A Fantasy about Love Pt. 18 - Final!

We went to see Allan and Eileen, told them about our project and Allan was intrigued about the way we were trying to get everyone together.

He regarded me for a long time. "James, where will you stop one day?" I shrugged. "Allan, I take it as it comes."

He nodded and said that Mr. Cunningham had inquired about me. He wanted to retire and offered me his position; it seemed that the Chairman had retired, and my star was still shining brilliantly. One of the conditions, however, was that we would have to move to New York and stay there practically forever. He had responded already: my place was in our company. We were invited, however, to his retirement party, with a special invitation for the lovely Miss Parker.

We dove back into business life. There was a problem in New Zealand, but the guy we had hired was competent and was on his way to resolve it.

Jenny set up the video conference with Elk and we discussed the results of our meetings in Berlin and Brussels. They had also received open support from Warsaw, and it seemed that the government had contacted McKinsey to propose a study on the reorganization of the city of Elk. We agreed to get together in a week´s time and went back to our real life. A month passed and there was good news on our project: Brussels had agreed to fund a review of the health and safety situation in Elk; Berlin agreed to fund part of the restoration of the castle and to build a small museum, showing the history of Germany in Prussia. It was not always pleasant as the Teutonic Knights were not known for their subtlety, but Berlin was going to show both sides of the story and we would certainly have problems with both the Germans and the Polish authorities!

The size of the land we were going to purchase had been agreed on; it was now over 50 square miles and it was a surprise to me that the government had accepted it. The final price was set after Jenny haggled with them for three weeks: it was reasonable and within the budget we had set for ourselves. There was also an understanding that later we would discuss the long-term lease of a further area of forest and meadows for all kind of sustainable tourist projects.

We almost bought another trucking company in Western Australia, but I remembered the Minister´s warning; Jenny came up with the idea to search for expansion in Poland. We were going to invest oodles of money -- why not try to get some back? We would have to go back in three weeks' time to sign documents, so I hired a consultant from the German Logistic Association to prepare a briefing on Poland and business opportunities in that country.

I set the meeting at a time when we would be back to be with Maureen when she gave birth. Jenny was already pregnant, too, but it did not show yet. It was a long flight and when we arrived in Elk, the city had changed. There was life and there was hope.

We had our meetings, signed documents, and cheques (lots of cheques and I made certain that Jenny signed them all; it was amusing to see her reaction when she realized how much money was flowing out of her accounts). We talked to the consultants and looked at the first drafts of designs, budgets (and as always, the numbers grew every time we met), and met many people, old and new. The overall support was excellent and when I suggested that I would try to set up a logistics hub in Elk, even Mr. Bronislaw was smiling.

One day we drove to the castle and even in ruins, it was imposing. The thick outer walls (one had to remember that it was not a summer chateau, but a military center to defend and to start an attack), the inner patio and the 21 rooms, the ballroom, it would be grand. The German logistics consultant brought good news: there were many companies that were interested. We went home, being the proud owner of a ruin and 50 square miles of undeveloped country.

The project grew fast: we agreed on the repairs to the castle, contracted a Brazilian government soil and plant research agency, famous worldwide for their competence, to help set up the model farm. They would focus on organic products, in demand in Europe and with premium prices! The milk farm was easy: all we needed was the right place and breeding stock. We decided to leave the horses to the end. I founded a language school specializing in German and English and the city decided to include obligatory language lessons in their syllabus. Specialists in many areas had been to the city: Brussels was funding a serious upgrade of the hospital, Warsaw was sending a training group to improve security, and Germany sent me their proposal for the museum. At home we had started Polish language lessons: if we asked them to speak German it would only be fair that we learned Polish, but it was a difficult language to learn and even more difficult to pronounce! It was all coming together, however!

At home, Maureen had our son Horst, named after my father, and we had to stop Eileen to overdo the Grandma role. The year passed and when Maureen visited Elk with me (now Jenny was visibly pregnant) she could not believe what she saw. The city was a big construction site and you could hardly see the castle hiding behind the scaffolds. The mayor welcomed us and was very proud of himself; to be correct, he gave Jenny more merit than himself.

"Countess, your friend is amazing. She finds a solution to every problem and her organizational skills are daunting. After the first few meetings, everyone knew that he or she (and we have now women involved) had to run to keep up with her. Without her, we probably would have floundered."

Maureen smiled. "Mr. Smirsky, in our company it's the same. The only one who's capable to accompany her is my husband and even he has to stay on his toes!"

Jenny had bought a little house on the outskirts of the city and had it decorated to our taste. When I questioned her about this, she grinned.

"James, when we make love, we are not always very controlled and quiet. I thought it better to be polite to our neighbors!" Well, it had a big bed and a large shower.

And so we went through the year; later in the year Jenny gave birth to a girl and we named her Ellen, and Allan was the proud father of a boy. Maureen claimed that the time was right for her again and two weeks later, she confirmed that she was pregnant again. The house was receiving the life we wanted to enjoy. I had bought an armored Audi 6 for Jenny and Maureen, as they were becoming more and more restricted in her movements and Maureen finally gave in and hired a driver for the two -- driver plus bodyguard, I made sure. Eileen's Mercedes had a new proud owner: Peter!

In Elk, we bought also a middle-sized trucking company that was not very successful but had lots of potentials; there was no commitment, however, to efficiency and competence in the staff. I called a meeting of all employees to clear this up. My Polish language lessons during the year made me able to understand most and make myself understood; I knew this gesture would always help. It was a tough meeting: I explained our employment code: drug testing, no alcohol during working hours, sober when starting to work, and a big bonus scheme. The union was immediately against it and almost half of the drivers did not want any of this. The mayor had called for help and two officials from the Labor Ministry were present, not trusting me very much, but willing to listen.

I made my final comments simple: these are the conditions staff will have to work under. If someone disagreed, we would pay him off, but the others who wanted to stay had to understand that this was not a joke, but a long-term commitment. Breaking it would have consequences. The officials nodded and told them that it was a fair offer.

Then Maureen stepped in. "Ladies and gentlemen...." she looked around ".... Gentlemen and I'm disappointed that we don´t have any women drivers present, let me tell you how we work on the other side of the world." Her polish was better than mine and she did this brilliantly and slowly people started to soften to her. There was still a sizeable minority that did not want to work this way, but the majority promised to give it a try.

There were lots of questions, but suddenly she stopped. "Gentlemen, you're important people, but there's one who's more important: my son and he needs his mother now. So please forgive me if I leave." and she did so to a long hand of applause. The next morning, she called the HR manager of the company and set up a hiring and training program for women drivers. The house was thoroughly tested for its silence and I believe that our daughter was conceived that night.

The following year things were getting closer to the finish: The model farm was inaugurated, the milk farm was producing good quality milk (and with surprising productivity, thanks to a breeding program a Polish Agricultural University had suggested). Planning for the decoration of the castle was on time and indicating that we would spend much more than what we had thought. The hospital was getting better, receiving financial and human resources support from the government and Brussels, the schools were full, and our Sydney program had been implemented; it seemed that in the last countrywide tests they had done very well, much better than in the past.

After close to three years the castle was ready to be inaugurated, the restaurant was ready, outside there was an open acoustic shell for music events, a decent hotel built in the city, the stadium received the first soccer games, and we invited our friends for the first formal ball.

The Premier Minister had promised to come, some ministers, Prince Fugger and some friends, a Minister from the German Department of State, and some flunkies from Brussels. The city Young Musicians Orchestra would play, and we could finally take a deep breath.

There seemed to be a problem on the date of the formal inauguration. I asked Jenny but she told me to go away -- this was a wife problem. I wondered how the date could be a wife problem but was told again that this was their problem and I to take care of more important problems. I saw them looking at diaries and comparing notes and finally, they set a date.

All of us went over: Alan and Eileen with Mathew, Maureen with Horst and Ellen, and Jenny with Allan, and it was fun. Elk had spent money on a small airport with a very long landing strip (foreseeing good times to come) and we had hired a business jet in Berlin to fly directly to Elk. I was prepared for problems with the children running around, but Mr. Bronislaw had offered the services of one of his nieces, Krystyna, a pretty young girl. She liked children and the four immediately loved her.

The castle looked splendid, restored to its old glory, and the apartments were stunning. We had discussed for a long time how to decorate the rooms: Old and traditional, modern Scandinavian, eclectic variations, and at the end, decided to go for traditional. It cost us a good penny to go through auctions and antiquity companies, but we were proud of the result. There were four exceptions, however: considering (and hoping) that guests would come from Asia also, we decorated two rooms in Japanese and two in Chinese furniture; after all, there were periods in Europe when these styles were high fashion. We charged more for these rooms, however.

We stayed in the Count´s suite, always reserved for us and family. We felt comfortable looking around: the big four-poster bed, the oak furniture, Persian carpets, paintings depicting German landscapes and court scenes, it was as traditional as it could be. Maureen, however, had brought a painting of Ayer´s Rock that hung in the sitting room, to remind us always where our home was. Jenny divided her time between checking that everything was ready for the grand opening and looking after her son, who seemed to vanish at every moment. By this time we did not hide how we lived and after a few months of a priest haranguing us for living in sin, the comments seemed to have diminished considerably. It helped that they respected and admired Jenny, loved Maureen, and accepted me.

Allan was close to us in another four-poster bedroom; Lady Moise was satisfied.

The opening ceremony was led by the Prime Minister; we had offered him a room at the castle, but the message came that he preferred to stay in a hotel with a Polish name: the game of politics.

To our surprise, Jenny received the Commander Cross of the Polish Order of Merit for having rendered great service to Poland. It was beautiful, with a dark blue ribbon from which the medal hung, a pentagram in silver with five three folded rays coming from the middle, where a crowned eagle was shown in small red circle. There was a small one and a bigger one below; I assumed that the bigger one was the Commander Cross. Everyone applauded and she blushed prettily. The Mayor received the lower Order of Merit without the cross, and the German diplomat received the same. He then stepped forward and called Jenny once more. "Miss Parker, you have done outstanding work to bring a city back to life again, and the German name of the de Winter family is honored again. It was not easy to battle old and new preconceptions, and at least in this part of Poland, the name of Germany is welcome again. The German government wants to honor you and invests you in the Bundesverdienstkreuz 1st Class."

He asked me to attach the cross on her dress over her left breast; it was a red cross with the black German eagle in the middle on a golden backing. It was a nice gesture, but I heard Mr. Bronislaw murmuring quite satisfied: "Ours is much more important and prettier!" I had to agree with him. Later the diploma caught me and told me that the German Minister of Foreign Affairs wanted to talk to me; could I please return to Australia via Berlin? I promised that I would do that.

Maureen was upset. "Why did they not give you one? You deserve it at least as much as Jenny!" I tried to calm her down.

"First, darling, Jenny worked much more than I and she's the CEO. I'm just a German and this still carries memories. It doesn´t matter to me who gets what; what is important is that the castle is there for all to see and let´s call it by its real name: the ´Schloss de Winter´, a proud building for a proud family."

She nodded, accepting my opinion. The formal ball was a huge success; The adolescents played good music, the city choir sang the Polish and, on my insistence,, the German anthem. My two ladies were the success of the evening: Maureen with her long sparkling dark green evening gown, her coronet on her luscious red hair and her captivating smile; Jenny in a long dark blue gown, following her figure perfectly, her tiara held by her jet-black hair, and both showing everyone what a perfect woman could be: inside and outside.

This was the first time that I saw Eileen being overshadowed and I must say that she did not like it; Allan made her behave, however. Dinner was perfect; it better had to be considering the price I had paid, and we danced the night away. Finally, people started to leave, thanking us for a most memorable night.

Allan congratulated me. "James, my son, I'm proud of you. I know that Jenny did the hard work, but you were the soul behind it, and you can be proud: your family name has been restored with dignity. This will live for a long, long time."

The Fuggers were also impressed and made this quite clear to Jenny (Maureen had explained our life); there was even a hint that if she ever tired of a Count, a Prince might offer her a job as demanding and as challenging. She just smiled. ¨Prince, thank you, but I know where I belong, and I will never tire of this Count." She hugged me, and they smiled, wishing us success and luck.

When we ended up in our stateroom, they were tired, but not tired enough to want to sleep. We checked briefly on the children and they were soundly asleep; Krystyna looked up from a book and told us all was in order. I picked up the book: it was a beginner´s lesson in English and I was impressed. We said goodnight and told her to go to sleep also and not to wake up early!

Finally, I could close the door and we were on our own, no other people intruding. I helped them out of their dresses, and we had a shower; Jenny had made certain that the shower took easily three people! I dried them carefully, investigating whether the long night had damaged my lovely ladies, and to my satisfaction, they were a perfect as they had started the night; they also did come at least once.

Suddenly Jenny sat up. "Maureen, I'm now a Commander of the Order of Merit. Can I command James?"

Maureen laughed. "You can try, dear, but be careful how you do it. James occasionally follows orders exactly as they were given, and the consequences might not be exactly what you imagined."

Jenny thought about this for a moment and asked me: "James, if I order you to make love to me, would you do it?"

I shook my head. "Jenny, you can order me to have sex with you because that is a physical move, but you cannot order me to make love. That needs two people loving each other, and those people will not give orders to the other."

Maureen laughed. ¨Give up, darling, you don´t need an order to get James to do what you want. Remember what I told you about shutting him up when he gets into his German mood? Give him your breast to play with, and he'll be quiet and happy. He has certain limits and we know them; within these limits, we can do what we want. Let me show you."

Maureen slowly moved over me until I was covered by her warm body. "James, my love, I was very proud of you tonight, but I was also upset that you were not properly recognized. May I show you that for me you are the most important person in this world? May I give you the best reward you can ever get: me and my love?"

She kissed me and I fell into her green eyes. This was what I always had wanted, and she gave it to me, sharing our bodies as well as the love that had graced us for the all these years. For a couple of minutes, I just gazed, taking her in. Her breasts were magnificent, just on the light side of full after having our two children, and definitely not overfull, with firm and puffy nipples.

All I could whisper was: "Oh my God, Maureen, you are my heart and soul. You once said that you would be the center of our lives, and you've been all you promised. Without you, we would not be together, and my life would be lonely."

Jenny smiled at us and hugged us. "Now make love and show me how wonderful you are, but leave enough for me, James. Remember, I am incredible, too!"

It was warm and sensitive lovemaking, and when we came together at the last moment, it was more satisfying than screaming and groaning could ever be. When we relaxed, she looked at Jenny. "Did you see? I didn't order him, but I received what I wanted: his love and I gave him mine. That is all I want: now and forever. ¨

Jenny nodded. "It's always so wonderful to watch you making love, but I believe that it's my turn now."

She kissed her way down south to my shaft and talking softly to George, brought him back to life. It was as beautiful as with Maureen; we truly loved each other without any limits. Later they teamed up on me and I had one sitting on my face and the other moving up and down on my shaft; then they switched, and both started to become a little noisier. It became a very special night, with love both emotional and physical, loving one another beyond our normal limits. It was wonderful to see the two making love, calling me to join them, or seeing Jenny smiling, holding Maureen´s hand while I was deep inside her, making her come again and again; Our love-making was more intense than ever, and it was a union as we had rarely had before.

Whenever one was tired, the other two found the energy to enjoy each other once more and at the end, it was pure emotional and physical exhaustion that made us stop.