

Thursday January 2, 2020

It's 2:30am & we get up. Mary nurses the Baby while I wash up, brush my teeth & shave. I call for Huntington: ~Please take our bags down to the Limousine. Mary finishes feeding the little Harry, I take & burp him while my wife washes up & gets dressed. We go downstairs & meet up in the Dining room. Mother has arranged for an early Breakfast so we don't leave hungry! It's 3:30am & we say our Goodbyes. Mary & her Mother are crying & Mother is doing her best to hold tears back. They kiss, hug & kiss us all again as we walk out the doors! Father walks us out while the others stand on the stairs! He says: ~Harry, I love you kids, please have a safe trip. John Ross, you too, make sure you make next year son! Bye you all & take care of our Grandkids, I'm talking to you too. You're family too now! George replies: ~aye Mr Newport Sir!~

I tell my Father,: ~I love you Father, we'll call you as soon as we land! Bye now!~ It's 4:00am & were enroute to the Airport. Its 4:35am, we arrive at Valdosta Regional & the Baggage Valet loads our baggage onto a cart. JR checks in & the kids say their final Goodbye. Kellyanne is crying & makes JR promise to write every day! He hugs me & tells me that he loves me. He hugs & kisses Mary Goodbye & tells her he loves her. She's crying again! He kisses his little Brother & Anabel, he's only got so long until Boarding, so he has to get through Security! Its 5:30am & his flight takes off on time!

JR has one more year until he Graduates in June 2021. He's already been accepted & will enter Annapolis Naval Academy in January of 2021 He'll attend four years thereafter; he'll be Commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant & serve a minimum of five years in the Marine corps! That boy has made us proud!

It's 6:15am & we're allowed to check in. We walk through Security & to the Boarding gate where we'll wait until allowed to board.. 6:30am & we're boarding the plane. It's 7:00am & our flight takes off on time! Its 11:20am & were on approach to Miami. Suddenly; we start climbing & are ordered to stay seated & buckled. We have a landing gear stuck & are circling the Airport! There's some panic, but all in all; most stay calm! We circle for twenty minutes & it begins to look like we're going to have to land without the the front Landing gear! Now I begin to worry a little! But I look at Mary & she says: ~It'll be fine Harry, God has us covered~ Suddenly; the front Landing gear comes down. Relief is felt all over the plane, people begin to cheer & clap! Mary turns to me, smiles & says: ~See Harry God is watching over us!~ I remember calling my wife an Angel sent by God, now I'm sure of it! She didn't worry at all, she knew we'd be ok! We're on approach again. We land & it's 11:50am. Late but safe! God is Great!!!! We get through Security, get our Bags from the Carousel & have our wives & Babies sit down & rest. George & I walk across to the Parking Garage & pick up my car. We drive around to the loading zone & help Mary, Lucy & Kellyanne into the back seat with the Babies. George & I load our bags & we're enroute home! I'm going to miss everyone but I'm so happy to be home! It's 1:00pm & we drop George & his Family off, they're looking tired & happy to be too! Kellyanne is still sad but she'll get over it! We're enroute to our house. It's 1:20pm & Home sweet Home! I help Mary into the house & come back for the bags. Mary takes our son into the Nursery & says: ~My sweet little child, welcome home Baby Harry!~ She lays him down in his crib & sings a Lullaby: The song is called "Sweet Dreams ". I've never heard it but it's quite beautiful! Mary is a wonderful Mother. I go in the kitchen & prepare lunch, as they don't serve food on flights anymore! Simple Ham & Cheese, Dill pickles, Lays lightly salted chips, Sweet tea! We sit, eat lunch & talk about all that's happened. We finish & she says: ~Harry my Love, I'm going to lay down & take a nap; I'm just feeling so tired!~ I reply: ~Darling, sleep well, you need to rest!~ I go into the Library & check my messages. I need to start the "Willow" back up after Vacation! Looks like I have a scheduled trip on Monday, January 6! I give George a heads up, grab a cold one & relax! It's 4:00pm & I think I'm going to cook dinner for Mary. She'll be awake soon & hungry, she has enough to do just taking care of the baby! I prepare Baked Chicken, Macaroni & cheese, Garlic Bread & I'll wait to see what she wants to drink!It's 5:00pm & Mary comes down. She's pleasantly surprised. We sit down to dinner & enjoy each other's company. We finish up & retire to the Living room. We sit on the Loveseat, listen to music & just cuddle. She has Baby monitors set up everywhere in case he wakes up..... He sleeps until 8:00pm, Mary says to me: ~I'll be back my love, let me nurse him, he's hungry! She goes up, feeds him & is back in my arms within twenty minutes! I love my wife & enjoy spending time with her. I am a CUDDLER! I love cuddling & showing her how much I love her! It's 11:00pm & she asks: ~How about a snack?~ I reply: ~Sounds great Darling~ She goes in the kitchen, goes in the pulls out two thinly cut steak out of the freezer & chops them up with onions & Bell peppers. She grabs four eggs & shredded cheese out of the refrigerator. She's making steak & cheese omelets! That's my favorite omelet, she knows me so well! We sit down & eat. We finish, I handle the little cleanup there is. She goes up & nurses the Baby. I'm done & I follow her to find her waiting for me, under the covers. She says: ~Come on Big boy, I need you!~ She smiles, winks & exposes her naked body! Goodnight all!

Duke Sherman

To Be Continued

[mystwright]

Coffee Shop Blues PT.3

Characters: You and Jungkook

Word Count: 3668

Read PT.1 Here PT.2 Here

“Who are you?” Yoongi asked.

“What are you talking about?” You nervously retorted as you pointed at Jungkook’s face. “Look at me, I’m Jungkook….”

You began to slowly back away but Yoongi followed, leaving no option for you to suddenly flee.

“No. No, you’re not.” Yoongi objected. “The Jungkook I know doesn’t call me by my stage name… The Jungkook I know doesn’t fumble around during dance practice…”

You began to panic. Shit. The gig is up! He knows!

“I can explain…” You began.

“No.” Yoongi said stopping you. “I know what’s going on”

“You do?” You asked. You were scared. All Yoongi kept doing was staring you down. How was he so perceptive?!

“I do” Yoongi answered. “Did you think you could hide something like this from me or anyone else?

“I…” You felt like you were being cornered.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

You began to fumble with your words. “I just… I didn’t know if I could…”

Yoongi shook his head.

“You’re nervous about the comeback” Yoongi said cutting you off.

“What?” You asked baffled. “Comeback?”

You were at a lost for words. You had totally misinterpreted the situation but you were still confused. What was a comeback?

Yoongi gave you a warm and gummy smile. “Come on, Jungkook”

Technically he was smiling at Jungkook… But still… You had to stop to compose yourself and cursed at yourself for being so giddy inside about a smile.

“Our new album is just a few weeks away from being released. It’s normal to get cold feet before our comeback.” Yoongi said.

Was that what it was… a new album release? You sighed in relief after you realized what it was. 

“Uhh yeah.. that’s what it is. I’m just nervous. You know, comeback this.. Comeback that… it’s all I ever hear about these day”

Yoongi smiled at you again. “You know you can talk to me about it, right? I’m here for you.”

Wow. You thought to yourself. Even though he seemed so scary at first.. Yoongi was really surprising you. Despite his seemingly cold demeanor... He really was sweet…

You tried to contain your shock but you couldn’t believe what was happening.

“Thanks Yoongi… I really appreciate that”

He placed a hand on your shoulder for comfort. “Come on. Let’s go get something to eat. I’ll pay” He offered.

You looked at him confused. “But we’re on a lockdown… How are we supposed to go anywhere?” You asked.

“Don’t worry, if anyone has a problem, they’ll have to deal with me. Get your face mask ready, Jungkook”

You looked at Yoongi unsure but he seemed to know what he was doing.

“Alright, give me a minute” You replied as you searched the room for a new face mask.

----

At the restaurant, you stared at the mountain of cooked meat in front of you.

“Eat up!” Yoongi exclaimed. “I know how much you love lamb skewers!”

You cocked your head to the side and nodded as you continued to stare at the lamb skewers that sat stacked on a plate in between you and Yoongi.

“Yep. I sure do!” You replied.

The honest truth though was that lamb was probably your least favorite food. The gumminess… the smell… you were not excited at all. Why couldn’t Jungkook love chicken, pork, or steak instead??

Noticing your hesitation, Yoongi mistook your action as politeness and so he grabbed some meat with his chopsticks and handed it to you on a smaller plate.

“Don’t be shy! Eat this, Jungkook!”

You tried to sound excited. “Alright….” You replied as you shot him a thumbs up.

Yoongi began to laugh. “Man, remember last time? You ate so much that you couldn’t even move!”

You had no idea what he was talking about but you knew that you needed to play along.

“Oh yeah,” You nervously replied. “You know me! I just love lamb skewers. I’d eat it everyday if I could...”

Yoongi handed you some more food. “Eat as much as you want Jungkook! I won’t stop you”

You pushed away your pride and took a piece of meat into your mouth and slowly chewed away. God. The gumminess of the lamb hit you instantly! You are Jungkook! You can do this! You told yourself. You looked up at Yoongi and smiled.

“It’s sooo good” You said taking another forced bite.

In front of you, Yoongi simply smiled and continued eating.

“So what’s stressing you out about this comeback?” Yoongi asked. “It it the interviews or the upcoming performances? Do you want to talk about it?”

You grabbed your soda and downed it to wash away the taste. Even though Yoongi hadn’t figure out that you weren’t the real Jungkook, you knew you had to be careful with your words.

“Everything just feels so new to me” You replied.  

You sat still and spaced out for a moment because you realized what you said was true. While Jungkook had been through this multiple times… You had never had a comeback before. You were scared.

Yoongi took a piece of meat into his mouth and chomped away. “Yeah. Don’t beat yourself up about it, Jungkook. The first practice of every new dance we learn is always like that. It’s a good thing that you work hard… but at the same time, don’t push yourself too hard.”

You looked up at Yoongi who continued to munch away. What did he mean by that?

“I.. all of us don’t like seeing you overwork yourself” Yoongi continued.

Was it common of Jungkook to do so? You thought back to the videos you saw the other night. He really was good at everything that he did… but the underlying weight of having to be good at everything must take a toll on him. It had too.

You felt your heart bursting at the thought of Jungkook striving to live up to that perfect image oh him on screen… Like Jungkook said, everyone has their eyes on him....  He must be so stressed.. And now he was stuck in this situation with you too.

“I know” You replied. “Sorry. I’ll try not to make you guys worry so much.”

----

After eating way too many lamb skewers, you and Yoongi began your walk back to the apartment.

“How do you deal with all of this?” You asked Yoongi as you both were about to cross the street. “Are you not nervous?”

Yoongi gave you a small shrug. “We all have our own little ways to cope with stress. To be honest, I just keep working”

The light turned green.

“Don’t you think that you’re working too hard now?” You asked as you both crossed the street.

Yoongi gave out a small chuckle behind his face mask. “I guess I’m not good at this advice stuff, am I?”

You let out a laugh with him. “No, you’ve given me a lot of good advice tonight… thank you”

Yoongi stopped walking for a moment. “Look Jungkook, I don’t know where you’ve been going these past few days.. but just be careful, okay? If you wanna go wherever you usually go, I’ll cover for you tonight”

You looked at Yoongi shocked. “You would do that for me?” You asked.

“Yeah, we’re family Jungkook... We look out for each other. If they ask where we are, I’ll just say we went to go visit our family or something”

You didn't know what to say.

“Yoongi…. Thank you”

“Yeah, Whatever.” Yoongi coolly replied. “Now go before I change my mind.”

You couldn’t help but smile behind your face mask.

“Get out of here” Yoongi continued.

“You’re the best! I'll see you tomorrow at practice” You happily replied.

“If you keep talking to me, I’m going to change my mind in 5, 4, 3….”

Yoongi made his voice so monotone that you wanted to laugh at how silly he was being but you knew that this was your chance to leave. You waved and ran off before he could finish counting down.

----

As you reached the train station, you texted Jungkook once again.

*Don’t be alarmed, but I’m coming over right now!*

Jungkook finally texted you back.

*Sorry that it took me so long to reply. It’s so late! Did something bad happen?*

*It’s nothing to worry about! I’ll tell you all about it when I get there.* You replied.

You put his phone away and anxiously waited for the train to stop.

----

After a long 30 minutes, loud knocks could be heard outside your apartment.

“That was quick” Jungkook replied as he opened the door and saw himself huffing and puffing at your front door. “Why are you so sweaty? Did you run here?”

“Yeah… I sorta ran here” You confessed.

“Why?” He asked concerned.

“After you didn’t reply earlier.. I just wanted to come talk to you and make sure that you were okay…”

Were you that worried about him? “Sorry about that.. I didn't have any time to check your phone because of work.” Jungkook replied.

You walked into your apartment.

“When did you get off of work?” You asked Jungkook.

“About an hour ago? But I stayed a bit late to help out though. What about you? How was practice today?”

“It felt longer than yesterday. My….” You stopped yourself. “Your body hurts… I probably shouldn’t have ran here, but you just have so much energy. I think I’m gonna go lay down now though”

You continued walking towards your room and jumped into your old bed. Jungkook’s body was so long though that his feet hung off the edge. You patted the empty space next to you so Jungkook could come by to sit while you laid down.

“Where does it hurt?” Jungkook asked concerned. “Do you need me to go get you anything? Medicine or a hot pack?”

“I’ve got it” You replied trying to sound strong. “I think I just need to relax for a moment.”

You turned to look at yourself. It still felt so weird to talk to yourself even if you knew it was Jungkook who was trapped in your body.

“I hung out with Yoongi today” You replied smiling.

“You hung out with Yoongi?” Jungkook asked. Flashback of your coworker’s words hit Jungkook.

“Don’t hang out with him!” Jungkook said as he jumped up from his seat.

“What? Why not?” You asked confused.

“I mean… Yoongi can get very busy and if he’s busy, he can get grumpy if he is interrupted. It’s best to leave him alone so he can work”

“Oh..” You replied, not thinking too much about it. “He was very nice to you though.”

“Was he?” Jungkook asked, now feeling a little guilty.

You nodded. “So many lamb skewers….” You groaned as you hugged your pillow. “Man, I’ve missed my bed.” You tiredly let out.

Jungkook smiled as he watched you but he was curious as to what else went on..

“What did you guys talk about?” Jungkook asked.

“We talked about the comeback and he gave me some advice… and then he surprised me. I thought I got you in trouble again… but I think he worries about you a lot. He said for you to not overwork yourself and then he said he cover for me tonight”

“Did he really?” Jungkook asked. Now he really felt guilty. “That guy..” Jungkook whispered. “He’s a really great guy”

You nodded again.

“How was work?” You asked.

“Not as bad as I thought it would be. Your coworker was super helpful today.”

“Which one?” You asked.

“The one that knows a lot of me and BTS”

You couldn’t help but laugh.

“That’s Luna.. I hope she’s not scaring you”

Jungkook nodded. “It’s a bit alarming but I have to admit, I have always wondered where people get all of this information… Oh! And a returning customer came in very angry at you today”

“Soo-Mi?” You lazily asked. “Don’t give her any free coffee”

Jungkook began to laugh.

“I didn’t and I won’t”

“Good.” You said burying your face down.

“You know, I always thought that she was a nice person. Or at least she always acted nice towards me when I was me” Jungkook said.

As much as you tried to fight it, you were ready to fall asleep and talking about Soo-Mi made you even more tired.

“She’s mean…” You groaned into your pillow.

“I know that now” Jungkook agreed. “But it was just so weird seeing her like that. That was the first time I have ever seen her yell at someone or at me… and all because of no free coffee? Does she always treat you like that?”

When there was no reply from you, Jungkook called your name.

“Y/N?”

Jungkook peered over and saw you knocked out next to him. It was no surprise though. Jungkook studied himself for a minute. Messy hair and still fully clothed, you must have been drained from his schedule. Looking at the clock, Jungkook knew better than to try and wake you up. Scooting over to get the light, Jungkook stopped when you suddenly shifted in your sleep.

“She can’t have you” You sleepily replied out of nowhere.

“What?” Jungkook asked looking over.

“Can’t have you…” You repeated.

What were you talking about? Jungkook thought to himself.

“Why?” Jungkook asked amused.

“Mine” You quietly replied before you let out a small snore.

----

Despite falling asleep so quickly, throughout the night, you found yourself tossing and turning from stress. As much as you tried to fight it, all your doubts and insecurities kept running through your mind.

When would this body swap end?

Or what if it never did?

Would you mess up their comeback?

Or worse? Mess up Jungkook’s life when he worked so hard for it?

When you thought it couldn’t get any worse, you were ready to wake up to go get something to drink. You turned one more time but before you could get up, you felt a pair of strong hands wrap around you. You slowly opened your eyes and found Jungkook sleeping next to you.

Was this a dream? You were so tired that you couldn’t tell. But you were finally back in your own body. You sleepily moved your hand up to cup Jungkook’s face. Even as he slept, he was so warm and full of light. If this was a dream, part of you wished that it was real.

Because you didn’t know how much longer this would last, you found yourself moving up closer to Jungkook. You rested your head on his chest and slowly felt your stress melt away.

----

When you woke up again, you found yourself alone in your room with a note by your side.

*Didn't want to wake you up but I had to get you to work. Have a good day, Y/N. Text me if anything happens*

You looked at your clothes and realized that you were still Jungkook.

“I guess it was a dream” You whispered to yourself as you thought of last night. Weird. It felt so real.

You got up to have a look around your place. It was so tidy now that Jungkook had taken over. You stared at the small space you owned and thought about how your entire apartment probably made up one room of his apartment. You sat down in your small kitchen and wondered what he thought about your life. Did he think it was boring or mundane? Uneventful or annoying? His life was definitely exciting, to say the least.

Jungkook…

You didn't even get to talk to him about what you really wanted to talk about last night…. You were just so tired, that you fell asleep.

Maybe I should go check up on him at work? You thought to yourself. After what Yoongi said, you really did want to make sure that he was okay.

After trying to recall your conversation with him last night, something else began to bother you.

Soo-Mi…

Was she making work hard for him too? You could only imagine… but then you thought about what Jungkook said and your encounter with her as Jungkook. The tone of her voice, the way she already knew it was him even though you were wearing a mask...

Did he possibly like her before he found out she was a total nightmare? You thought to yourself. 

You found yourself getting a little jealous. But it made sense though… They were both from the same world of flashing lights and cameras. You were no one… a coffee girl…. You sank down in your chair. Maybe you should try to be nicer to her now that you were Jungkook. He probably still liked her.

You scanned yourself again. After your late night run, you were in a desperate need of clean clothes and a shower. You ripped his shirt off and made your way to your bathroom.

----

“Y/N!!!” Your coworker squealed!

“Luna!” Jungkook replied as you.

“Did you hear? Your boy was out and about yesterday!”

Jungkook laughed. “I heard… skewers, right?”

“How!?” She asked surprised.

“A very reliable source” Jungkook replied with a smile.

“See? I told you that you wouldn’t be able to help yourself from falling into the rabbit hole. Come on Y/N, admit that you like BTS. You already admitted that you like Jungkook the most!”

Jungkook began to laugh. “When I’m ready” He replied with a smile.

Jungkook wrapped the apron around your waist and couldn’t help but smile after remembering what you whispered to him last night.

“Hey Y/N, what’s up with you? You’re smiling at nothing.. And it's kinda scary” She gave you a long look and then gasped. “Lost in a daydream… smiling at random times… Are you seeing somebody!?” She asked.

“What? No! Maybe…” Jungkook replied.

“What do you mean maybe!?”

“It’s a bit complicated…”

“Well who’s the lucky person?!” She squealed again.

“I can’t tell you that”

“Oh come on, Y/N!”

Jungkook began to walk towards the front. “You come on, we gotta go to work!”

Outside in the front though, there was a bit of a commotion.

“What’s going on?” Jungkook asked.

“Not sure” Luna said as she walked ahead of Jungkook.

She stopped and turned to face you.

“Oh my god! I think someone famous is here again!”

“What?” Jungkook asked. “Who?”

“I don’t know. It’s just one guy, but he’s pretty covered up…”

Your coworker gasped. “Do you think it’s someone from BTS again!? Look! That guy in a face mask! That has to be someone from BTS!! Why else would people crowd around him like that?”

She peered over again. “Shit! I’m pretty sure I’m right… How do I I look?” Luna asked.

Jungkook’s eyes grew wide. It couldn’t be you, could it? As he continued to watch, the crowd continued to grow bigger and fans of all sorts came rushing forward.

“We have to help him!” Jungkook exclaimed.

Luna looked at the crowd and then back at Jungkook. “What? You’re crazy, Y/N! How are we even going to do that? Y/N?!”

Before Jungkook could even explain, he took off running towards the crowd.

“Excuse me!” Jungkook yelled. “I need to get through”

As he tried to make his way through, all he could think about was you and how scared you might be by being trapped by everyone around you. Flashbacks of how he would get mobbed flashed through his mind and only made him want to reach you quicker so that he could pull you out.

As Jungkook finally got close enough, he reached out your hand. “It’s me! Give me your hand!”

Hands clasped together, Jungkook led the way to safety. Within seconds though, the crowd realized what was going on and tried to follow the both of you.

“I’m sorry! This room is for employees only!” Jungkook shouted as he closed the door.

----

Inside the break room, Jungkook paced the floor.

“What are you doing here? How could you be so irresponsible?”

“I just really wanted coffee…” A familiar voice replied.

“What?” Jungkook asked. He looked at the masked figure sitting down in front of him. That wasn't his voice.

“Yoongi?” Jungkook asked confused.

“Yeah? How do you know it was me?” He asked.

For a moment, Jungkook forgot that he was you.

“Oh… TV? I recognized your voice…”

Yoongi ripped off his mask.

Shit. Jungkook thought to himself. It really was him. What the hell was he doing here?

“You’re Y/N, aren’t you? Thank you for what you did out there.”

Jungkook looked at Yoongi confused.

“How… how did you know my name?”

“I had to pry some information off a friend.”

Jin….. Jungkook thought to himself.

“Plus I was here the other night and kinda remembered being introduced to you”

Yoongi got up.

“Look, sorry about what happened out there. I didn’t really anticipate that to happen. I'm sure you're busy and so I’ll try not to take up any more of your time… But I just wanted to make sure about something”

“Make sure about what?” Jungkook asked.

Yoongi stared at you for a minute unaware that he was actually talking to Jungkook.

“You’re the one that has been hanging out with Jungkook, right? I just wanted to meet you and make sure that you weren’t a bad person.”

“Why would you think that…”

“Don’t worry Y/N.” Yoongi replied cutting Jungkook off. “I can tell that you are good.”

Yoongi walked towards the back door.

“May I use this exit?”

Jungkook nodded but Yoongi stopped before opening it. He turned back around and stared at you for a minute.

“Sorry. I can’t shake this feeling, but I feel like I know you. Correct me if I’m wrong Y/N, but aside from the other night…. have we met before?” Yoongi asked.

“No… I don’t think so” Jungkook nervously answered.

“Weird.” Yoongi replied. “Well, thanks Y/N. Take care of him, okay?”

----

Coffee Shop Blues PT. 4 Here

Masterlist

[3one3]

The Sequel - 898

Black Belt

André Schürrle, Juan Mata, other Chelsea/BVB players, and random awesome OC’s (okay they’re less random now but they’re still pretty awesome)

original epic tale

all chapters of The Sequel

Fried panko prawns with arugula, mango, and red chili salad with Melocha sauce, crispy flatbread topped with sautéed wild mushrooms, more arugula, goat cheese, and truffle oil, Brazilian Picanha, ribeye, beef tenderloin, flank steak, Australian lamb chops, and Achiote marinated chicken carved at the table, and chaufa rice with chicken and egg tortilla- Christina tried a little of everything while Juan and his DJ friend and the guy’s manager talked about Manchester United. He made sure to tell them how much she hated that phase of his career, and how much she hated Manchester itself, just to ensure there would be extra teasing. Kyrre and his manager, Myles, were nice people. They were funny and easy-going. Juan got along with them really well. They talked music and football together like old friends, and had plenty of more getting-to-know-you type conversations too. The rider made cameos in all the conversations, and led a few when asked about her horses and the Olympics. She felt like she was contributing just enough to sound smart, funny, and interesting, without trying to inject herself into everything, without asking a million questions, and without seeking attention. One reason she ate so much food was the mixture of self-exclusion and lack of interest. She wanted to make a good impression, and reflect well upon her friend, but she was also tired, kind of bored, and really into the delicious Toro Toro food. Each time a server appeared at their table with a giant skewer of meat, she was the first to pass her plate over for a piece. She was also a little afraid the big EDM star would judge her music tastes if she discussed them too much. Only one of his songs tickled her fancy, after all, and it happened to be because Selena Gomez did the singing on it.

The restaurant was morphing into a lounge by the time Christina was declining dessert. Half of it was all comfortable seats and low tables anyway, meant for cocktails and hanging out, listening to the Latin DJ performing somewhere far enough from the foursome’s regular table that they only had to shout a little to hear each other rather than shout a lot. It was a pretty big place, and decorated kind of generically for such a high profile spot. The German girl and the Spanish guy had seen luxury hotel restaurants just like it all over the world. The vibe was nice though, and along with the more loungey atmosphere taking over late at night came a sense that fewer people were watching. Christina always felt in Qatar like there was someone ready to scold her like the security guard at Al Shaqab. Also, not a single person recognized Kygo, and only one stopped her date for a selfie, on the way into the hotel. The less noticeable she felt Juan was, the more free she felt to be unguarded with him. She could lean on him, or touch his arm, and not worry that it would become a “thing”.

“I’d love another one of these though,” she said about her cocktail. The actual alcohol in it was a mystery, but it tasted like apple, orange, lime, and bitters, with ginger ale.

“Are you lubricating for dancing?” the Chelsea man asked back with a warm smile. He paid the right amount of attention to her throughout dinner, and she appreciated it. He also spoke very proudly about her, and she loved that. “She loves Latin music,” he explained to his friends.

“No. I’m saving my dancing for tomorrow.” The girl in the sheer black button-up winked at the artist and then busied herself with refolding the sleeves that had been falling down all night. Her top was loose and comfortable and the tiny rouched cuffs refused to stay rolled near her elbows. She turned to Juan when the sleeve was somewhat secure again. “Can you go away for a minute?” she requested sweetly. “I need to speak to Kyrre about your Christmas present.”

“I guess,” he chuckled, his eyes doing an entry-level performance of the exploding mosaic thing she loved so much. I hope I didn’t just give it away, Christina worried, afraid that his happiness was an indication that he already knew what she intended to give him for Christmas. He got up and took his phones with him, and after a short trip to the men’s room he returned an interesting call, to André.

“Hey man, how’s it going?” the BVB player asked pleasantly enough when he answered. It wasn’t quite so late in Dortmund yet, so he was just heading back to the sofa after putting Lukas to bed.

“Everything is good. You said to call you back when I’m alone. I’m alone, for the most part,” Juan clarified, glancing around the entrance to the restaurant from where he loitered sort of between there and the hallway with the bathrooms.

“Yeah, I was just wondering...is Chris okay? Her ankle, I mean. She’s not hobbling around is she? Or pretending it’s fine but it’s actually terrible?” André collapsed heavily on the leather couch in his big boy playroom and then immediately regretted not grabbing the TV remote first. Spencer and Lucky both hopped up next to him and then took turns standing on his stomach with their front paws.

“No more than usual, I don’t think. She wrapped a zip bag of ice on it for the ride from the show to the hotel tonight. Why are you asking me instead of her?” Juan sounded slightly disapproving, but mostly curious.

“She went to see Müll yesterday and she said it went fine and there was nothing new going on with either ankle, but then one of the Dortmund doctors handed me a bottle of pills today that he said is for Chris from Müll, because she didn’t know of a pharmacy to tell him to call in the prescription. I get everything from the club, you know, and when she was sick last month her doctor had the medications to give her. We didn’t have to go get them. Well, there was some over the counter things too...”

“What are they for? Are they painkillers or something to make it better?”

“They’re for pain, yeah. I don’t want to call her and interrogate,” the German forward sighed. “I hate to cause problems when she’s at a show, and I don’t want to sound like I don’t trust her. So I was just wondering if she seems like she’s in a lot of pain.”

“Not really. It’s normal that she ices it, no?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you want me to ask her about it? Not about the pills, obviously, but the doctor visit? She told me the same thing, that it was fine and nothing new came of it.”

“I don’t know. Maybe just...Just watch and see how she is. Where is she right now?”

“We’re still at dinner. I got up to use the restroom. She’s been a little quieter than normal but I think it was the food. Too busy eating to talk.”

“Okay. Well just let me know if you see anything...weird,” André finished with a shrug. Occasions uniting him and his wife’s boyfriend were always “weird” too, but sometimes he found it reassuring to have a partner in watching out for her wellbeing. The surprise pills really bothered him. He hated the conclusion that she was deliberately hiding anything from him, but something relating to her health was extra disturbing, and something relating to pain medicine, which she’d had issues with before, was even worse. He hoped it was all just an oversight- that she forgot to mention the drugs. The only problem with his hope was that it came with no explanation for why she’d need any drugs to forget in the first place if she weren’t concealing new, worsened pain, or worse.

“I will.”

“Thanks.”

“I’m sure she’ll call you when we get back...”

“Yeah.”

“All right, well...”

“Okay, ciao.”

“Bye.”

Juan returned to the rectangular booth, where Christina was holding court. The Christmas gift discussion must have been short, because she was talking about how the top dressage riders have professionals compose a bespoke score for their musical freestyle classes from scratch rather than simply using a track or doing an amateur job of cobbling clips together. She was also talking about how much she preferred recognizable tunes for dressage tests, either in whole or in part, because familiarity creates an emotional link to the audience right away, and an engaged audience can help the horse, and their energy about the test can help subliminally sway the judges. A little mistake here and there might not be punished as severely if the whole arena is loving the mood of the test, for example.

“Are there any events with music for jumping?” the composer at the table inquired curiously as Juan watched her sip from just her second short cocktail.

“Not specifically. Lots of shows play generic pop songs over the PA during rounds in not very big classes. Usually you get quiet for a grand prix course. There’s always loud music queued up for the end of the course if it’s a good one. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve jumped a clear round and then almost bit the dust because the second we land on the other side of the last fence they blast Katy Perry or something and the horse flips out. And then sometimes for fun classes, like gambler’s choice or hit and hurry, you can actually choose your “walk out” music.”

“Which do you pick?”

“Depends on the horse and the occasion but I love to go with Crockett’s Theme from Miami Vice. It’s Jan Hammer,” the equestrian giggled, blushing.

“I know Jan Hammer!” Kyrre exclaimed.

“Personally, or like, know the music?”

“Both!”

“You have no idea how much headache you’ve just come in for,” Juan snorted. “She will want an introduction now, so that she can make a music video with her favorite horse and Jan Hammer.”

“That is 100% correct. I’m going to need that hookup!”

“We can do that,” Myles nodded.

“Yay!” Christina clapped, her face all lit up with excitement and alcohol, and then leaned into Juan’s ear beside her to whisper, “Can we go soon?” I’m stuffed and tired, the rider thought. And it’s getting louder in here, and it’s not even the good kind of Latin music. I don’t think Juanin is desperate to stay. We’ve been here almost two hours.

“Of all the artists I’ve been asked to link someone up with, never has it been Jan Hammer.”

“Chris is...original,” the Spanish player commented. “And she turns into a pumpkin at midnight during competitions, so I’m going to have to get her back to the hotel.”

It took another 20 minutes to finish drinks and settle the bill, and 15 more to get back to the Four Seasons. Christina didn’t actually want to go to bed yet. She asked Juan if he was interested in finding a hidden lounger in the mazey garden around and between the swimming pools, and just hanging out for a little while with the smell of the sea and the din of the people closing down the beach bar. He was down. And he was picky about the lounger. After rejecting two of her suggestions, he selected the most private and secluded bed, near the grotto, concealed from the balconies above by a canopy, shielded from people walking on the main thoroughfare by tall and dense plants, and lit only with the obscured lights embedded in the walls of the shallow pool next to them. They put the back of the lounger up at about 45-degrees and got comfortable right away. The Spaniard had a light cardigan to put over his tee and was thus warmer than the girl in the silk harem pants and see-through shirt, so she snuggled up to him and stole his warmth. Naturally she shed her heels.

“Don’t let me fall asleep,” she yawned once settled in the perfect spot. Juan had an arm around her and was preparing to show her the videos he made of Socks and Rio earlier on his phone.

“I’m surprised you’re so tired, cariña. It wasn’t the busiest day. Did you take anything for your ankle that makes you sleepy?”

“Nah. We stayed up late last night, and then you didn’t let me nap!”

“How is your ankle? It’s okay?”

“Same as always. It hurts a little extra right this second from walking around in those shoes.” Christina drew her right leg up and rested her heel on the player’s stomach to poke and squeeze her Achilles. It was the usual amount of swollen. “Daniel’s been trying to talk me into trying new lightweight stirrups. Almost everybody uses them. I like my old school ones though. I have traditional irons on all my saddles.”

“Can’t hurt to try, right?”

“I dunno. It’s hard to change something you’ve been using forever.”

“Can you get your foot out of my stomach now?”

“Sorry,” she laughed as she righted her pant leg and put her foot back down next to his. “Did you enjoy dinner? The food was so good.”

“Good company.”

“They’re cool. It’s really nice of them to get passes and stuff for all the guys.”

“I think I should tell you something.”

“You have a big gay crush on Kygo?”

“I told him you think all his music sounds exactly the same and that he’s a one piano trick pony.”

“Juanin!”

“I’m kidding!” the Blues midfielder sniggered while under attack from small but mighty pinching fingers. Two of them got a hold of his nipple and squeezed mercilessly. His knees curled up and he tried to twist away from the assailant. “I didn’t tell him! Stop!”

“Oh shut up, you probably like it,” Christina quipped after being forced to let go. She couldn’t reach over his arm when he turned all the way to the right, away from her. He rubbed his abused right nipple while pretending to be in great pain, and then snatched her hand to drag under his arm and squeeze right in front of his chest. The squeeze tightened enough to make her complain about the pain, and then he lightened up the grip but kept the hand for a few seconds, like he was hugging it, like when they were in bed or on the couch and she was the big spoon.

“Don’t start fights you don’t want to see to the end,” he advised her.

“You started it!”

“And now I own your hand. It’s mine. You’ll have to pay me to have it back.” Juan tugged her palm all the way up to his mouth and gently bit down on one of her knuckles. Her eyes were rolling.

“What’s it going to cost me?” she snorted.

“A lot. I’m very wealthy, cariña. I can already buy most things.”

“Name your price.” She pulled on her hand, found it completely trapped, and wiggled her fingers. Inside, she enjoyed the imprisonment. She enjoyed Juan being affectionate in any form.

“You know what it is,” he confidently replied.

“One miiiiillion pounds.”

“No. It’s actually not a monetary fee. It’s something else.”

“Then I have no idea.”

“What’s the one thing I want and can’t buy?”

“You can’t literally have my hand, Juanin. We’re not getting married at the Four Seasons Doha.” Christina was just kidding around, as she was sure her friend was, but the growing frustration in her voice was real.

“Besides that,” he droned back. “Think harder. What do I want?”

“How should I- No! You can keep my hand. We are not having butt sex!”

“Shhh!” The Chelsea star let go of her hand and rolled over quickly to cover her mouth with his own palm. Loudly talking about anal sex at the Four Seasons Doha was an even worse idea than getting married there. His girlfriend glared above his digits. He held the other pointer to his lips to emphasize the “shush”, and then slowly removed his hand from her natural pink lips.

“We are not having butt sex!” she whispered.

“Why not? Why don’t you trust me?” He relaxed back against the lounger and smiled with warmth and calm. Technically he was hounding her to do something she made clear she never wanted to do, but he wasn’t being a terrible jerk about it. There was even a palpable sense, to Christina, that he was mostly still just kidding around. “You don’t trust that I know what feels good?”

“It’s gross. It’s icky. It’s degrading.”

“It doesn’t have to be any of those things. At least let me get you started- let me show you how good it can feel.” Juan wrapped his hand around one of hers and folded down all of her fingers but one, which he held up between them. “At least try it. Just a finger. One. You don’t have to do the full thing the first time.” His persistence was annoying, but his genuine care for her showed in his persuasive case too. He truly believes that I’ll like it, she realized, perhaps for the first time. I’ve always just assumed he loves it and wants that and it would be great if I just tolerated it and let him do it. But he seriously thinks I’ll like it, she sighed to herself. I don’t know why. He’s yet to be wrong in that department, but come on. What could be enjoyable about sticking things up your butt if you’re a girl? This isn’t like when I was younger and said there’s no way any girl likes giving head and just pretends to please her boyfriend and then I found out that it can actually be totally awesome. This is objectively gross!

“Are you thinking it over, or...”

“It’s so...unclean though,” she complained, whining. “Even if for some inexplicable reason I did like the feeling, it’s so ewwww. The smells involved! I can cope with horse poop and baby poop and even toddler poop but I can’t cope with them in a sex environment. That’s so not sexy! What if something icky happens? You’ll never not think of it whenever we’re having sex! You’ll make fun of me forever. Or you’ll just be totally grossed out and never turned on around me again. It’s also not even safe. There are infections!”

“Oh come, I won’t make fun of you. Baby girl I know what I’m doing. I know how to be safe, and nothing gross will happen.”

“You say that like you’re some kind of anal sex pro,” Christina bristled. This is one of those times when he makes me feel like a dumb kid because he is old and wise and experienced. Bah humbug. Look at his face though. That face is like...begging to be trusted. “How many girls’ butts have you fucked?” she asked in a tone befitting of the age she felt, maturity wise, in comparison to him. The Spaniard’s eyes shifted away from hers and he began to mumble numbers.

“Carry the two...”

“Juanin!”

“I’m kidding! I’m kidding,” he man-giggled at her, reaching to take a hold of her other hand so that he had both in his possession. His laughter and smile said he was having a ball with the teasing, even as he promised not to make fun of her if anything embarrassing happened. “Do you really want to know?”

“Yes.”

“Four.”

“Taylor...”

“Taylor, Alexis, a random girl I saw a few times years ago, and my first girlfriend.”

“And did they want to do it or did they just do it for you? Weh- Lex definitely wanted it, right? She had “cum in my butt” written all over her.”

“Three of them already liked it, and the other we just tried together and enjoyed it.”

“I’ll take all of this into consideration but don’t get your hopes up,” Christina warned. He nodded and winked at her.

“It’s a start. Now relax. You look so stressed.”

“You’re stressing me out! Plus, why are you so obsessed with this? Is my vagina not satisfying enough? Am I boring you? You need to-“

“Shhhh! And no. Your vagina is...by far the best place my dick has ever been.”

“Riiiight.” Despite her continued dismissive eye rolling, the German girl stretched out on her half of the chaise again and snuggled into the player’s chest, where she had been perfectly at home before he said whatever he did that made her try to pinch him in the first place. She couldn’t remember. As she finally got still and relaxed inside and out, the sound of the sea in the distance returned, she could make out laughter and music from the bar, and their hiding place felt cozy and nice again.

“I swear, that’s the truth. I’m not obsessed with anal. I just think you’d like it. I like to make you feel good. You don’t know how good it can feel to have so many different places stimulated at once.”

“Yeah, sure. You’re always talking about it for me. Nothing to do with you.”

“Do you want me to never bring it up again?”

“I don’t care.”

“Can I have a kiss?” The Chelsea man asked sweetly. Specifically, he asked in a voice no one but his girlfriend ever heard. It was cute, and intimate, and kind of immature almost. It was only ever used at close quarters, in private. In was flirty but in a way reserved for only the person he didn’t need to flirt with anymore. He’d never use it to speak to some new girl he flirted with for fun. It was like his version of the little girl voice Christina used in very affectionate situations. She scooted up a little and pursed her lips together for the smooch. “I love you,” he added after, in the same voice, while she nuzzled into his sweater.

“I love when you’re sweet-boyfriend Juanin and not black-belt-in-anal-sex Juanin.”

[no-sense-in-our-sentences]

200: My crush’s name is: Nathan ❤️
199: I was born in: Maitland hospital
198: I am really: Cold right now
197: My cellphone company is: Optus 
196: My eye color is: Greedy hazel colour
195: My shoe size is: About 7
194: My ring size is: Idk
193: My height is: Don't know 
192: I am allergic to: Blueberries
191: My 1st car was: Suzuki swift
190: My 1st job was: Receptionist
189: Last book you read: Probably a children's book at work 188: My bed is: Comfy
187: My pet: Dogs, lamb and chickens
186: My best friend: Nathan
185: My favorite shampoo is: I don't know
184: Xbox or ps3: Neither?
183: Piggy banks are: Not a thing anymore
182: In my pockets: I have nothing
181: On my calendar: I don't have a calendar 
180: Marriage is: Beautiful 
179: Spongebob can: Be funny?
178: My mom: Is amazing
177: The last three songs I bought were? None
176: Last YouTube video watched: Little mix
175: How many cousins do you have? A lot 
174: Do you have any siblings? 3
173: Are your parents divorced? No
172: Are you taller than your mom? Yes
171: Do you play an instrument? No
170: What did you do yesterday? I didn't even get out of my pjs [ I Believe In ]
169: Love at first sight: Not really
168: Luck: Yeah
167: Fate: Yeah
166: Yourself: Not always
165: Aliens: Never really thought about it 
164: Heaven: I like to
163: Hell: I guess? Haha
162: God: I dunno 
161: Horoscopes: Haha sometimes 
160: Soul mates:
 Yes 159: Ghosts: Yeah 
158: Gay Marriage: Yeah
157: War: No
156: Orbs: I dunno 
155: Magic: No [ This or That ]
154: Hugs or Kisses: Both 
153: Drunk or High: Drunk
152: Phone or Online: Phone 
151: Red heads or Black haired: Red heads
150: Blondes or Brunettes: Either 
149: Hot or cold: Both
148: Summer or winter: Summer
147: Autumn or Spring: Spring
146: Chocolate or vanilla: Vanilla 
145: Night or Day: Night
144: Oranges or Apples: Oranges 
143: Curly or Straight hair: Both
142: McDonalds or Burger King: Maccas 
141: White Chocolate or Milk Chocolate: Milk
140: Mac or PC: Pc 
139: Flip flops or high heals: Thongs 
138: Ugly and rich OR sweet and poor: Doesn't bother me
137: Coke or Pepsi: Coke
136: Hillary or Obama: Obama
135: Burried or cremated: I dunno
134: Singing or Dancing: Both
133: Coach or Chanel: I dunno 
132: Kat McPhee or Taylor Hicks: Who?
131: Small town or Big city: Small
130: Wal-Mart or Target: Target 
129: Ben Stiller or Adam Sandler: Adam
128: Manicure or Pedicure: Mani
127: East Coast or West Coast: Don't care 
126: Your Birthday or Christmas: Either 
125: Chocolate or Flowers: Flowers
124: Disney or Six Flags: Disney?
123: Yankees or Red Sox: Neither [ Here’s What I Think About ]
122: War: It terrible
121: George Bush: I don't know
120: Gay Marriage: Love is love
119: The presidential election: I'm not American 
118: Abortion: Best to do what's right
117: MySpace: A thing of the past
116: Reality TV: Ridiculous 
115: Parents: My parents are the best parents 
114: Back stabbers: There's a nice place in hell for yous 
113: Ebay: Never use it 
112: Facebook: 👌🏼
111: Work: I actually love my job
110: My Neighbors: Don't really know them
109: Gas Prices: Don't use gas
108: Designer Clothes: Eh
107: College: Never been
106: Sports: Some are good 
105: My family: I love them
104: The future: Excites me [ Last time I ]
103: Hugged someone: This morning 
102: Last time you ate: About 2 hours ago
101: Saw someone I haven’t seen in awhile: I dunno
100: Cried in front of someone: No idea 
99: Went to a movie theater: Ages ago
98: Took a vacation: Christmas time 
97: Swam in a pool: Summer
96: Changed a diaper: Last week
95: Got my nails done: Ages ago
94: Went to a wedding: Earlier this year
93: Broke a bone: Ages ago
92: Got a peircing: Can't remember 
91: Broke the law: Earlier this year when I got booked speeding
90: Texted: last night [ MISC ]
89: Who makes you laugh the most: A lot of people
88: Something I will really miss when I leave home is: I've already moved out of home before and I missed seeing my mum and dad everyday
87: The last movie I saw: Idk
86: The thing that I’m looking forward to the most: Another holiday
85: The thing im not looking forward to: Work on Monday 
84: People call me: Laura?
83: The most difficult thing to do is: I dunno
82: I have gotten a speeding ticket: Yes 
81: My zodiac sign is: Libra
80: The first person i talked to today was: My dad actually
79: First time you had a crush: I can't remember 
78: The one person who i can’t hide things from: Nathan
77: Last time someone said something you were thinking: I dunno
76: Right now I am talking to: No one
75: What are you going to do when you grow up: I am grown up
74: I have/will get a job: Have
73: Tomorrow: ^
72: Today: ^
71: Next Summer: ^
70: Next Weekend: ^
69: I have these pets: 2 dogs and a pet sheep
68: The worst sound in the world: Nails on a chalk board 
67: The person that makes me cry the most is: I dunno
66: People that make you happy: Everyone 
65: Last time I cried: Yesterday 
64: My friends are: A lot 
63: My computer is: Asus
62: My School: I don't go to school anymore 
61: My Car: Mazda CX-5 
60: I lose all respect for people who: Are ignorant 
59: The movie I cried at was: I cry in lots of movies 
58: Your hair color is: Red
57: TV shows you watch: Grace and frankie at the moment 
56: Favorite web site: Fb 
55: Your dream vacation: USA
54: The worst pain I was ever in was: Heart break
53: How do you like your steak cooked: Medium
52: My room is: Messy right now 
51: My favorite celebrity is: Don't have one
50: Where would you like to be: On a holiday 
49: Do you want children: Yes
48: Ever been in love: I am
47: Who’s your best friend: Nathan 
46: More guy friends or girl friends: Both 
45: One thing that makes you feel great is: Being with Nathan 
44: One person that you wish you could see right now: Nathan
43: Do you have a 5 year plan: Kinda yeah
42: Have you made a list of things to do before you die: Yes haha
41: Have you pre-named your children: Yes
40: Last person I got mad at: I don't know 
39: I would like to move to: Not sure 
38: I wish I was a professional: I am [ My Favorites ]
37: Candy: Red twisters 
36: Vehicle: Not sure
35: President: Not American 
34: State visited: Nt 
33: Cellphone provider: Optus I guess
32: Athlete: Don't have one
31: Actor: I don't know 
30: Actress: ^
29: Singer: Could never decide 
28: Band: The eagles 
27: Clothing store: Not sure 
26: Grocery store: Woolworths 
25: TV show: I have a lot 
24: Movie: ^
23: Website: Fb 
22: Animal: Dog
21: Theme park: Idk
20: Holiday: Christmas
19: Sport to watch: Footy
18: Sport to play: Netball
17: Magazine: I don't read them
16: Book: The very cranky bear series 
15: Day of the week: Friday, duh
14: Beach: I love all beaches 
13: Concert attended: The eagles
12: Thing to cook: Curried sausages 
11: Food: Indian food
10: Restaurant: I dunno 
9: Radio station: I dunno 
8: Yankee candle scent: Huh 
7: Perfume: Not sure 
6: Flower: Sunflowers or native flowers 
5: Color: Green
4: Talk show host: Idk
3: Comedian: Idk
2: Dog breed: Kelpie or cattle dog
1: Did you answer all these truthfully? Yes