And He Called It Research

Kate waited until they were away from the dock before she moved up next to Cletus and asked him, "It gets pretty boring in my office sometimes, share some juicy gossip with me to perk up my day."

"I don't think I know 'bout any gossip."

"Aw Cletus, you must hear whispers or see things."

"Well sometimes I do."

"When was the last time Didi and Nat slipped off for some excitement?"

He smiled and said, "Oh, so you know about them two do you."

"Of course I do. I just wondered cause I tried to call them a couple of times and couldn't get them on the island phone."

"Well let's see. They went to the mainland...oh when was that, maybe day before yesterday. Gone all day too. Course I don't know where they went or what they did."

"Must have had a good time though to be gone all day."

"That was my thinkin'."

"Now tell me the truth, what lady is lucky enough to get your attention these days?"

"Aw I don't have any ladies."

"Cletus, you sweetheart, you got too much lovin' in your soul to live all alone all the time. That would make you old before your time."

"Well Myrna and me sometimes. They was throwing out some of those movies that was in the dayrooms, so we scooped up a couple of armloads of them and we watch movies when we can."

"Now that's more like it and good for you and Myrna, but are you man enough to keep up with her?"

He smiled and told Kate, "Just barely I'm tellin' ya, just barely."

"You're the man Cletus, no doubt about that."

"Missy, what's it like bein' married?"

"I've never been married, so I can't help you there. But I'm working on that problem cause I think I'd like to be married."

"I'm kinda thinkin' that way too. I think it's time for me to settle down with a good woman."

"Like Myrna."

He smiled and said, "Yeah, just maybe like Myrna," and he kept his eyes straight ahead as he smiled.

"If you two get married, I'll see that you have a whole box of movies to watch and maybe even a whole crate of them."

"You make my heart smile Missy."

Chapter Seventy

Mac was pacing and talking to himself as he waited for Kate to deplane. The first large group from her flight had poured in and raced to the luggage area and still no Kate so he continued his pace. Once again he told himself that he was married and he loved Didi. He reminded himself that he wanted to live the rest of his days on that island, but if he wasn't careful he could lose that dream and his wife. But all through that, images of Kate raced through his mind and he could almost feel her in his arms. He could feel her hair tease his face and her lips on his. He knew he was at a real crossroads in his life and he had no idea what to do or which way to turn. Then there was Liz. She too was married, and he knew he didn't love her, but there was that certain something that made her nearly irresistible to him. She seemed so alive and so like him, and they became the best of friends within hours of them working together. He wanted to share his bed with her and more. He had to admit that Didi was right, he did love all women, and some he loved far too much for his own good. He felt he truly loved certain ones too. Not Ann as he had thought for a few hours, but like Kate, and yes, maybe Liz. That thought was still in his mind when he saw Kate, and when their eyes joined they both smiled and she ran toward him as best she could in her heels that she had worn just for him.

Her shoes made her an almost perfect match for his height, but they were locked in a tight embrace. Talking would have to wait a minute because they were both so absorbed in being together again after what seemed like many months of separation.

He blinked his eyes and smiled at her as he told her, "You are so damn sexy and I'm so glad that you're here."

"I've missed you Mac. You look great. A little pale maybe but great."

"I'm fading because I'm deprived of the tropical sun." They kissed and then kissed again there in the middle of their concourse as people filed past them. "Actually I'm pale because I've been deprived of you."

That bought him another kiss before she said, "I just have this one bag, so I'm ready if you are."

"It will take us about thirty minutes to get home."

As Mac drove as fast as he dared, he asked her, "So how did you work it so you could be here with so much going on at the island?"

"That's going okay, and I'll only be gone for two working days. I told Melvin that I wanted to come up here and see what this was all about and said I'd pay my own way. That sweetheart told me to put it on the company card and to have a good time and bring him back good reports."

"You're good."

"So how are you and Liz getting along?"

Mac looked straight ahead and hesitated before he told Kate, "We work great together. It's like we've known each other for years in fact. She's sharp and has a better memory than I do. I think once we're in the development she'll be fantastic."

"That's a pretty glowing evaluation."

"She's earned it."

"So your work is okay?"

"There hasn't been a lot for me to worry about. Meet with this person or that person. Work through minor issues and that sort of thing. I feel like I know that whole project about as good as anybody could know."

"Except for Liz."

"With that possible exception, yes."

"Will I get to meet her?"

"You want to meet her?"

"Sure, why not? She's obviously a large part of your life right now."

"That's true she is. I still can't believe you're here hon."

"I am and I'm going to be glued to your hip for the next almost four days."

"Fantastic. Is there anything special you want to do while you are here?"

"Of course. I want to see the development and take pictures for Melvin so he'll feel better about spending money on me, and I want to take you to bed and keep you there until neither of us can move."

"In that order?"

"Of course not," and they smiled at each other.

As soon as they were at his place she went to the bathroom and he put her bag in the bedroom, and she appeared a minute later and started to undress him. "Wait, I'm supposed to undress you."

"Well hurry up baby."

Ten minutes later she lay beside him and laughed. "Well that didn't take long honey."

"You mean we're done?"

"Now what do you think? Now while we rest, tell me the truth, did you miss me?"

"Kate honey, I really did think about you everyday."

"Even while you and Liz were slaving away together?"

"Even then. Now is Liz going to be a problem that we need to talk about?"

"No. I'm eager to meet her though."

"So jealousy isn't an issue?"

"No, jealousy is not an issue, but you spend more time with her than husbands and wives spend together."

"Well that's pretty close to right."

"How long has it been since you two made love?"

He smiled at her and said, "Now that's a hell of a question. Here I am in bed with you and we're naked and you want to talk about that? I'm growing a new erection for you, I hope you know that."

"Baby my hand is on your erection so yes I do know that, and I have the cure for you, but in the meantime you can answer my question."

"I'm here to tell you that Liz and I have not made love."

She raised up and said, "You liar."

"I speak the truth. I can't say that I haven't thought about that, but we have behaved for the most part."

"Oh, for the most part, now we're getting there."

"We've kissed."

"Now Mac, I'm looking for the truth."

"And you've found it," and he moved over her and kissed her.

"Do you mean I've been sitting in my office learning to accept that you and Liz have been all but living together, and I was wasting my time?"

"Well I don't know about you wasting time, but it was unnecessary."

"But you will make love to her."

"You're determined to stir something up is that it?"

"Of course not. Honey, we both know that you and Didi have a pretty open marriage. I'm willing to bet that bedding other women isn't a strange concept for you am I correct?"

"To a degree, yes you are correct."

"Then I came along, and we spent half a night on the beach and made wonderful, fantastic love."

"And I have every intention of taking you down that beach and making love to you by the water again."

"God I hope so. And Didi knew about what we did, is that true?"

"Yes, what she didn't already know I told her later."

"So nothing hidden."

"Right, we don't hide from each other. She's been very stingy with her correspondence lately, but that's another issue.

"And if you and Liz made love you'd tell her, and you'll tell her about you and me?"

"That's right. Now about you and me, I may stall a little and work out just how I want to tell her."

"And why is that?"

"Because I'm so much more emotionally involved with you. Because you mean so much to me and lying here in bed with your right now feels so right. And like I've told you, I've missed you so much."

She moved on top of him and holding his cock in her hand, she moved until he slid into her and she started to slowly ride him. "This does feel so right just like you said. You are where you belong honey, with me and inside of me."

Chapter Seventy One

Late Friday morning Mac called Liz, and when she answered she said, "I know, you miss me so much that you can't stand it."

"You're so close, but no. Kate, my boss's assistant is here for a couple of days and she'd like you to join us for dinner if Darren doesn't mind."

"He's still out of town." Mac knew that, but he thought that would sound better in case Kate was listening to him.

"Oh right, I forgot. Okay, can you join us at my favorite the Bonefish, or would you like me to pick you up?"

"Of course not, that's far out of your way. I'll just meet you at the door."

"Okay, make it six."

"I'll dress special for you love."

"You do that. See you tonight."

Mac and Kate drove out to Serene Gardens and he stopped just after he turned right and said, "Let's walk so we can get a better look and you can take as may photos as you want for Melvin."

His arm slipped around her waist and she smiled at him before she asked, "Aren't you afraid that you'll start rumors?"

"I'm not worried. All the crews will be so busy staring at you that they won't even realize I'm with you."

"I'm glad you're not into exaggerating."

They walked rather slowly and his arm would drop to his side only to return to her hip a few minutes later. They would stop every so far and he'd tell her what model of house they were looking at and the primary features of the floor plan. "All of these that are getting close to being finished are very similar. Enough changes to keep them from looking like row houses, but much the same and of course very close to the same size. They finally came to his and he said, "This is where I'll live as soon as it's completed. I'm told another week or two for mine and Liz's house, and the one on the other side of her."

"I forgot that you two will be living next to each other. How handy for you two."

"And her other neighbor are her best friends."

"Very nice for her. Is she getting anxious to move in?"

"Very. We've been out here several times just so we could check the progress. They are nice homes. Nothing over the top, but nice and I think the setting is great. I won't have any trouble being enthusiastic when talking to potential buyers."

"But that's the realtors job."

"Of course, but Liz and I and her friends will be like resident ambassadors. Clients might want to talk to people that already live here."

"Like you and Liz and..."

"Allie and Martin."

"Right, I remember seeing their names now. So all of you will praise the heavens because you live in Serene Gardens."

He smiled and said, "Well something like that yes. We'll allude to the free spirited lifestyle"

"You'll be shills for the realtors."

"That makes us sound tacky, but I guess you're right. Anyway, most of the time we'll be working with other entities. Contractors, and any commercial interests that want to showcase their products in our development. Anything that doesn't involve the actual selling process."

"As I stand here I can picture you bare assed in your backyard, but where will Liz be?"

"Well if I was lucky she'd be bare assed in her backyard and we'd be chatting over the puny little fence that divides our properties."

"Oh, so you do have a love interest in Liz."

"What I have is the desire to look at naked women."

"Like I didn't know that. And what about the lakefront properties?"

"They'll have the Lakehurst model open soon after Liz and I and her friends move in."

"So yours will be furnished."

"Yes, the only one in fact and that's how it will be sold after I go back to the island."

"I see."

"Melvin had this all figured out before he even talked to me about me coming up here. By the way, you've had little to say about Didi and how all of that is going."

"Let's save that until tonight after we get home from dinner."

"Sure, okay. Listen, while the island subject was mentioned..."

"By you I believe."

"Oh right. So anyway, I have this idea. Why can't we name the different groups of homes after the island. Like the Corals group and so forth. Different cutesy names to connect the two ventures. That would be a great way to put in plugs about this development to the guests on the island, and advertise the island here at Serene Gardens. They have things in common after all."

Kate stopped and smiled as she said, "Oh my god, that's a fantastic idea. I'm going to call Melvin right now and run that by him."

"Now?"

"Why not? He'll be in or near his office and this is something we should put a rush on if he agrees with you." Before Mac could think of what to say next she was on the phone and holding up her finger to him while she listened to her phone.

"Melvin Springer's office, this is Cecelia, how may I help you."

"Sissy, it's me. I need to speak to Melvin for a minute."

"He may be having coffee with a Mark."

"Interrupt him and tell him it's important."

"Okay hold on.."

Kate smiled and quickly kissed Mac and then went back to her phone and listened. "Hi Melvin, I'm sorry to disturb you, but Mac just came up with something fantastic and we need to act on it pronto if you agree."

She quickly shared the idea with her boss and he said, "Go with it Kate. You work with Liz and Mac. You at this end and Mac and Liz there, and if you get hung up and don't get back here until Tuesday that's okay too. Oh, and tell Mac that I'll show my appreciation for his work later."

"Thank you Melvin and I'll try to be back as planned."

Chapter Seventy Two

As soon as Kate saw Liz approaching them, she remembered seeing her photo in one of the files. Mack kissed her cheek and before he could move or speak, Kate said, "Hi, I'm Kate Myerson."

"It's nice to meet you Kate, am I on time?"

"Exactly six o'clock"

Mac was still staring at Liz as he told her, "You look fantastic."

"Thank you, I hope I didn't over dress."

"Mac is right, you look awesome"

"Thank you Kate, you look a lot like Gisele Bundchem by the way."

"I'm not familiar with her."

"She's a very successful model and I'd guess her to be very close to your height. She does shoots for Victoria's Secret among many other things."

"I'm very flattered, thank you Liz."

"You two even have very similar hair."

"I'll have to look her up now because I'm curious."

More than one guy checked out Mac and his women as they were seated and he said, "Every male in this restaurant is looking this way and drooling in envy right now."

Kate smiled and said, "There you go exaggerating again."

Liz put her hand over Mac's and told him, "Thank you love, that was nice of you," and she drilled into his eyes for just that moment. His eyes went to her cleavage and he had to force himself to look away. He was sure that Liz wasn't wearing a bra and as minor as that should have been for him, it turned him into jelly.

Kate saved him when she said, "Mac and I spent a lot of time at Serene Gardens today. You're home looks fabulous and it appears to be nearly done."

"I know, and I'm so excited. Did Mac tell you that we'll be neighbors?"

Kate calmly smiled and said, "Yes, he did tell me, and your best friends will be moving in next to you."

"Right. This is all so utterly awesome and overwhelming, but I love it."

"And as I understand it, you really like working for Mac."

"I really do. I love what we're doing and Mac makes it even more fun and exciting."

"Mac does have a way of making things exciting and fun," and she smiled at him as she picked up her glass of water.

Dinner went well and they lingered over an after dinner drink before Kate said, "Mac, I've been wrestling with this and I hate to get into it. I have something serious that I have to discuss with you. I was going to wait until we were alone, but...Liz maybe you should be there too, because it could have an indirect but important impact on you in the coming days. I just don't know, but I feel that over reacting at this point is better than underestimating. But could we go back to the house?"

"Yes of course," Mac said and he flagged their waiter to get the bill.

Mac and Kate led the way back to his house, but it was a pretty quiet ride. Mac did ask her, "Is there anything you need or want to share with me while we're alone?"

"I don't think so. Mac, I'm sorry that I put a dampener on dinner, but until then I couldn't decide what was the right thing for me to do. But I know that if I don't follow through with this, it will come out another way and that way could be even worse for everybody involved."

"I have to trust your judgment Kate."

"Tell me more about how you were living just before I came to the island. I mean the intimate details."

Mac told her about minor things, but that prompted many more questions before he talked about being with Lois and June and Ann. "But Didi knew and was okay with what happened."

"Yes, and in fact June and Lois staying with us was all her doing. Of course she was with Mitch and Calvin and...I'm not sure who else at the moment."

She smiled and said, "You were pretty busy."

"I was pretty something. Then you came to the island and really rocked me back on my heels." She smiled but didn't add anything to what he'd said.

As soon as they were back at Mac's rental, Kate said, "Let's sit on the couch. She waited until Liz was seated and then motioned for Mac to sit next to her, and then she sat on his other side. She charged ahead by taking his hand and saying, "Mac, there's not an easy way for me to tell you this. I have struggled and argued with myself about even getting involved, but I really have little choice. Didi...well Nat is living with her and has been since...well I think within a week after you left.

"Who the hell is Nat. I remember the name, but..."

"He's the general contractor on the island project and yes he's married." Liz was barely breathing as she took his hand in hers and Kate put her hand on his shoulder as she added, "I'm so sorry Mac."

He was staring across the room and was blinking back the tears as he asked, "What the hell is she thinking? Why would she do that? We had the perfect life."

"Mac, I had to tell you because it's going to get out anyway, but if it was discovered while you were in the middle of the opening of Serene Gardens it would be so much worse for you. Liz, I'm sorry to have you tangled in this too, but you may well have to carry the burden here for awhile, and I wanted you to know and be mentally preparing for what might be ahead for you."

Liz wiped tears from her eyes as she said, "Oh god Mac I hurt for you and I'm so sorry."

"Mac, I..." and she was interrupted by her phone ringing. She looked at the I.D. and answered saying, "Melvin, you're working very late."