Sharkbait Ch. 56-65

Amy had the next question. "Once the Bodyglove tour is over, what then? Do we wait for more appearance next year, or go off on our own?"

"I have some ideas, but we'll talk about them more tomorrow," I said.

We tossed around a few other ideas for another ten minutes before I went into my room and gave Mercedes a call.

An hour later, I hung up the phone. Mercedes was thrilled with my ideas and promised to talk to the CEO about them in the morning. She begged me not to tell anyone else until she did. At a minimum, she said Bodyglove would swing a similar deal to share production costs in exchange for prominent product placement. She sent me a copy of the contract she had with the Discovery Channel production team and copies of the invoices they had received so I could see what I was getting into. Since they were paying 20%, it was a simple matter to figure out the total cost of the production.

Ours would be much smaller in terms of crew, but we were talking three to six months of shooting instead of two weeks. I'd have to put a million dollars into the project to make it work, but I had the money.

I could make it work.

Ch. 62

Hammer pushed us hard early the next morning during our beach workout. The three of us were on our return run on the beach, catching up to the twins. The girls hadn't built up the endurance for the full length run yet. "Your travel can't stop you from your workouts," Hammer said as he set a punishing pace in the wet sand. "You need to find time for them. Fitness centers, morning runs, swimming pools, whatever it takes. If you slack off workouts with how much food you eat, you'll start gaining weight."

"It's worked so far," I complained.

"A youthful metabolism covers a multitude of sins," he answered. "Your body isn't growing as much now, and the calories have to go somewhere as your metabolism slows. You need to start thinking and eating like an elite athlete."

"You mean like Kai eats," Amy asked. The guys loved my barbecue, but they balanced their plates with grains, fruits, and vegetables. We were eating a lot of lean meat and pasta on weekends now, mostly fish and chicken.

Hammer grunted his approval. "Exactly. Lots of protein, low fat, high carbs. Fuel your muscles without the other stuff that doesn't help your body, like the sugars and the fats. Your bodies are your work, girls. You need to keep them in top physical shape, or your careers will die."

"I'll never be one of those models that eats a bite and says she is full," I said.

"You're too active for that. Two hours a day of workout, and eat right. You'll keep your strength up and the fat off."

"Hammer's right, Vicki. No one wants to see a muffin top over your bikini bottoms."

The horror! I looked at Amy's body; her curves were more generous than mine, but her muscles were well-defined as her bodyfat was low. "You're right," I said. "I skipped workouts during my travel, and ate a lot of restaurant food and barbecue."

"It only takes a few days to lose everything you gain over weeks of hard work," Hammer replied. "That's why it is so important for you to learn and maintain healthy habits."

"It's just like when we were in training for swim team, Vicki," Amy said. "We never missed a workout."

"I get it," I said defensively. "There's just been a lot of shit going on in my life! It will get better now."

"Probably not," she laughed. "If anything, you'll have more demands on your time. Do you have any idea how many people want a piece of Sharkbait now? Your publicist says you are up to triple-digit marriage proposals a day now." I was SO glad Mercedes had talked me into hiring a person to take care of all that. There was no way I could keep up with the emails, social media upkeep, and media requests without her. "Sudden fortune will change your life more than fame has, so you need to focus on what is important to you."

I was breathing hard, and our run was almost over. The parking lot only a hundred yards away as we pushed towards the finish. I was thinking about everything and not paying as much attention to where we were going, and Amy paid the price. Her foot caught on a clump of seaweed I hadn't warned her of, and she fell to the ground with a wet thump. I stopped running and turned around; she'd face-planted in the sand, her hands unable to stop her from our run at full speed. "AMY!"

She pushed herself back up to her hands and knees, spitting out the sand. When I got to her side, she was crying. "Are you all right?" Looking her over, I could see scrapes and small cuts on her knees and arm. Amy didn't respond; she rocked back onto her knees, holding her hands out in front of her as she sobbed uncontrollably.

I wiped the sand and tears off her face, and she looked at me. Her right hand came up and touched my face. "Vicki?"

"Talk to me, Amy! What's wrong?"

"I can see!" She was looking around in wonder as the twins ran up. "It's all right. These are happy tears!"

Hammer held up three fingers from five feet away. With the blurred vision Amy suffered from, she'd only see a blob where his hand was. "How many fingers am I holding up, Amy?"

"Three." He dropped his hand. "I didn't realize how good a body you had! Mom's a lucky woman."

"Your vision isn't blurred now," I asked.

"She looked into the distance. "Around the outside, it is still blurry, but I can see things I focus on now!"

"Makani, Noelani, run home and let Susan know what happened." They took off for home as I knelt in front of my best friend. "Amy, I want you to look at my nose, all right?" She nodded, and I saw her eyes looking at mine. "Can you see my face clearly?"

"Yes," she said as tears ran down her face. "It gets blurry again at your shoulders." I had her focus on my nose, then tell me how far my hands could move before they got blurry again. She had a roughly circular area of good vision in the direction she looked, but that was huge for her. It meant that she would be able to function again.

"Come on, let's get that sand off you," I said as I helped her stand up. She looked like a sugar cookie. "Susan knows, and she will call your neurologist and set up a call."

"Can you tell Kai for me?"

"I'll link him when we drive past to head to the dojo. You stay home and figure out what happened." We reached the beach shower, and I helped her get all the sand off of her hair and body. While we were cleaning up, Hammer grabbed our bags for us. I pulled out Amy's towel and tossed it to her, and we both smiled as she caught it. "We need to get Amy home so she can talk to her doctors," I said. "They need to know what happened."

"Better vision through faceplanting?" Amy laughed as she dried her hair. She didn't care HOW it happened; she was thrilled it HAD happened. Even partial vision was a significant improvement over what she started with today. It meant being independent again. "Maybe I should smack my head again and get the rest of my vision back."

"NO," Hammer and I both said.

"Don't mess with a good thing," I said. "The doctors will check you over and tell you what is going on."

"I was just kidding," Amy replied with a smile. "I'd never risk this going away." We put our shoes back on and started the cool-down jog home. You couldn't wipe the smiles off our faces as we arrived back at the condo, where Susan was waiting. Tears ran down both their faces as Amy ran into her mother's arms.

Hammer went back to his house to shower and change while I ran back to my room to do the same. Ten minutes later, I was helping get breakfast on the table. Susan had an egg bake with sausage and mushrooms in the oven, so I helped with toasting the English muffins and setting the table. Everyone dug in, and I made an effort to eat more fruit with the meal. The mood was festive, and Amy was over the moon. I was starting cleanup when Amy's neurologist called back. He was excited about the changes and wanted to figure out why. He gave her an appointment to get an MRI, with a follow-up appointment after lunch. "I guess I won't make your meeting," Amy said.

"I'll leave you my notes," Susan added. "Hopefully, you can find a new place quickly."

"If you get in a jam, you can move in with us," Hammer said. "Although money takes care of many issues, so I'm confident you'll figure this out. Nobody wants to move back in with their parents, right, Amy?"

Amy blushed a little. "I've gotten used to this," she said. "I love you all, and I can't thank you enough for all you've done for me, but someday I'll have a place with Kai!"

"Not too soon, I hope," I said. "I kind of like having a roommate."

"Things are going to be nuts until his training ends," she said.

"Speaking of which, we better get going," Hammer said. "Vicki is going to spend a lot of time eating the mats if she doesn't pull her head out of her butt and focus today."

"It wasn't THAT bad," I complained.

"Vicki, everyone in that dojo is out to dominate you today. The men want to date you, and the women hate you."

I rolled my eyes. "They better be ready, because I'll choke a bitch!"

"Get 'em for me, Sharkbait," Amy said.

"Come on, kids. I'll drop you at school and bring lunch for you," I said.

"Not so fast," Hammer said. "Luke, you take twins to school in the car. Vicki, you don't go anywhere alone now, and you know it. I'll take you to the dojo, and you can hang out there until Amy and Susan pick you up."

"Fine," I said. "We'll talk about living arrangements when you guys get home." I was a little pissed off as I grabbed my gear. Here I was, a multi-millionaire at eighteen, and I couldn't even get a ride home from the dojo!

It was time to spend some money.

Ch. 63

I was frustrated by things, and I took it out on the woman I challenged at the dojo. I dominated her, moving up five places in the rankings after submitting her in less than thirty seconds. I could see a few of the people near my rank suddenly reconsider their ideas about taking me on.

Everyone was treating me differently now that I was rich. People who never paid attention to me wanted to get closer, while others I counted as friends suddenly didn't know how to interact anymore. A few of the more aggressive males asked me out, and I turned them down politely. "Stuck-up bitch is too good for us now," one said as he left. I just rolled my eyes; I didn't have time for his crap anyway.

Amy was the lucky one. She had a great guy who was devoted to her.

I couldn't even enjoy the dating game because I couldn't get too close to anyone. I wondered what James was doing now. I still liked him, and he was into me before I was a rich girl. I'd never know for sure with anyone else if that was why they wanted to be close to me. I decided I'd sent him a text, asking if he'd gotten his motorcycle back yet and if he wanted to get together sometime. At least I would as soon as I had my phone again. Hammer had them all placed in racks as we walked in today.

I tried linking Amy, but she was too far away. I ended up sitting by myself in the chairs along the side of the dojo, watching the higher-ranked fighters in their matches. Two men and one woman in my class were professional Mixed Martial Arts fighters, working their way up the ranks, and they were damn good. You didn't advance far without being at least functional in jiu-jitsu, so they trained part of the day with Hammer.

When the class was over, Hammer made a few announcements then dismissed us. Lauren, who was the female MMA fighter, waved me over. "I've been watching you," she said. "You have a lot of talent, Vicki, and I can't believe how quickly you've learned this. Do you know other disciplines?"

"I've taken judo and karate since I was six, and started Krav Maga at twelve," I said.

"I bet you'd be fun to fight MMA style."

"I really can't," I said. "I'm under contract to a modeling agency. Getting my nose busted or breaking something would cost me a lot of money."

"Maybe someday I'll have your problems," she said. "I'm fighting in Vegas on the thirtieth in the UFC Fight Night 287. I'd love to see you in my corner for it; I think we'd both get a lot of publicity out of it."

"I'll have to check my schedule," I said. "I'm sure my publicist would love to see me there with some arm candy."

She laughed at that and gave me her number. "Let me know, and I'll hook you up with the guy who can get you front row seats."

"I'll let you know by Monday," I told her. I wanted to go, and I thought about who I'd take; Amy and the twins wouldn't leave on a Friday, so I'd have to travel with security. Hammer and Susan? Would I ask James, or have my publicist and Mercedes arrange a date? Las Vegas had tons of celebrities, and their security could help cover me while I was there. I hadn't been there since I was eight and we visited the Seaquest aquarium there. It wasn't the biggest, with only blacktip, smoothhound, and nurse sharks, but the buffets were fantastic.

Maybe I could work out an appearance there on Thursday night or Friday? I'd have to talk to Mercedes about it after I checked the schedule on my phone. While I was at it, I'd speak to Mercedes about security. I didn't want to travel commercial anymore unless it was international; if it cost more to charter a jet, I'd pay it. It worked better with my security that way, and I'd become spoiled.

I walked over to the rack that he'd installed by the entrance, retrieving my phone from the slot. I went back to the chair, checking messages while the facility emptied out. "Get changed, we'll go grab lunch," Hammer told me.

I took my bag back to the locker room and changed into jean shorts, Bodyglove tank top, and a thin Bodyglove print top. He was waiting at the door when I returned. "Why the phone rack," I asked him.

"Go on Youtube and search for yourself and fights," he said as we walked to his car. There was a cameraman taking videos as we left; I was sure the headlines would have me in a torrid affair with my instructor, who was more than twice my age, by tonight's gossip shows. I smiled and posed briefly, trying to make the best of it.

Hammer opened my door, and I slid in; I had the search results before he pulled out. I expected the takedown on the beach and in the crew's mess to make the list, but I didn't expect the other five. All were taken in the dojo during challenge fights, by someone who hid their phone to tape it. "Someone violated the rules that said the phones stay off in class," he said. "Just like a teacher, I have to collect them now."

I watched the videos as he drove us to the sushi restaurant he'd picked out. The matches weren't anything special, but the comments were off the hook. Everything from "I'd marry her in a heartbeat" to "that b**** needs me to teach her some respect." They were getting lots of views; my celebrity wasn't falling off. "It doesn't seem that bad," I said.

"It's against the rules. Just because you're famous doesn't mean you and the others in the videos don't deserve privacy," he said. "If things get worse, we may have to move you and the other girls to private lessons. Keep that in mind when you're looking for a new place."

"I've got options now, and so does Amy," I said. "We're going to go through them when the twins get home from school. I still can't believe we're getting booted from our condo."

We parked and walked into the restaurant; Hammer was a regular, and the owner welcomed us. "Someplace private," I said when I saw the cellphones coming out. He led us to a table in the back, and Hammer spoke to the waitress in her native language. "I didn't know you spoke Japanese."

"Two years stationed there, and I took advantage of it," he said. "I took the liberty of ordering for us, a sampler of their sushi styles."

The food was tasted great and was nutritious, as Hammer reminded me. I decided to change the subject. "How are things going with you and Susan?"

"Fine, not that it is any of your business."

"She's a smitten kitten," I said with a giggle. "Amy and I want Susan to be happy, and you make her happy. You two are perfect for each other."

"I'm worried we're moving too fast. We've known each other for a few months, and she's already living with me."

"It's the match that is important, not the time. My Dad knew my Mom was the one for him before she'd even talked to him. My Uncle was engaged to my Aunt within a week, and both of them were widowed. Love happens in its own time." He didn't say much more as we finished up, and he had classes to teach when we got back to the dojo.

I used his office to catch up on messages and phone calls. I sent the text to James, but he didn't respond right away. I checked my schedule; I didn't have an event until Saturday night in Tampa Bay so it could work. I texted the details to my publicist and to Mercedes. I could arrange for an aquarium talk on Friday during the day for my charity if Seaquest agreed.

My accountant updated me that he had one maybe and two no's thus far, with two more owners not responding yet. I started looking at sports cars, then realized what a safety issue that was. I started looking at armored SUVs instead. Leo was going to insist on full-time security and other measures due to my new wealth. You couldn't be too careful about kidnappings this close to the border.

I was choking on the prices when Susan linked me that they were pulling in soon. I waved at Hammer as I walked behind his class and out the door, jumping into the back seat of the SUV. "What did the Doc say?"

"It's a miracle!" Amy just laughed; she was so happy. "They have no idea what changed, and I don't care. We did a lot of testing, though. I've got about 18% of my field of vision back now to where I can see clearly. I might get more with time, or I might not see any change at all."

"Are you still legally blind? Can you drive?"

"Yes, and no. Since I have less than 20% field of vision, I can't drive, and I still meet the blindness definition. Unless I'm looking directly at something, it's still a blur. I can keep my dog and my cane," she said sadly.

"At least you have cool dogs." I reached forward and held her hand. "But now you can read and write and see things when we dive, right?"

"Little areas at a time, but yes. I can use my phone and read parts of a computer screen." She asked about my day, and I told them about my conversation with Hammer. "Do you think your pep talk worked," Amy asked.

"I have no idea," I replied.

"He'll come around. They always do," Susan said with a grin.

We were heading over the Coronado Bay Bridge as a destroyer headed out for sea under us. "Amy, you have money, and your vision is back. You and Kai can do anything you want. Do you still want to live with the twins and me?"

"Of course!" She looked at me like I was an idiot. "We need each other, and the girls are sweet. I don't want to change anything! I'll save our money, at least until Kai and I can settle down somewhere." I let out the breath I'd been holding. Everything else in my life had changed so much that I needed my friends and family to stay with me. "I want to be close to Mom and Luke, too, but not TOO close."

I laughed. "I know what you mean."

"We should wait until the kids are back home before we discuss your next place," Susan said.

She was right; we didn't need to repeat everything. I liked my idea, but I wanted to hear what ideas the others had.

I went back to looking up boats on my phone, this time looking at dive boats. If we ended up in a house, we were still getting a boat!

Ch. 64

Hammer was still at the dojo when the twins and Luke got home from school, so we all met at our place for dinner. It gave everyone a few hours to finalize their part while Susan made lasagna and garlic bread for dinner.

I gave my accountant a call, and he had some good news. "I have an interested seller on the 2004 Pacific Mariner 85," he told me. I got all excited because this was the number one boat on my list. "I sent an appraiser over, and I'll email you the report. Structurally it is in good shape, with the interior and appliances replaced two years ago. The engines have only five hundred hours since their last overhaul, which is good. He's listing it for two-point-six million, but he's smoking something if he thinks that will work. I did my research on comparable yacht sales, and we ended at a reasonable price. I offered two hundred thousand to lease it for a year, with an option to buy for another one-point-nine million at the end of the lease. All this is a contingent cash offer."