Life after the Lottery Ch. 71

"Does that hurt?"

"Not really?"

"Yes, or no."

"A little..."

"Go sit."

Amy headed to the den. I grabbed one of the ice packs from the back of the freezer, and took it and a towel to Amy, and put it on her wrist.

"We will need to teach you two how to punch so you don't sprain your wrist."

"What did you do?" We heard Dawn ask from the balcony.

"She bent her wrist too far punching the bag," I said.

"I'll be down in a minute."

"It's okay," Amy said.

"Just keep the ice on it."

Dawn came down a minute later and sat next to Amy.

"Let me see it," Dawn said.

Dawn took her wrist and flexed it, and pressed on it.

"It's just strained."

Dawn opened a jar she had brought down and ran her fingers through some cream in it and rubbed it on Amy's wrist.

"Damn, that stinks," Amy said.

Dawn kept working the cream into Amy's wrist. Once she was finished, she wrapped it in an Ace bandaged.

"It will be better in a few hours," Dawn said.

"Do I keep the ice on it?"

"No. Just move it around a little every few minutes."

"What was that? It stinks," Amy said.

"It's made from cow shit," Dawn said.

"Oh, shit! Get it off!"

"I'm just messing with you, Amy. The smell is from some of the roots in it."

Dawn went to the kitchen to wash her hands.

"It probably does have cow shit in it," I said. Amy looked at me and frowned, and I kissed her.

Samantha came up and walked into the den.

"What died?" She asked.

"It's some of Dawn's medicine," Amy said.

Samantha had worked up a sweat.

"You two ready to eat?" Dawn asked.

"Sure."

*****

After we finished our late lunch, Samantha said she was going to rinse off, then go for a swim, and headed up the stairs. She came down later, wrapped in a towel, and headed outside to the pool. Amy went to the kitchen to see what Dawn was doing. I took my computer back to my study.

Later, I finished what I was working on in my study and went out to the den. Amy and Dawn were still in the kitchen. They were laughing and giggling when I walked up.

"How is the wrist?" I asked.

"Better. We are making a cake."

"Check on Samantha," Dawn said.

I went outside, and Samantha was in the hot tub.

"Are you ready to come in?"

"I guess."

I picked up her towel and waited until she got out of the hot tub. I wrapped her naked body in the towel.

"Did you find us a towel warmer yet?" I asked.

"You were serious?"

"Yes. Find something we can put in a cabinet out here with towels."

"Okay."

We went into the house, and Samantha went up the stairs. I walked over to Amy and Dawn.

"How is the cake coming?" I asked.

"About 20 minutes."

I went up the stairs to Samantha's room and walked into her bathroom. She was showering as I watched.

"Is your only evening class this semester Thursday?" I asked.

"Yes. My lab is that night."

"I haven't figured out everyone's schedule yet."

"That is the only night I have a class this semester."

"Okay."

I left and walked down to my bedroom. I changed into some sweatpants and sat on the edge of the bed. Samantha walked in wearing a short open robe. She straddled my legs and sat on my lap.

"Have you thought any more about all of us being pregnant?" She asked.

"It will be a big change."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"I still think you are too young."

"If I didn't have all of you, I would be. I'm ready."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"I don't want this to interfere with school more than it has to," I told her.

"I'll work with it."

"Honey, medical school is a lot of work. Once you are in residence, you will be working 70 to 80 hour weeks."

"That is a few years away. I'll make sure I have a good nanny. I don't want sis and Dawn having to fill in for me."

"Okay. We will make sure."

"What are the chances we could have a live-in nanny?"

"I guess that is a possibility."

"Maybe one during the day and one for nighttime if we need it," Samantha asked.

"We will do whatever is best for all of you and the babies."

Samantha kissed me and got up.

We went downstairs, and Samantha followed me to my study.

"I have been reading that book you gave me on Krav Maga. There is a lot of information in it."

"There is. You need to learn it."

"The parts about where to strike and where to put pressure on someone are really interesting."

"That is an important part of defense. You not only strike, you strike strategically. It is all about disabling your attacker."

"Some of it explained how certain things could kill someone."

"There are things you will learn that can kill someone if you have to do that. How do you feel about something like that happening, honey?"

"I guess if it came down to it, I could do it."

"It is something you have to think about. There are plenty of other ways you can seriously disable someone and not kill them. But learning them all will just become part of your automatic reactions."

"I guess you have to make a decision to disable or kill if you have to," Samantha said.

"Honey, you learn all the strikes. You practice all of them, so they become automatic. If you are ever in a situation where you have to defend yourself, your reaction needs to be instinctive. Your brain has to make a split-second decision based on the situation. Your next move can determine if you make it out alive."

"How do you decide to disable or...try and kill someone?"

"Ok. Think about this. You will be taught to disable and run if you can. We don't beat people up just for revenge. Defend and escape."

"That part I understand."

"What happens if you have two or more attackers? If you have to fight off two or three people, the first one may get back up while you are dealing with the others. You have to assess the situation based on training and your feelings. You may need to make sure your first attack leaves one seriously disabled or dead, so you don't have to deal with them again."

"Oh. That makes sense."

"Remember what Dawn did in France. She fucked the first guy up enough he wouldn't be a problem anymore."

"Yes, but she let the other guy get to her."

"She did. She messed up. She knew in her mind there had been two of them, and she forgot while she was fucking the first guy up."

"What should she have done?"

"Just what she did. Attack and disable...then...take up a defensive stance."

"But, she wanted to fuck him up for some revenge."

"She did, and you saw what happened."

"She still messed those two guys up pretty bad."

"You will have to get very good, honey, to do something like that. Always remember, defend, attack, escape. Don't hang around just to punish someone...until you get really good!" I teased Samantha.

We talked for a long time.

"Let's see if it is time to eat," I said to her.

Samantha brought up the nanny situation at dinner, and we all discussed it for a while. After that, Samantha and I cleaned up while Dawn and Amy went upstairs.

"I didn't think about a nanny cramping our style," Samantha said as she loaded the dishwasher.

"I guess you three will have to find a good nanny."

"I guess you want one you can have sex with!" Samantha teased me.

"Maybe a cute au pair."

"What is that?"

"An au pair is a young lady that acts as a nanny while she goes to school. They are usually from outside the US, and they do it to pay their way through school."

"We have some ladies in our classes that aren't from the US."

"That is always a consideration."

"Would your mom help us?" Samantha asked.

"I'm sure she would."

"Have you told your parents yet?"

"Not yet."

"Why not?"

"I wanted to wait until all of you were pregnant."

"Is that the only reason?" Samantha asked.

"Honey, my parents are okay with all of us. You know they are. They will be happy to be grandparents. Now we need to get Angie onboard."

"Where is Angie on getting pregnant?"

"She said soon. I think they want to have a little fun first."

"I like Angie...and Brian. Angie is starting to like being with women," Samantha said.

"Maybe you should call her and see how she is doing," I suggested.

We finished in the kitchen and went to the den to join Dawn and Amy. That evening's conversations turned into long ones about school, work, and babies. We had some long talks while we sipped wine until after 10:00.

*****

I was up early Monday morning to gather up all the film and run it to the camera store. I left the girls in bed and went down to my darkroom to get to work. By the time I was ready to head to the camera store, they had all left.

"More film?" Bob asked as I met him as he unlocked the door.

"Shots for the limo business. Have them proof it too."

"I should have it all back in the morning."

"Good. Those prints that we made from the 8 X 10 camera do look nice. Thanks for recommending that."

"If you want to buy the equipment, I can get you a good price on it since it is used."

"I'll pass. The 24 X 36's that I made from the 4 X 5 camera look very good. I don't think I will be making anything bigger than that. I would have to upgrade all my darkroom equipment again."

"You can just get the camera equipment and have all the prints made by the commercial processors like you just did."

"Well, part of the exclusive nature of our little photo business is that no one else sees the prints."

"You can still make color prints 36 inches wide with your machine. Would you be making anything bigger than that, James?"

"Not for our lingerie business."

"What about for the new store? You may want to think about it..."

Bob was trying to sell me on the other equipment.

"Okay, Bob. Get me a price for all the equipment I rented and a new enlarger for the darkroom."

"I have a delivery coming up from Atlanta tomorrow. You want me to add the 8 X 10 color enlarger to it and everything else you need?" Bob said with a smile.

"Sure, Bob."

Bob smiled as he wrote up all the film.

"I have something else I want you to look at," Bob said.

"You are pushing it, Bob!" We laughed.

He ended up selling me some big white soft-boxes for my large flashes.

"I'll have these before your fashion show. You can experiment with them and your regular umbrellas to see which you like. Have you figured out how much film you need yet?" Bob asked.

"Let me make a call."

It was early, so I called Linda.

"Hey, Pop!" Linda said.

"Alright!"

"What do you need, Pop?"

"Have you figured out how many models and how many different outfits you will be showing both nights?"

"Hang on a minute...Pop."

I shook my head. I was not going to hear the end of this.

"Okay, I have what we have planned. Counting all of the local ladies and your crew, there will be 25 different models each night. If I add the number of outfits together for both nights, it is...200 different outfits."

"Total?"

"Yes. One hundred each night. How many photos can you make with them at the end of the runway?" Linda asked.

"Two or three tops. Depends on how long they stand there."

"Okay. Make sure you have extra film."

"Okay. Talk to you later...mom!"

We hung up.

"Order me 100 rolls of color 220."

"I'll try and get it in one or two lot numbers at the most," Bob said.

"You will have to keep up with my shot count at the fashion show, so I know when to change film backs. I don't want to run out in the middle of one of their poses."

"Make sure they walk slow enough you can change a film back quickly," Bob said.

"I hadn't thought of that. I can change one in about 15 seconds if needed."

"I have 12 film backs coming from Atlanta. That should be plenty. It only takes me about 45 seconds to load film in one," Bob said.

"With your 12 plus my 4, that is enough we can almost get through each night without trouble," I replied.

"Are you going to be walking around taking photos?"

"Not with that camera. I'll use my 35mm."

"How much film for it?"

"I'm running low. Get me 50 rolls of color and 25 of black and white. I can always put it in the fridge for storage if I don't use it."

"Anything else for backup?" Bob asked.

"I can't think of anything. If you do, let me know. I'll have to work with them to get the timing down."

"Any way you can practice that Wednesday night before the show? You may want to experiment before the next night."

"Good idea. I will see if we can get in and do that. I have models. Can you help that night too?"

"No problem. You want to shoot Polaroids or try and get the film processed Thursday?"

"We better go with Polaroids. Get me 100 sheets."

"Anything else?"

"Not now. I have to go and get everything for the limo delivery this afternoon."

"Okay. I have meant to ask...who was the lady my son had sex with?"

"A friend of mine."

"I didn't think it was your wife."

"She would have done if she had been there," I replied.

"You mean it?"

"Sure. We have a little fun occasionally."

"Sounds like it. Did your wife know you were there having sex with the other lady?"

"Oh, yes."

I finally left Bob before he sold me anything else.

*****

I made it back to the house before everyone left for school.

"What time will the limos be delivered?" Dawn asked.

"They left St. Louis about 8:00. I guess around 2:00."

"That will look strange going down the interstate. A parade of limos," Samantha added.

"What time will all of you be finished at school?"

"We will be leaving by 2:30. I have to meet with my advisors after lunch," Dawn replied.

"Come to the limo building and watch. Linda has the local press coming to cover it."

"We will be there."

They left while I got all my camera gear ready. I headed to the limo building about 12:30 after I ate lunch. When I pulled in, I saw Lori telling a lot of the drivers what to do.

"Are you ready?" I asked Lori as I walked up.

"Ready and excited."

"Are they on schedule?"

"They called a few minutes ago. They should start arriving just after 2:00."

"Good. Linda said the local TV people will be here at 2:00."

"That will be some great free publicity."

"When they interview you, make sure you explain that this is a collaborative effort by a lot of local people and that the business is owned by all the employees."

"Good idea. James...I have my fingers crossed."

"Lori, this is going to be a big success."

"It better be!"

Lori and I walked around and checked out the cleanup and painting that had been done. Sam had the TV screens installed around the showroom, and they were up and playing our new commercials. Everything looked very professional.

The TV crew arrived at 2:00 and set up. They were interviewing Lori and some of the drivers when the first limo pulled into the lot. It was the white stretch Hummer, followed by the black stretch Escalade.

Lori and some of the drivers directed traffic. I was taking pictures of everything that was going on. They pulled the stretch Hummer into the showroom. Limos backed up on the street and pulled in for thirty minutes until they had all been parked. I took pictures of the TV crew shooting video and everyone running around. We even had some people that were walking around town come in and watch.

By 3:30, all the limos had been parked where we wanted them so everyone could see them from the street. Most of the drivers had shown up to help, and they were all looking in the limos and walking around. Dawn and the girls had arrived, and Amy and Samantha were running around looking at everything. Dawn was standing with Lori and me when the limo company owner's son found us.

"They are all here," he said.

"They look great," Lori replied.

"This is what 2 million dollars looks like," Dawn said as we looked over everything.

"All the drivers are going to eat, then get on our bus and head back," he said.

"Thanks for all the help," I told him.

By 4:00, the TV crew had left. The local newspaper had stopped by to take some photos and interview Lori. I stayed away from the press because I wanted this to be Lori's show. Everyone was busy getting everything organized. I ordered 20 pizzas so everyone would have something to eat.

I was walking around with Dawn, looking over the limos.

"Are they going to class tonight?" I asked.

"They haven't said."

"Let's go find them."

We located them with some of the drivers playing in one of the party buses.

"Are you two planning on going to class tonight?" I asked Samantha.

"I guess."

"We need to leave in a few minutes then," Dawn said.

"Okay."

I followed Dawn back to her car.

"I guess we will be home about 9:00," Dawn said.

"Just be on the lookout."

Amy and Samantha appeared, and they all left.

At 6:00, I saw two of Linda's black SUVs pull in. They stopped, and she and Rachel got out.

"This looks great," Linda said as she walked up to me.

"Lori is making sure everything is perfect," I said. "Get your security, and let's go inside and get some pizza."

We all walked into the showroom. Everyone was eating and talking. Lori came to see Linda.

"Hello, Ms. Williams," she said.

"Lori, just call me Linda. Everything looks great. Are you ready to go?"

"We will start taking reservations tomorrow. The website is up, and the local TV and newspaper will help with the publicity we got. I will update the web photos with the ones we just made as soon as James has them ready."

"What else are you doing to get started?" Linda asked.

"Some of the drivers will start canvasing bridal shops, hotels, restaurants, and other businesses tomorrow."

"You need to make sure you execute your business plan as you have it written. You want things to move quickly so you can start your plans for franchising," Linda told her.

We grabbed some pizza and talked to everyone for a while. Everyone was ready to get things going.

About 8:30, Lori found me as people started to clear out.

"A couple of the police officers are going to stay through the night to keep an eye on everything," Lori said to me. "I'll leave all the lights in the lot on."

"Good idea. Sam will have the external security video system up by the end of the week," I said.

"I have been thinking. Once things are going, should we be prepared to have someone on call around the clock?"

"That is your decision, Lori. But it may be a good idea."

"I was thinking about the late flights and the early morning flights at the airport. The other limo companies don't offer service during those times. We could keep at least one town car at the airport. Maybe a limo available for runs back and forth."

"If there is enough business, do it."

"I think I may visit the skycaps at the airport during the evening and early mornings. They could help us."

"Take some spending money for tips," I told her. She smiled.

Around 9:00, I headed back to the house. Dawn and the girls were there when I walked in and sat with them.

"What did you think?" I asked Dawn.

"It is a big investment, but I think Lori has a good idea."

"I think it will do well. I think by the end of this year, we will be hiring drivers from the other small companies in town."

"Maybe you can pick up a few deals on some limos if they close."

"We just might."

"Do either of you two need to study?" Dawn asked.

"A little," Amy said.

"I'll have to study in the morning," Samantha said.

"Make sure you stay caught up, or you can't go to class in the evenings," Dawn told them.

"Don't forget Daryl will be here tomorrow evening," I said.

Amy and Samantha went up the stairs.

Later that night, I was loading film for Ashley and Raven tomorrow. I had to go down to my darkroom to load the big 8 X 10 film holders. I was going to do their photos tomorrow and try to get the other ten done Thursday and Friday. I finally finished and gathered everything and went up to my study.