Steamboat Willy Ch. 08

"Why are you doing this for me?"

"Because you are family."

"Does that mean I can live here again?"

"Of course you can. We will build you a separate place if you want it."

She sat down in a chair and began to weep. Sally and Dori went to her and kissed her. They begged her not to cry."

She looked at each of us, "I did a nasty and horrid thing that hurt all of you. Then you forgive me and make all my dreams come true. How can I ever repay you?"

I grinned at her, "Just be happy and share some of your happiness with your family. That is how you repay us."

I walked in the den and called Marge in Miami and told her to have our research people get all the information on the gender change operation. I gave her the details on Georgie. I told her to make an appointment with the most successful doctor she can find in the world. Cost was no object. Marge said she would get back with me the next day. That afternoon Dori and I took Sally to see the OB /GYN Doctor. Her doctor was pleased to tell us every thing was progressing normally. It appeared Sally would be able to carry the babies full term. She thought Sally was going to have no problems with natural childbirth. That Sally was in very good physical condition was a big factor.

Sally was praying she would not need drugs or painkillers to help her birth her babies. The doctor asked if I were going to be in the delivery room with Sally. I me to watch and if I was up to it she might be able to get me in the room for a natural child birth before Sally was due. I told her that if it were at all possible I would be there. She said she would give me as much notice as she could but said that being natural childbirth things often happened at very inopportune times. I laughed and said that knowing Sally she would try to be on time.

Sally smiled and said it was never too early to teach children promptness.

We were all happy on the way home. We decided to go to the club for dinner that night. Dori called home and talked to Georgie. She wanted to go too. She said she would tell the cook she only had to cook for Maria that night. When she was finished I had Dori arrange for the helicopter to pick us up at six.

We sat in the family room and sipped a light beer and talked. Georgie said she was afraid she had lost her job when she didn't show up last night. Sally asked what sort of job she had. She was working as a clerk at a supermarket for minimum wage.

Dori said she was looking for someone to work in the food preparation end of Murphy and Thompson Steamboat Lines. She needed a buyer to purchase groceries and supplies for the company. Mostly all she had to do was notify the vendors that we would be requiring X amount of such and such and were open for bids. Then when she had vendors set up she had to arrange for and schedule deliveries.

Georgie said that it sounded like fun and if it only paid minimum wage she would take it. Dori laughed, "It will pay a bit better than that. She said the starting pay was $25.00 an hour."

Georgie stared at Dori, "You have to be kidding me. That is $18.00 more than I was making."

"Georgie, I know you are very intelligent. I want you to learn everything you can about the business so you can eventually run it yourself."

"You mean the whole food prep business?"

"Yes, that is a critical part of our business and we want family running it."

I said, "Dori, Sweetheart, I know she hasn't even started yet but she may need some time off soon."

"I know that, silly, I want her on our medical insurance as soon as possible."

I laughed, "I guess she will get a company car too."

Dori looked at me. "What do we have available here in town?"

"Well I was looking at the list this morning. No one has shown any interest in the little BMW Z4 roadster. It does have a Murphy company logo on it if she can live with that. The logo is only the size of a postcard."

Georgie put her face in her hands and cried. "I just can't believe all this. Someone pinch me and wake me up. No! Don't do that, let me keep dreaming."

I looked at Sally, "I hate to combine business with pleasure but our head of Advertising and Promotions is in town and I thought I might invite him as a guest for the evening."

"Oh! Yes he has a lot of good ideas, I enjoy talking with him." Sally's eyes lit up and she grinned at me. I knew she knew what I was doing and approved. Georgie had not picked up on it.

When we were all dressed and ready to go I saw Georgie walk in following Dori. She was wearing a modest blue bra dress that showed her lovely figure in a refined way. She was still gorgeous but in a subdued manner. Anyone looking at her would soon realize her exceptional beauty.

The club was crowded but we had a reserved table. John Norton was at the table waiting for us. He looked very handsome and his face lit up when he was introduced to Georgie. She smiled at him very demurely. We sat them beside each other. He turned to me and said he had a couple of suggestions about the PRINCESS. I told him there would be no shoptalk tonight and that we would meet tomorrow. I excused myself and went to talk to the assistant manager. He was glad to see me again and said Sally was beautiful and radiant tonight. I agreed with him. I made a simple request and he smiled and said it would be taken care of. As I neared the table John Norton got up and held Georgie's chair as she got up. He led her out on to the dance floor. She was smiling up at him as they danced. After two dances the bandleader announced that the next number was by request.

I got up and took Sally's hand and asked her to dance with me. She looked startled the smiled as she heard the music. It was her favorite, 'The Tennessee Waltz.' I had requested that it be played a little slower than normal. Sally stepped into my arms and we glided across the floor. The smile of delight on her face brought a bigger one to mine. Soon I noticed that we were alone on the floor. People ware gathered all around the floor watching us. Sally was just beautiful as she gracefully moved to the old song. When the tune ended the crowd started clapping. Everyone wanted to kiss or touch Sally. Sally called each of them by name. She was crying by the time I got her back to our table. She dried her eyes and said, "You set that up didn't you?"

I nodded. She said, "Thank you Darling, that was very thoughtful of you." Then she laughed, "They should have played the 'Elephant's Waltz.' But I really loved that. I don't think I could have made it if they hadn't played slowly. Dori got up and walked to me. She kissed my lips softly. She looked at Sally, "This man really loves you Girl, it is written all over his face when he looks at you." Sally smiled and pulled Dori to her for a kiss. I heard Sally whisper, "He loves us both Sweetie."

Georgie and John talked softly together. The dinner was excellent and we all enjoyed it. Georgie and John were back on the dance floor when the band started again. Sally said she was getting tired. When Georgie and John returned I told everyone Sally needed to go home. I asked who wanted to go with us. Every one said they wanted to go with us. I called the chopped and got an ETA of five minutes. We said good night to John and told him I would call him at eight o'clock.

I was sort of surprised that Georgie came with us. She was very quiet on the way home. I couldn't stand it anymore and I asked. "Georgie, what did you think of John Norton? She looked at me, "He is wonderful, very sweet and really smart. He is funny and cute. I think I am in love with him. I don't know what to do about it."

"Girl, I don't know what to tell you. From past experience I would say honesty is always the best policy. Tell him right up front about your self. I know you don't want to hurt him."

She gave me a little smile, "Thank you Rich, that is what I had already decided to do. Can you get him out to the house tomorrow and let me see him alone for a few minutes?"

"I think that can be arranged, dear."

I called John Norton in the morning and told him a car was waiting for him at the front entrance of his hotel. He arrived about 45 minutes later. I told him that Sally didn't feel up to traveling this morning. We went into the den. Sally and Dori joined us. John stood and said, "Mrs. Murphy you look lovely this morning, and I never realized pregnant women could be so beautiful."

Sally blushed and thanked him. "I am glad you think so. I would kiss your cheek but my twin boys won't let me get near anyone."

His eyes were wide open, "Twin boys?"

"Yes, Rich is very potent."

"Congratulations to both of you. I am envious."

I asked, "Have you ever been married?"

"Yes when I was in college I got married but it didn't work out, no kids so we walked away with just what we brought into the marriage, nothing."

We went on to discuss several ideas he had for Princess. He thought that one trip should be from Palatka to Silver Springs, leaving Saturday morning and stopping at a convenient spot for the night, then arriving at Silver Springs early on Sunday afternoon. The return trip would leave Monday afternoon and overnight again and arrive at Palatka early Tuesday afternoon. Wednesday before noon there would be a luncheon cruise on the St. Johns River, returning mid-afternoon. Wednesday evening there would be an evening Dinner cruise, again on the St. Johns River, returning later that night. Thursday another luncheon cruise and dinner cruise. Friday would be spent in port in Palatka.

We talked for a while and decided to give his idea a test run. We would invite various officials and members of the press as well as travel agents and excursion promoters. John would work up a list of people to invite. Questionnaires would be passed out so we could refine the trips. We would also ask what our guests thought a reasonable fare would be. We thought the fare and the number of trips offered might vary with the season.

I offered John lunch and he accepted. I left the den and told the cook there would be an extra guest for lunch to be seated next to Miss Georgie. We talked for another half an hour and then went to the dinning room for lunch. John's face lit up with joy when he saw Georgie. She smiled sweetly at him and asked him to set next to her. Lunch was excellent. The cooks from our food prep department were refining the meals to be served on the cruises.

The meals were much better than that first luncheon we had aboard PRINCESS. John had never been aboard PRINCESS so I asked Georgie if she would mind showing John around the boat after lunch. She grinned at him as she agreed.

John went back to Ocala that afternoon. Georgie got her new car and left to try it out. She called two hours later and said she was having dinner with John Norton and would be home by eleven. Georgie started working in our offices in Silver Springs. John was working there too.

She stayed in town and had dinner with John every evening but was home by ten or eleven. Friday afternoon She and John were invited to have dinner with us. They arrived about four thirty.

Later that afternoon Georgie walked into the den where I was working alone on some things. She was radiantly happy, "You were right, he loves me, he doesn't care if I was born a boy. I told him I was going to have the operation and he said he would go with me no matter where I went for it. He is so sweet. I let him kiss me too! Wow! Fireworks! I wanted to jump in his bed every night but I didn't. This one is for keeps. I don't want a quickie; I want a lifetime commitment."

I smiled at her as she ran out of breath. "You think he is a keeper, do you?"

"Oh! Yes! He is wonderful, a very special honest and straight forward man." She looked at me, "Can I beg one more favor from you. You can keep the car and everything; just transfer him up here. Please, please. I don't want him to go back to Miami. I love it here. I don't want to move. I will if I have to. I am going to be with him."

"Georgie, I will leave it up to him, I will offer him the job as director of promotions for the Steamboat line with a nice raise if he moves up here. Will that do it?"

"Oh! That is wonderful! I just know he will jump on it. At least I pray that he will."

"Give me a kiss and go see if you can find him."

She must have had him parked somewhere close by because she dragged him the den in about three minutes flat. They stood before me holding hands. I smiled at him. "I want to make you an offer. Would you be interested in taking over as the Director of marketing and Promotions for the Steamboat Line? The job will give you about a 50% raise in pay, but the bad part is that you will have to move up here."

He grinned, "Hell yes. I would love that, when can I start?"

"Is Monday too soon? Get us moving with these promotional and training trips and then you can take some paid leave to move up here. Do you own or rent in Miami?"

"I lease a condo there."

"We will pay your moving expenses and take over your condo until the lease expires. OK?" He grinned and nodded.

I looked at Georgie, "OK, you can put the pistol down now."

John looked quickly at her. "You told me you wouldn't ask any favors."

I jumped in before she answered, "She had nothing to do with it at all. We decided we wanted you up here with us after your presentation the other day. Sally and Doris and I discussed the whole thing while Georgie was showing you the PRINCESS. Georgie was not involved in the decision making process. She did just offer to give up her job and all her perks if we could find a job for you up here. She said that if not she would follow you to Miami."

John turned and looked down at her. "You were going to do that to be with me?" She nodded solemnly.

I said, "John, I thing she kind of likes you."

"Mr. Murphy, I hope and pray that she does. She is the most wonderful and beautiful person I have ever met. I must admit she really disturbs my concentration; she sneaks into my mind dozens of times a day. When we are very far apart it gets worse. I really don't know what to do. I have never experienced any thing like this before."

"Son I know exactly how you feel. My lovely wife does the same thing to me. Marrying her just made it worse, but I love it. I don't think there is a cure. I really hope there isn't one."

"Sir, I am not sure who to ask but I think I need to tell you I am courting her now with great ardor. I would like to have you permission to continue my courtship of Georgie. My intentions are honorable in every way."

"John, I have reason to believe your intentions are honorable. She is in effect my stepsister. Georgie do you want him to continue to press his suit?"

"Yes! Yes I really want that."

"Then, John, you have my blessings. God help you young man. She can be delightfully wonderful and then she can be a totally insufferable bitch at times."

"Sir, I know about the first part and I believe that will compensate for the bitch part."

I laughed, "I suspect you are right."

There was a knock on the door to my den. I looked up and Dori looked in, "Rich, you need to come and look at Sally, I think her contractions have started."

"I'm on my way." I pulled out my Sat-phone and pressed a speed dial number. I said, "Please start and warm up your engines. We may need you soon. Stand by." I ran after Dori and found Sally on the bed. She held her hands out to me. Her face was covered with sweat and tears ran from her eyes. I had her doctor on the phone by now. She reassured me that everything was normal. She told me to time the period between contractions. She said that this stage could last for hours, especially in a first birth. She asked if there had been any discharge of blood. I asked Sally and she said there had been a small seepage of bloody matter. The doctor said that the contractions would be getting regular and closer together and also more painful. I was stating to sweat now. God this was scary stuff. I kissed my sweet wife and held her hand. It was almost half an hour before she squeezed my hand hard and moaned a little bit. The next contraction came in about ten minutes. We talked about the schedules for the boats and decided we would have to stay flexible until we got a better grip on what was happening. The advanced bookings should give us an indication of what we could expect. Sally suggested that we could have the afternoon trips be singles only trips. Then we could rent the cabins on an hourly basis. Dori insisted Sally was just thinking that way because she was horny. We had been discussing the trips for about twenty minutes when Sally's next contraction hit. Sally said it was not as bad as the previous one. Fifteen minutes was the next time and Sally said it hurt more than the previous contraction. The next one was twenty minutes in coming. The following one was twenty minutes also and hurt the most of any up till then but she said it wasn't a screamer. She was watching me and said she was worried about me, that I didn't look good. I told her I would be OK. I wasn't going to leave her no matter what. I said, "I feel just like you would feel if the situation was reversed. You don't like to see me in pain do you?"

"I have seen you in pain and hurting and I know exactly how you feel; but this is different for me because this is a joyous pain for me because it is bringing OUR babies. I can't wait to see, hold and nurse them. This is what I was born to do. Just remember, if I am in pain I am loving it."

I looked at Dori, she was holding Sally's other hand. She smiled and said, "Rich you go and get a sandwich and a beer and relax a little. I will be with Sally. I have been through this twice, I suspect we have hours to go."

I kissed Sally and went and found Georgie sitting and holding hands with John. They wanted to know how Sally was. I told them the situation. Georgie ran to me and hugged me and kissed me. Tears ran down her cheeks. "I love Sally too. God! How can you stand this?"

"Georgie, Sally just told me that this is what she was born to do and any pain was a joy for her because it means our babies are getting nearer. I am feeling that joy too. I know deep inside that she is in more danger than she has ever been in her whole life and that I might loose her." I had to stop and sob for a while Georgie held me. I wiped my eyes and said, "I need to get a sandwich and a beer, and this could take hours. Georgie if we rush off to the Hospital John is welcome to use our guest room for the night. I promise to keep you guys informed. I know I would have to chain your sister up to leave her behind."

I found the cook in the kitchen and she wanted to know how Sally was doing. She had sandwiches ready and fixed a plate for me. I told her Sally would be happy to see her and to just go on in. I said I didn't know if Sally was hungry.

She was back in a few minutes and said she was fixing a plate for Miss Sally. She looked at me and said, "I am praying for her." I thanked her. The doorbell rang and Georgie answered it. It was Dad and his new wife, Peggy, and Uncle Ike and his new wife, Patsy; they wanted to know what was happening with Sally. I brought them up to date. I pulled Georgie aside and informed her she was in charge now because I might get busy. I told Miss Patsy and Miss Peggy they could go see Sally and they hurried off. I saw Georgie had a beer for Dad and Uncle Ike. She brought John in and introduced him. He sat with them and drank a beer too. The cook returned and put the large plate of sandwiches in front of everyone. She had potato salad and slaw ready too. Dad asked John if he were courting Georgie. He said he was courting just as hard as he knew how. Dad and Uncle Ike started teasing Georgie about her being next in line to have a baby. They didn't know she was anything other than what she appeared to be. They had no need to know. Georgie joked with them that she and John were a long way from thinking about that. They said you can never tell, and that they were both thinking about it too. Then they laughed like hell. Both of them were in their mid-sixties.