Sophia Pt. 03

It wasn't very good singing. Okay, it was drunken mumbling and I ain't Joe Cocker or Ray Charles. But I was getting some really strange and worried looks from Vanessa. I think she was the only one close enough to hear me, must be a music critic.

The next morning I woke up in severe pain. There was my oldest daughter looking down at me with a very concerned expression on her face. In one hand she had a mug of coffee and in the other a glass full of ice cubes. Can anyone spell revenge?

She helped me to sit up and I moaned the entire way. "Here, Daddy, drink this," and she handed me the cup of coffee. Then she went in the bathroom and came back with a lumpy towel. She put the towel on my head. What a good kid, she had put the ice cubes in a towel and folded it over. It felt so good on my pounding head. I always knew I had her for a reason.

Vanessa and Freddie came bursting into my room; Maria was following timidly behind them. I apologized for making a fool out of myself last night and they all graciously assured me it wasn't a problem. They raved about all the massive quantities of good food that I had prepared. I only make that kind of feast once per year. I don't think the human body could handle it more often!

Instead of making fun of my hangover, Vanessa and Freddie pretended like I had a valid reason to get drunk and sick. That's nonsense of course. Maria was strangely silent, and gave me some really odd looks. My behavior must have totally shocked her. I hoped I didn't screw up our friendship, I wouldn't want to be the cause of something like that, and it would devastate my daughters.

They brought me glasses of water and aspirin, then told me to go back to sleep. A couple hours later Megan came back to check on me. I was feeling better, but I still wanted to crash in bed. Before she left I asked her to put a DVD in the player for me, just something to keep me company. She picked up my DVD/CD soft file case and started searching through it.

"Daddy, would you want me to put the movie Houseboat in the player?"

"No Baby, I'm done with that one, I've watched it enough to last me the rest of my life. I think there is an Abbot and Costello movie in there, put that in please." She looked at me really oddly, did as I requested, kissed me and left the room.

I spent the day physically and emotionally recovering. My girls and my friends watched movies; there were no dance lessons that night.

The next day I got up bright and early to hit the gym. Vanessa joined me about an hour later to supervise and get her own workout in. I'm perfectly satisfied at being able to bench three hundred and sixty pounds, but Vanessa seems excited at the chance to train someone to lift some serious metal. I'm a little worried at what I've let myself in for with her as a trainer. Nothing against powerlifters, but I will have to buy some new shirts if she pushes me too hard. For the next four days I exercised in the morning, skied for the remainder of the day, cooked dinner and then had dance lessons. I was kept pretty busy. The only thing that truly sucked was that low carb diet Vanessa put me on. Then my own flesh and blood turned traitor and they both agreed to make sure that I kept on the diet.

Maria rode back with us on Sunday. She and my girls played Yahtzee for almost the entire trip.

………………………………………

I was really worried; Don reacted to the PDA a lot better than I thought he would. He acted a tiny bit odd for a few days but he didn't seem angry at all.

I can't believe all the food that he made for New Year's Eve! And then he and Carl got so drunk – I think guys need to do that now and again. I suspect he was worried that I would be mad at him; he was extremely polite for the rest of our time in the mountains. To keep him on his toes, I acted coolly toward him, too, that way when we get together again in the future he won't repeat that drunken behavior very often. Am I good at this game or what?

On Wednesday I went to his apartment as usual - I even got there a little early and let myself in. My girls were thrilled to see me and we had a long conversation about their mother. I was happy with what they were doing about her, but I was a little jealous, too. Nonetheless, they were right and any improvement in their relationship with their mother was really the best thing for them and her. I was just going to have to share them. I could live with that. It was the right thing to do and I needed to adjust my expectations about my relationship with my girls. They were still my girls, but they were Barbara's, too, and I couldn't replace her as their mother. I keep telling myself that half of something is better than all of nothing.

When I went into Don's office to see his new chair it still hadn't been delivered. I was going to have to call that company and tell them to get a move on. I was there so early that the girls were able to bring me to meet Ken, the designer of my jewelry. They actually took me downstairs to Don's workshop; Ken was busy working on a few other pieces.

It was soon obvious to me that Don was right, Ken was out of work. It struck me as ridiculous that so talented a young man couldn't find a job. He was trying to make a go of it by selling custom jewelry and by selling cheaper stuff at street fairs. But materials were costly and he couldn't afford all the tools. He pointed out that, without Don's support and workshop, he would be quickly out of business. It turns out that Don had given him an additional month free rent as well as a check for five thousand dollars since my friends and I were so pleased with our gifts.

I told him that I might be able to help him, but I would need to check on a few things and call him back so we exchanged cell phone numbers. I normally don't wear bracelets, but I was impressed by the ones he made for Freddie and Vanessa so I decided to ask Ken to make a bracelet matching the pieces he already made for me. It would be a bargain and he needed the work.

After talking with Ken, my girls and I headed back upstairs to wait for Don. Boy, did he arrive with a glum expression - must have been a really bad day at work.

On the way to the therapist I told him my idea about helping Ken. He was impressed by my stroke of brilliance, and complimented me by saying I was always so helpful to my friends. Don was more than willing to help with my plan for Ken. Now I just have to enlist Freddie's, Vanessa's and Kathy's help.

………………………………………

In a secret location, startlingly similar to Freddie's studio, especially with all the art supplies lying about, the PDA Secret Security Directorate was meeting. They were so secret that not even the President of the PDA knew about it. The blonde haired head of the Directorate, who used the code name Sister D-day, turned to her subordinates.

"That was agent M on the phone, things have gotten bad. The only music that Don listens to; is that same damn song over and over! Plus, he's thrown out the Houseboat DVD. The situation is getting critical." She turned to the red-haired member. "Sister Flounder, should we reveal these things to Maria or keep quiet?"

Sister Flounder grimaced at her code name, but all the other members had insisted on this nonsense so she went along with it. At least it would make for a good paper in support of my doctorate, she thought.

"If we tell Maria, I see two equally likely possibilities. One, she still sees herself as the Great Scarlet Woman who is unworthy of Saint Don and says something dumb like, 'Oh this is probably for the best.' Two, she goes to him, rips his clothes off and they don't leave bed for a week. On further consideration, since Maria is acting like an idiot, I would have to say that option one is the more likely. I wish we had had more luck quashing that damn cruel nickname of Maria's that's resurfaced. If we push too hard with people in her social circle to stop using it, they will just start using it even more by reflex. Those shitheads know how much it hurts her and they also know how kind and generous Maria is! They think that, since they never use it to her face, she doesn't hear it. Then they wonder why she doesn't socialize with them as much as she used to, the morons!"

The dark haired Sister Bluto remarked, "Well, shit, what are we going to do?"

Sister Flounder replied, "Put more pressure on Maria, try to lift Don's spirits and keep all other women away from Don, so Maria has time to grow a brain."

Sister D-day rose to her feet. "And that is what this Security Directorate was created for, to keep all other women away from Don. Let us remember that they are both our friends and if Don falls into the clutches of another woman, we might never have THE PIE again."

"Let us now close the meeting with the……"

Sister Flounder spoke firmly, "I am not doing that stupid secret handshake again - it is embarrassing and obscene. You two have twisted minds, and if you keep it up I'm going to tell Megan and Robin!"

………………………………………

Another weekend at Maria's house. Freddie and Kathy had called me in a panic for some reason and begged me to bring THE PIE. They're good friends so I brought two. I've given them the recipe; I don't know why they don't make it themselves.

Same old, same old weekend. Friday night we have dinner and the girls watch movies. Saturday, exercises in the morning, breakfast, ski during the day, dinner, dance at night until we get tired, then the girls watch movies and I go to bed. Sunday, exercise in the morning, breakfast……

Hold on, Vanessa is speaking to me. "Don, I was thinking - you work right by my gym. If you're not busy on Tuesdays and Thursdays you can stop by after work and work up a sweat. You would make a lot more progress that way. I know you are exercising at home, but this way would give me a chance to alter your exercises as needed for maximum effect."

"That sounds good, but your gym is a ladies only club. Won't this cause you trouble with your clients?"

"No, I occasionally do have men there. If a client objects, then you might have to leave. But that has never happened before. While they do pay to come to a women's only club, they don't seem to mind having a man there every once and a while."

"Okay, then I'll see you Tuesday after work. Would seven PM be okay?"

"That would be fine, Don, see you then."

So Tuesday after having dinner finds me following Vanessa's directions to her day spa and gym. Upon arriving I'm suitably impressed; it is a lot bigger than I thought it would be.

As I walk through the doors I see a display set up for "Ken's Jewelry Creations" with pictures of Vanessa, Freddie, Kathy and Maria modeling his work. There is a small stack of brochures, a card holder with his business cards and a website listed. I had created the website for him. Heck, I had improved and updated Vanessa's business website and created one for Freddie's studio, too. I understand that Freddie has the same display for Ken set up at her studio, which has worked out even better for Ken than the display here. Besides her traditional painting, which is fantastic in my opinion, Freddie's main source of income is her body art, tattoos and body painting business. A lot of people who like body art are also into custom, one of a kind jewelry. Maria does have some good ideas.

Vanessa is already waiting for me at the receptionist counter. "Hi, Don, any trouble finding the place?"

"No, not at all. I'm really impressed; your club is a lot bigger than I thought it would be."

"That's because we have a full size pool and very few operations like ours have them. I think swimming is one of the best exercises available, especially for our older clients. It was a huge added expense at first, but now it is one of our biggest draws."

"Boy, do I feel dumb. I thought you were a much smaller operation and, in a way of apology to your female clients, I thought to bake some cookies. Pretty stupid, huh?"

Vanessa perks right up and so does her receptionist and two customers at the counter. "I wouldn't say that, Don, and it is pretty sweet thought, literally. I thought I smelled cookies when you came in. How many do you have in that box?"

"Three dozen chocolate chip and three dozen white chocolate and macadamia nut."

I put the box on the counter and open it up. Now all the ladies are leaning over it and making sounds of desire. The receptionist asks me if she could have one.

"They're Vanessa's cookies, she gets to decide." Vanessa nods her head and everyone there reaches in to grab a cookie.

"Don, I think you are rapidly going to become the most popular member here."

I have to use Vanessa's office to change. She then puts me through an intensive workout. Frequently, during that evening, ladies at the club stop by and thank me for the cookies.

There is method to my madness, now that my stupid fantasy had been destroyed when I finally found out that Maria actually didn't have any romantic interest in me at all, and her friends didn't either. I am going to take advantage of every opportunity I get to meet women. Maria and her friends like my cooking; I figure I can use that to break the ice with other women. But I won't move too aggressively yet, I will wait until I get to be almost a regular here, then I'll start to casually converse with some of the available women at the club. As Maria has said, I am a dork; I am going to use this as a learning experience. If I don't meet an appropriate woman here, I'll use the knowledge I gain for the next time. Enough of this sitting passively in my apartment!

I get in a good work out at Vanessa's club, except she keeps pushing me to lift more weight. I finish up with an hour and a half on the treadmill. Call me a wimp but I hate running on anything but a treadmill, it is so much easier on the knees and feet and, on top of that, it is more comfortable in a climate controlled building. When I am done, Vanessa offers to stand guard while I use the shower in the locker room, but instead I just drive home in my sweats.

……………………………………………………………………………..

"Sister D-day this is Sister Bluto, Don just left here and he brought cookies. I told some of my trusted clients about Don and they made sure to greet him with a lot of warmth. But you know Don, ever the gentleman."

"Did you save me any cookies?"

"I tried, but by the time I got back to the box it was empty. Not even crumbs were left."

"Damn, no cookies for me and too many of the women at your club have now eaten his baking. You better be careful - you probably have at least a couple of foodies, perhaps more, at your gym. He's a good looking guy that can cook and bake like nobody's business. To a foodie he is USDA prime marriage material, watch him. If you see any members of your club licking their lips when looking at Don, call me. We might have to scrub operation 'Boost Don's Ego at the Gym'."

"It could have been worse, just think what would have happened if he brought THE CAKE or THE PIE to my club. We would never have had a chance. He probably would have been given thirty or more phone numbers, and some of them written on panties! Hell, I could imagine some of my members kidnapping him. I've got this one chocoholic; she's rich, built like a brick shit house, and she works out constantly because of all the sweets she eats. That girl would have grabbed Don and had him on her Daddy's jet to Vegas and into a wedding chapel after just one taste of THE PIE. I've made arrangements with her trainer to encourage her to use the pool whenever she and Don are here at the same time."

"Yes, we might have made a grave error in suggesting to Don that he work out at your gym. But, we could never have guessed that he would bring food. It almost makes me think that Don is setting out deliberately to meet and entice women, but that would be a radical change in his behavior. We can't back out now; it would be insulting to Don. Do your best Vanessa. If I can do anything to help, call me."

"Thanks, Freddie, I just might have to call on you. Both you and Kathy are members here and it might be necessary for you both to change your work out times to help me keep an eye on Don. I'll let you know if that has to happen. This is Sister Bluto signing off."

"'Bye, Sister Bluto, and remember that the next time Don brings food you had better save some for me and Sister Flounder. She may act like a sex-starved intellectual sometimes, but she is only one step below being a foodie herself. If she finds out you didn't save her any cookies, she will be giving you grief for weeks!

…………………………………….

The next couple of months settled into a routine. On Mondays I saw my therapist, Tuesdays and Thursdays I spent at Vanessa's gym. Every Wednesday Maria came by and we took my daughters to their therapist. Friday through Sunday we were at Maria's home dancing, exercising, skiing and pigging out. The only variation was that on some Wednesday nights, after the therapist, Maria would give us dancing lessons instead of watching movies or playing games with my girls. Though, it was a real pain moving furniture to make an area big enough to dance in.

At the end of January I had a secret meeting with Ken, and I was almost too late in placing my order. His business was doing very well, but he promised to get my requested job done in time.

One particular Wednesday Maria spent the entire afternoon at my apartment. She had gotten frustrated with waiting for her Christmas present for me to be delivered so she arranged for the delivery on her own and waited at my apartment to receive it. It was a really nice surprise when I got home. Maria is always so kind to her friends.

………………………………………..

I was so ticked, Don had some problems at work that really confused our travel plans for February twenty-first and I couldn't ride with my babies to my mountain home. To add insult to injury, Vanessa, Freddie and Kathy teased me unmercifully for the entire ride. I just knew this weekend had better get better, or I was damn well going to have to kill someone.

It got even worse! Don twisted his knee so he couldn't ski for the whole weekend. I wanted to stay home and nurse him, but everyone insisted that the rest of us had to go skiing. When Megan and Robin gave me their big-eyed "Pleease", I just had to surrender. But, if Don's knee were hurt, he had to stay off it and that meant he needed someone to take care of him; I wanted that job but they wouldn't let me have it. With friends like that, who needs enemies?! I insisted that he at least let me call Lucille over to cook dinner for us, and he reluctantly agreed. Why did he seem to be secretly pleased?

My time on the slopes almost made up for my disappointment. Megan and Robin were so affectionate and playful, and it would have been just perfect if only Don were there with us.

When we got back from skiing, the house was full of wonderful smells. Lucille was at the door of the kitchen almost literally standing guard. Don was sitting in the living room with his leg up when we walked in.