The Dark Lady Ch. 08

"And they both know that bigger isn't necessarily better." My hands were still working on her. "What's the latest on the organ?"

She backed me into a corner as the others went for food. "Keep doing that. Will you take me to bed tonight? It's been too long." She pushed a hand down the front of my pants. "I've been told I have to play your organ first."

My hands beat a tattoo on her back. "You are an exceedingly bad girl." I swung her up on my shoulders and paraded us to the buffet, saying "She has to be punished. She is holding out on me about the organ." I lifted her down and Laura handed her the missing tee shirt. Now Susan was almost as pink as Karen.

So everyone could hear, she said, "It is all crated up and scheduled to leave Missouri tomorrow in a special van. After it gets here in several days, they say it will take perhaps a month to put it back together with needed maintenance, and then retune the pipes. I told them a May performance date was not negotiable. "

I was on the floor with Clemmie after dinner. Our backs were against the wall and we were entertaining Susan and Phyllis on our laps. Betsy was supposed to be sleeping in the back, but appeared at the doorway looking for her mom. Actually, she had a roomful of moms. Clara scooped her up and brought her over. She sat on Phyllis' back and laughed. "Momma." Phyllis sat up and placed her in my lap. "Play with your new daddy."

I leaned over. "It's nice to have a single mom in the group. Keeps us grounded about the real world."

Her tongue licked at me. I asked, "So you got to play the Melchior organ and liked it. We aren't going to have just a loud theatre style organ?"

They bubbled and giggled with excitement. Betsy looked at her mom curiously ."Oh Theo, this is a musician's organ. The sound just lifts you up and floats you away."

I waved Clara back. "You are telling me we stumbled into something special in the organ world and we have to treasure and safeguard it?" They held hands and said to each other, "He understands. He is not even a musician." I handed Betsy to Clemmie and pulled them in. "I think we just found another way to help launch the new line. If you are right, distinguished organists will be interested in playing concerts on it. For their own enjoyment and others' too. What if you looked around for someone really high up on the list of great organists and we found a way to entice him or her to come for an inaugural concert the day before our jewelry announcement? Fills the gallery to overflowing. Lots of excited musicians from around Tucson and UA will want to be here. The word of mouth and the press coverage will be terrific."

Clara was pulling my hair and the women had swooned right in front of me. "Too much, too much..."

Clemmie was holding Betsy to her bosom and grinning ear to ear.

"I have another question. I heard that organs are very sensitive to acoustics. Shouldn't we be hiring someone to check out our location? Hang some dampers or something like that? If there is all this hoopla and the sound is dead, we will look awfully silly."

Clara stopped pulling and started kissing. Clemmie handed Betsy to Clara and punched me. "The last time this happened, I had to become an instant seismometer expert. Now I am supposed to work with these two and quick find an acoustics expert. One who knows about organs." She draped herself over my head and nibbled on my ear.

I kissed and whispered, "It has to be done, doesn't it?"

"Yes, damn it. What would we do without you thinking ahead?"

Everyone was cleaning up and getting ready to leave. I grabbed Susan and told her I lusted after her fine body but Clemmie was in charge and I had to get up early again tomorrow. "There is a big scrimmage at the U on Tuesday and I don't get any hall passes until after that."

She licked my ear and said, "You mean pussy passes, don't you? I'll talk to Clemmie."

Clara was back, "God damn it, Theo, you are scaring the shit out of me with your big ideas. Kim and I and Marty are leaving for New York on Sunday night to look for inventory. It's not easy, you know, to find good stuff."

Phyllis came over with baby in arms. "Say goodnight to Daddy."

"Night, Daddy."

Talk about melting me. I kissed the tip of her nose and said, "After we get through that list of pedigreed organists, I want to sit there and hear you play the Melchior."

Her hand squeezed mine. "Thank you, boss... and lover."

Clemmie and I were in the kitchen with the twins. She said, "These two want to come back to the house with us. I told them about the rules and they said ok. They said we will need breakfast, and lunch to take to the ranch. Ok?"

"Have I ever been able to say no to these two?" They laughed and said, "But you beat us. Beat our backsides terribly."

When we told Kim she could only come along if she wanted to get up at five, that cooled her enthusiasm. "My own bed will be fine. Give me a ring and fill me in after you get there."

I was driving when Clemmie's phone chimed. She looked at it and said, "Hi Carlos. What's up? By the way, you looked terrific today. Wait until those college guys see you on Tuesday."

Lots of quick Spanish coming over the phone. "Hang on a sec, let me ask."

"Carlos says he is not supposed to know, but his mom said his dad will be at the ranch tomorrow with Eduardo, and if Carlos and Arturo came with us, they would get a chance to see him."

"Tell him fine and bring the balls. Make a rendezvous for six-thirty."

I looked over the back seat and found eyes on me. "I didn't want to scare Clara worse than I was, but you know Cinco de Mayo is May 5? Well, that gives us a whole week between the first and the fifth to have special programs, concerts and introductions. The end of the week we will devote to doing things that relate to the festival. I'm thinking Carlos and Arturo and their mom would be the right people to help organize that end of things."

Strangled moans from my passengers. "Here's some more. Selma and Marty and Manuel's wife can go to work finding authentic silver jewelry in Mexico to be part of our collection. There might even be time to engage a silversmith to do a basketful of small pieces that could sell for ten or twenty dollars so this isn't just a rich people's party."

Sarah's knuckles were hitting my skull hard. "Theo," she said in a very low voice, "Kim and Clara are going to lock you in a windowless room if you don't stop spouting these incredible ideas."

We were pulling up to Clemmie's house and I promised no more ideas tonight. I was beat from a long week and let the three of them boss me here and there, throwing a bag together for the trip in the morning, and remembering to bring my workout shoes.

They insisted that I lay out on a big towel on the bed while three pairs of hands worked oil into me. They were naked and a little sweaty and the odors were fine. They turned me over and commented about how floppy I was. "Clemmie, what have you done to him. There is nothing there."

"He is learning, slowly, that you can't be a Division I pass receiver and Lothario at the same time. At least not when you are as out of shape as he is."

A tongue licked me, testing for reaction. Nothing. I closed my eyes. I didn't deserve this much loving attention.

"Are we going to sleep like this, with me greasy?" The light went out and three lips said good night. Oh man.

At five am, four bodies stumbled to the shower and took turns getting themselves degreased. I tried to tell the twins to go back to bed, it was still dark, but they clung to me and asked if they could please, pretty please, come along. They wanted to see DR's ranch, DR's woman, and the latest pile of gems. They said they would sit in the way back of the SUV, and do all kinds of chores when we got there.

I looked at Clemmie, who rolled her eyes and nodded. The twins were nakedly pressing their gorgeous fronts into me, and this morning I was definitely hard. I pushed them away, threatening another attack on their persons, and said they could come.

This produced a whirlwind of activity, and we pulled away from the house at six with two perfectly formed females nestled in a giant mound of food and gear in the cargo space.

Carlos and Arturo were waiting when we drove up, and had their mom, Maria, too. The twins were keeping their heads down in the back while Clemmie and I gave all three members of the Gutierrez family a warm welcome. We were several miles down the highway when there was a little noise from the rear of the car. Carlos looked over the seat and said to his mom, "Chicas guapas."

Clemmie mouthed, "Pretty girls," and we smiled. Maria said, "You have stowaways?"

Everyone laughed. A pair of hands came over the seat and worked in Carlos' hair. He went rigid. "Carlos," Sarah said, "we hear your throwing arm is like steel and Theo can't hold on to your passes."

Carlos relaxed and the arms retreated. "Theo has great hands. When I played for my high school, the receivers dropped more than they caught. It was discouraging, but we still won games. Theo never drops my passes..."

Clemmie said, "Carlos, you and Theo need a strategy for Tuesday. Those college guys will be gunning for you. I think Theo should drop your first three passes and look bad doing it. The AU guys will think the two of you are amateurs and relax. Then you throw three different passes in a row, and Theo runs each one in for a touchdown."

She added, "By the way, those hands from the back belong to one of our gymnasts. The cheering section is coming Tuesday with almost nothing on and is going to do pyramids and somersaults and distract your opposition."

Carlos and I exchanged looks. She was not only my trainer, but our offensive coach. "Senor Theo, she has a good idea." He hesitated at the end and Clemmie filled in, "For a woman." She stared at him. "Carlos, if you are not careful, we will beat on you like we do Theo."

Maria spoke to her son in rapid Spanish. Carlos was responding "Si," many times. Clemmie giggled and reached back for Maria's hand. The two of them had a few words in Spanish that I didn't catch.

Clemmie grinned at me and said, "You don't need to know."

We drove into the ranch and there was a welcoming committee on the porch. Maria rushed into the arms of Manuel and was swung around in a circle receiving a hot kiss. Evie had her arms around DR, and Selma was with Eduardo. The twins piled out of the back and ran around giving kisses everywhere and turning somersaults. Carlos looked at me and shook his head. I motioned to the sack of balls and we started tossing one back and forth. The women decided breakfast should be outside in the sun and we were told to wash up. Carlos whispered to me, "That woman is special. My mom told me to respect her."

I whispered back, "Carlos, she is very special. She kisses me and beats me and I get lots of loving."

He asked, "Why you let them beat you?"

"It is the secret to great loving. They get all excited and you have many benefits." I laughed with him. "Try this with your girlfriend and see what happens." Arturo was taking it all in and smiling himself.

After breakfast, the men had fresh coffee and talked about the mine. I noticed Clemmie walking off with Maria but said nothing.

Manuel had ten men with green cards who could cross the border easily. They were happy to work for Manuel, who was a relative of most of them. He was paying twice agricultural wages

There was talk of fencing. A lot of fencing. Manuel said a jeep with an augur was needed. Clemmie was back and said, "I will be happy to find a jeep with a big augur!" Her eyes were dancing and everyone laughed. Manuel said something to her in Spanish and she blushed. Selma was nearby and gave Manuel a good cuff. He looked daggers at her and said, "You are learning bad manners across the border." He hadn't even finished that when Maria had him in an armlock, whispering in Spanish. Eduardo and DR laughed loudly.

Manuel stood and pointed, "Go! We have work to do." The women went back into the house, giggling.

DR said, "Manuel, I don't understand this new way the women have, but Theo thrives on it, and every time he comes to the ranch there is another beautiful woman on his arm."

Manuel's eyes were dark and he muttered to himself.

By noon, we had sorted out security, permits, fencing, and the first two or three week's work. For now, the men would go home on weekends, except for a rotating patrol. Theo agreed to design and install an Internet server with a satellite connection in a protected location at the old mine site. A mesh WiFi network would pick up a dozen cameras and make them accessible remotely over a secure connection.

Clemmie sat at one end of the table, recording all the decisions on her laptop. Eduardo leaned over and gestured at the machine. "It is necessary to learn that, we need to communicate across the border by Internet."

At lunch, Maria had her husband at the end of the table, talking fast in Spanish. Clemmie said to me, "She is telling him that the women at the community center have been teaching her about the computer and she will teach him."

I said to Eduardo, "The new company should buy everyone a good computer, and pay for the network connection." He looked at me and nodded. "Si."

After lunch, Carlos and Arturo and I cleared off a patch of desert of the worst rocks and ran patterns. Catching our breath in the shade of a tree, we decided on our three bad plays for Tuesday. Arturo made suggestions about dumb pass receiver moves. Telegraphing with eyes or knees, and so on. I said, "Arturo, you are such an expert, let's make one of the three dumb plays be yours." We all laughed and went out to work on the three good plays.

When we got back to the ranch house, the women were having a meeting with DR about jewelry orders and designs. There was a bottle of wine and glasses in use. The women were impressed by DR's samples, and several sketches he had done of pieces with a Southwest motif.

I sat on a bench behind Clemmie and ran my fingers down her back. She didn't turn but I could see her smile, and I could see Maria and Evie eyeing me. Selma was somewhere with Eduardo and Manuel talking about the company and employment details.

For the first time all week, I felt relaxed. Football was under control. The Mexicans were going to do a fabulous job at the mine. I whispered to Clemmie, "Tell them about the shopping trip. They are leaving tomorrow."

She was very careful with our amazing jeweler and geologist. "DR, we can't wait to see these in real gold from the mine. But all the signals are that demand is going to be large, maybe stupendous. Kim and Marty and Clara are going to New York tomorrow to shop for nice things to have in a second line that would be less expensive than the work you are going to do. Kim feels that we should not end up with a lot of disappointed buyers."

DR squinted at her. "I might have known Theo's smart women would figure something like that out. If you are worrying about insulting me, don't. You especially, Clemmie. How many times have you turned me down? An ordinary man would have gone off the deep end by now."

He laughed uproariously. Evie and Maria frowned. Clemmie moved into my lap and made a show of giving me a hot kiss.

DR cackled some more. "Look at that. She really is a one man woman." He walked over and kissed the top of her head. "Theo, this one is special. Treat her right."

Now everyone was smiling and the meeting broke up so dinner prep could start. I kissed the one man woman on her cheek and said, "The desert rat is a fan of Clemmie."

She pulled my hair and said, "This is making me teary. I have to go work."

The twins insisted on staying with Clemmie and me on Sunday night when we got back from the ranch. Even with their warm bodies around me, the five am training call was cruel. The trainer was worse, prodding me with her toe and calling me a lazy no account wannabe football player.

Three hours later, on the way to the office, I was pulling up her blouse and tickling her ribs,

"Stop that. You are going to cause a wreck. What's got into you?"

"I have the world's best trainer and was just saying thank you. What is at the top of the priority list this morning?"

"We have to get all that fencing on order. And look for a used jeep with an augur..."

I leaned over, "My augur is not good enough for you?"

She laughed and said, "Manuel did not think that was funny. But Maria and Selma are working on him."

"So I should be talking to Erica about the visa business?"

"Yes, and go see Karen and Susan about the organ while I get the mail and messages organized."

When I got to Erica's office, she went to the door behind me and locked it.

"You've been ignoring me. How do you expect HR to function without some loving?"

I had her against the wall in a full body press when I answered, "You are one hot woman that I have been neglecting. I admit it. But Clemmie has me under her thumb. You have seen her at work. She is completely single minded, and sex for me is well down the list."

She grabbed my ears and I stuffed my tongue down her throat. "The grapevine tells me you are going to scrimmage with the big guys from AU tomorrow."

"Yes, I am probably going to be flattened on every play. Maybe my football career will be over after the scrimmage."

"I'll believe that when I see it. You are here about Manuel, aren't you? How did the weekend go?"

"He is strong, smart, and a born leader. We really need him."

"I had a conversation with the regional Director the other day and she sounded encouraging. Told us to get everything in writing, find some character references they can check, and send it over."

"Good. Selma can help with the Spanish. By the way, we are probably going to hire his wife, Maria, who lives here with the two sons, to help with jewelry design and acquisition in Mexico. I'll ask Selma to produce a consulting agreement in Spanish and English for you to review."

All this time, I was pressing and wiggling on her body, which was coming back at me harder and harder.

"Do you do quickies? In the office?"

"Let's meet at Keeler at four and take our time. I'll tell Clemmie it is matter of mental health."

The kiss was hot. "Mental health. I'll remember that."

I was still cooling down from torrid Erica when I reached the Arts and Music Program hideout. The tables were covered with a new set of posters and flyers. I pointed and raised my eyebrows.

"Those are the second generation. To use a month or so after the first."

They clustered around me for a kiss. "Is working together still fun? Better than school?"

"Theo, we shouldn't say this, but we are unleashed! Every day we have a new idea and we get to chase it. We don't have to ask permission. We don't have to draft horrible memos. We just do it!"

"So being seduced by one of your students wasn't all bad?"

The attack was brutal. "Theo! We are not answering that. You will get a swelled head. We are decent women!" That set off a terrific round of giggles and laughter. I said, "You can't tell anyone, but Clemmie admitted that if the scrimmage goes well tomorrow, she is handing out chits for close encounters with me." The pounding got harder.

"Actually, I came to ask about the organ."

"Come, we will show you." There was a small parade to the back of the atrium, where a large alcove had been partitioned in place. Electrical wiring was in progress and taping of the sheetrock was almost completed.

Karen said, "The van is coming tomorrow morning. We will put up some tape to make an area for arranging the pipes and console and inner works. It's all going together wonderfully." She kissed me and drew some whistles from the tapers. "Hey, we are deserving too..."

Back in my office, Clemmie pointed to the sofa and sank into my lap. "Tell me."