I woke to happy noises from the kids' room and happier noises coming from the galley. When I sat up, I realized I was alone. The girls had all gotten up and let me sleep. This was a first.
I slid from bed, pulled the sheet and covers up to make the bed neat, then hit the bathroom. In minutes I was shaved, clean, and dressed, ready for the day.
While I was dressing, Stevie came in to see if I was up. He stayed and talked to me about his new friends, Cory and Corinne. "They don't talk, Daddy, they just listen and do what I tell them. We have fun. They know how to chase me and I chase them."
There was food being prepared in the galley and set on the dining table. The table had enough place settings on it to let me know we were going to have company for breakfast. I gave and got hugs and kisses all around, including Maggie, Missy, and Beth, then was directed to go up to the main deck lounge to welcome our guests as they came over.
I grabbed a big mug of coffee and headed up the gangway. Someone had already beaten me up there, as the TV was on, with the satellite dish set on the news channel. I listened to the updates on CNN Headline News while I waited for Mike, Chanda, Lucille, and Margaret, who would bring Cory and Corinne with them.
The group came across the dock and stepped onto our boat. Mike shook my hand after I was given hugs and soft kisses from the three women. The two little ones even hugged my leg. We all watched as the two kids went down the steps of the gangway one step at a time. They could hear the other kids, so they wanted to join them as quickly as possible.
Just as we were getting ready to go down, Ed showed up saying he came a little early this morning so we could visit before we had to get going. I told them breakfast waited below.
Maggie had made the fish in a blanket that we had learned to make from Dewey's housekeeper. It was a big hit, especially since Maggie had made it with Mahi-Mahi. It was a real treat. We needed to find some wild salmon to make it even more authentic.
After cleaning up the kitchen, we headed out for another ten to twelve hour day of sightseeing. By the time we were back at the yacht club, all we wanted was to eat, shower, and hit the sack. The kids were falling asleep sitting in their high chairs while trying to eat.
This routine continued for over a week until Ed said, "I've shown you everything possible to see. Anything else would either be repetitive or it would be for further investigation. There are some areas farther north that may be interesting, but I don't think you want to do that. I do have an offer though."
Ed stood and said, "Take me with you to the Riviera. I know both the French and Spanish Riviera well. I can get us into some of the special casinos, and especially the best restaurants. If you bring me along, I'll stay out of the way, but at the same time, I'll make your visit in both places memorable."
"How do you know the Riviera so well, Ed?" Sue asked, leaning back into her chair in the yacht club restaurant where we were eating.
"When I first came to Europe, I worked on the French Riviera, then migrated to Monte Carlo and worked there and other cities of the Spanish Riviera. I met many people, and became friends with many more. When they come to Rome, I entertain them here and take them to see the many sights. Since I speak French, Spanish, and Italian, I get along well here. I've just about learned enough German or Dutch to be a decent companion to visiting Germans. I have many friends in high places there, so I will be invaluable to you while on the Riviera."
Chanda and Sue who were sitting together, said in unison, "You're hired." Chanda said, "You can stay on our boat as we have a large crew quarters."
Sue said, "We have crew quarters too, but no crew. He can ride on either boat."
Michelle said, "I've already spoken to the captain to advise him we were going to ride with you guys on your big sailboat. That is if you let us. I'd love to spend more time with all of you and this would be a great way to do it. You don't have a crew, so we will come to your boat. If you had a crew, you could come to our boat."
Ed said, "Perhaps I'll stay on the motor yacht since this one is going to be full of friends. We'll be close enough that if you decide to bring me aboard, it will be easy to tie up and let me jump ship."
The girls and I went over the boat to make sure it was ready to sail. I talked to Mike's and Chanda's captain to advise him that I only was able to sail top speed at thirteen to fourteen knots. He said he would just trail us, that way we would not be playing catch-up all the way there.
We left on a bright sunny morning. I think our Irish friends were more excited about riding on a sailboat than going to the Riviera. When we hoisted our sails and shut down the engines, the feeling of the wind pushing us through the water was magnified by the hot sun rays that raked the deck.
By ten in the morning, I had erected the sun cover for the helm. I kept telling Mike to put on sunscreen as it was too easy to get sunburned out on the open water.
Around ten thirty, we were treated to the vision of ten women parading naked up to the bow. We were able to watch them through the lounge windows as they spread oil and sunblock on each other.
At eleven, a naked Juanita came back and told me to go up and get some sun, she would take the helm for a while. She double-checked our course, then Mike and I went to the bow. I stripped to the buff and was set upon by loving women who wished to protect me from the vicious sun. Kate left to go change places with Maggie, who had been watching the kids, while Mike's women slicked him down with oils.
Maggie came up and sat next to me. I used the oils and gently caressed her back, thighs, and legs, then told her to turn over. While she was on her back, I told her to close her eyes and enjoy having the lotion put on. I slowly massaged her shoulders, then skipped her breasts and applied a sheen to her belly. I began at her toes and worked my way up her legs to her thighs. Maggie's legs automatically opened to me as I worked higher on her thighs.
When I jumped to Maggie's large, saggy breasts, she moaned loudly. I continued to massage and oil her breasts until she actually quivered. Perhaps she even came while I oiled her. The contact was intimate enough that I was fully erect. As I kissed Maggie on the forehead signifying that I was done, she opened her eyes and noticed my rampant erection. Her hand encircled me and she said, "Who knows, I may not be too old to enjoy something like this. Hmmm, I think I know the ladies who might lend me something to find out."
When my usual half hour to forty-five minutes in the direct sun were up, I got up and put my clothes back on to the groans of the women. When I went to relieve Juanita, she asked, "Why did you dress. I think the ladies all want to make this a nude cruise. I know I'd like to have you nude back here at the helm. I want you to fuck me while I manage the wheel. Come on my special senor husband, mi marito esposo, do me now.
This was pretty strong talk from Juanita, so I dropped my shorts and pulled my T-shirt off. Within seconds Juanita and I were connected in the most intimate way. We were coupled beneath the billowing sails that were catching the wind and using it to head west.
Juanita was so excited that our liaison didn't take long at all. She was fucked, kissed, and below deck to wash up, before a larger contingent of women came back to the helm to chat. It was indeed going to be a nude cruise for a while.
Mercy and Sue were together when Mercy said, "This is what we should advertise, a clothing optional cruise. I'll bet we would be booked solid for months. There are probably a lot of naturists that would love to go on a sailing cruise. I used to think that I could never go naked in front of a lot of people and now, come look at me. I'm beautiful without clothes. At least, that's what my husband keeps telling me."
As the afternoon wore on and the sun began to lose some of its killer power, clothes began to appear on those coming in and out of the lounge. I put mine back on and enjoyed the last of Missy and Beth, as they flashed me one last time, on the way back down below deck. Two very fine looking mature women. I think my Juanita was the best of the three, but Beth came in a close second. She had the Phillips bulbous breasts, in her case with considerable sag. But then with jugs that huge, sag is inevitable.
If we sailed all night we would arrive in the French Riviera around noon tomorrow. We chose up two hour shifts, checked the charts for any shallow seas then began getting ready to cruise the night. I did the sleep on the helm lounge chair routine while one of my crew guided the boat and monitored the radar.
Around eleven the next day, I was lowering sails and preparing to motor into the Cannes yacht club that had been chosen for us. Mike's crew, who were now leading us, knew where the elite clubs were and had reserved us slips next to each other. For large boats like ours, they actually didn't have slips, they had special docks where our two huge boats could tie up next to each other.
As we gently came alongside the long dock, there were uniformed attendants everywhere. We were tied up with shore connections faster than we had ever been before. Before we could ask, our holding tank was being flushed and our fuel being replenished.
A lady in an evening gown, and a man in a tux, came down the dock between the two big boats. She was carrying a tray with what looked like cheeses, and he was pushing a cart with two bottles of champagne on ice. In perfect English, we were welcomed to their exclusive yacht club and invited to enjoy a meal within their restaurant on them. Sue asked about private dining rooms so we could eat with the children, and they said they had a special family section that was always fun for children.
Mike and Chanda were more used to the lavish treatment, so we let them handle all the people running around and helped me to direct some of the attendants to do what was necessary for us.
First things first, I announced that I was hungry and wanted to eat. The girls all said that they needed to put on nice clothes to go into the club restaurant.
The outlandishly dressed host and hostess said that the club house was very informal. The only requirement was that clothes should we worn after six. Before that, most of the members and visitors were in casual clothes, bathing attire, or nude. Sue commented that this place was her type of club.
The girls brushed their hair then we all went into the family area of the restaurant. Carson, Steve, Cory, and Corinne were not the only kids in the family section. There were three other families with kids the size of these four. The difference was that all the other kids were nude. Steve, Cory, and Corinne in typical kid fashion, had their clothes off in about two seconds. Carson went running to Kate to tell her that the three had taken off their clothes. Kate told him that it was okay here, as people were not required to wear clothes. He understood, but just stood there a while, watching the other kids play. He soon decided he wanted to be nude as well and was playing with the other children.
The kids had hot dogs and macaroni and cheese, while the adults had some killer soup and hamburgers. We all had bottled water to drink with the delicious meal.
While we were eating, another gowned hostess came to us to help arrange tours while we were visiting. Ed spoke up then and asked about a tour bus that would accommodate all of us. The lady said she would make one available to us with a driver.
Ed said to all of us, "How about this first day, let's go to the famous beach here. You can experience the openness displayed here differently than anywhere else in the world." He recommended we just dress in our swimsuits, but bring some towels and lots of sunscreen and lotion.
The beach where Ed took us was beautiful. Above the beach were what looked to be castles, but were in reality large homes, condos, and hotels. We entered the beach through a large hotel, with Ed greeting a concierge, telling him that we were guests at the yacht club. We were escorted out to the beach to a group of beach loungers and umbrellas about thirty feet from the water.
Looking around, about three quarters of the people on the beach were nude, with the rest of the women mostly topless. More men had on bottoms than women. I could imagine that keeping your shorts on could be less embarrassing.
In an instant, all of our women, even Maggie, were nude. Mike and Ed were both dropping their drawers while the ladies were slicking up the little ones with sunblock. Oh well, when in Rome, or in this case, the Riviera. We played in the water, built a sand fort then attempted to bury Mike. We all had a great time in the sun.
The beach had waiters that came around continuously, asking if we desired food or beverage. We did get a bunch of bottled water for us and the kids. Around five, we headed back to the yacht club to clean up. The kids had only a short nap this day and were all getting tired.
The evening was to be a short one tonight, as I think everyone needed a good night's sleep. Mike and Chanda said their crew was serving dinner this evening, and that we were to come as soon as we were cleaned up.
The big motor yacht was more opulent than can be imagined. The interior was mostly teak with silk curtains and drapes. The dining room was large enough to feed twenty easily, and the accompanying lounge or giant living room was full of large comfortable chairs and couches. There was even a fireplace in the living room, along with a giant television on one wall.
The crew, in dress clothes, served the dinner. That meant men in tuxes that resembled butlers. My family was a little uncomfortable, except for Sue as she had lived around her uncle who had always had a butler. The food was good, and even the little ones seemed to enjoy the meal. After the meal, we were served coffee on the middle party deck of the fancy boat.
It was a blessing to finally go to our boat, put the kids to bed, then sit back with the big extended family and relax. We had not been relaxing but for a couple of minutes before Mike, Chanda, Lucille, and Margaret showed up, asking to join us for a few minutes.
Chanda said, "Your boat is so homey and friendly. You've taken the starch out of the lounge downstairs and up here. It's fancy, even extreme in some cases, but it feels good to be here. Our boat is kind of stuffy, like it's only for rich, snooty people."
I made our guests a drink, then sat back down between Sue and Beth. Maggie went down to the galley and brought back some cookies she had made. The mood was very passive and pleasant. All of us were just relaxing. Soon, Mike said, "Okay, ladies, let's go back to the boat for a good night's sleep. Steve, tomorrow morning, you folks come over for breakfast when you get up. It will be informal and we can plan our day. My cooks make a great American breakfast that is a favorite with us."
Kisses and hugs preceded everyone heading to bed. My ladies wanted some attention. They were wanting equal attention from each other, so we ended up having to change sheets before saying our last goodnight.
In the morning, Ed gave us a description of what we could see here. "The French Riviera is where some of the world's super wealthy live or have winter homes. This is big money, palatial estates, seaside apartments worth millions, homes worth billions, and the gathering place of the indolent old money children of the world."
Chanda said, "That just about describes me doesn't it. Dad's money isn't old money, but I'm just a spoiled brat with a rich father."
Ed continued, "We'll see what kind of nightlife Cannes has, and we'll go over to Antibes to see some more wealth. The big draw here is the beaches. You Florida folks are spoiled since you come from the Gulf Coast. Your beaches are some of the most beautiful in the world. Here, the biggest difference is the beaches are nude. When you get tired of looking at the naked ladies, we'll go to Monte Carlo and try your luck."
I said, "I'd like to play roulette in Monte Carlo like James Bond did in one of his movies. I'm not a lucky gambler, but if I bring my ladies along, I'll bet we come away winners."
Ed smiled, "You can arrange for credit at the casinos or you bring cash. Most people limit themselves to a certain amount, as money can fly away."
Mercy told Ed, "Don't worry about Steve. He's the original miser. When we went to Las Vegas, he watched Sue and I play slot machines, then he promptly went to the blackjack tables and won back what we lost. Do you think he would stay and play more? No, no, not mister miser. He said that we were at least back to even, so we should get while the getting was good."
"Smart man," Ed said. "I definitely want to go gambling with you, Steve. Sounds like you know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em."
Kate began laughing, "That's a Jimmy Rogers song that my mom used to listen to that all the time."
"I'm getting old to hear a young lady your age say something like that," Ed lamented.
Sue decided for us, "Let's go to the beach again in the morning, then make arrangements to go to Monte Carlo for a couple of days. There are beaches there too, so how about making reservations for us Ed. Try for a big suite of rooms as we are a pretty big group."
Ed said, "Hmmm, Eleven adults, and five kids. Twelve if you include me, but I think I'd rather stay in a private room. You folks are family and enjoy being together. I think I would be an interloper. Besides, there are ladies I wish to visit with in Monte Carlo."
The next morning we went back to the private beach near the yacht club, and after the kids had a nap, we drove to Monte Carlo. The hotel we went to was worse than the yacht club. There were two bellhops for every bag. They even had maids that were trying to take the two little ones from Sue and Mercy so they wouldn't have to carry them.
I let Mike do the honors and check us in as he was more used to dealing with these types of places. Ed had reserved a huge suite that had about eight bedrooms off a sitting area. There was even a huge hot tub out on the suite's patio. When you looked out from the patio, there was a beautiful pool, and beyond that were the beach and the Mediterranean. The place was gorgeous. Mike said that I would need to go downstairs and either buy or rent a tuxedo, as you couldn't get into the private casino without one.
He informed all of us that he and his ladies would not be going into the casino as Chanda's dad had a bit of a habit and was concerned that his daughter and son-in-law would lose more money than they should. Mike said, "You folks enjoy the casino, but remember to leave early enough to have money for tomorrow. We will enjoy a special dinner and one of the shows, then meet you back here."
Sue and Mercy took me by the hand and Sue said, "Come Mr. jeans and T-shirt, you need some duds. We'll make sure you look spiffy."
The hotel had a shopping mall that would rival most stateside malls, literally hundreds of shops. The men's clothier we went to went into action by measuring me in every direction. I put on the pair of pants offered and they marked them for length. Next was the jacket, which was pulled and tugged different ways while they marked it as well. I tried on some shirts until the girls nodded their approval, and finally I was fitted with what they called braces. Big deal, braces are nothing but leather suspenders. Then I had to endure the black socks and the fancy shoes. I did find a pair of fancy slip on shoes that felt so comfortable, I would be able to wear them in another life, so I didn't feel too bad.
Just when I thought the pain was over, Mercy said, "That will be for one night, now you must have something for tomorrow." When I was going to object, she said, "We'll just rent this one, but we can buy a couple of the shirts we like."
The tailors did it all again until they were satisfied. Sue gave them her credit card and was told that the clothes would be delivered to the room in an hour. That's some fast service.
We ate early at the hotel and went back up to the rooms. Ed had come up with two professional nannies that he knew, so we could take our entire group to the casinos this first night. Sue made sure that each of the women had at least ten grand in local currency to play with. She whispered to me, "That drug money is finally going to do some good. Kate thinks she's rich now and may not spend ten cents. Maggie has visions for a better retirement. My mom has always watched her money and thinks I'm too extravagant now that I know I have money. Missy just smiles, as I know Merlin and her have money."
I had to ask, "When did you get money from the safe deposit box?"
"I did that before the trip through the canal and never put it back. I've been stashing some cash in the box all along, but this time I took out a bunch in case we went nuts on this trip."
Sue told me, "You use your credit card to buy chips tonight. I'm not sure what your limit is, but I don't think you'll reach it. If you do, use your American Express."
The casino was a demonstration of more wealth. Wow, ladies with so much glitzy jewelry that you would have thought you were in Tiffany's. Women dressed in gowns whose cost would be the annual income of many stateside families. The one thing that was nice, there were waiters and waitresses circulating with glasses of champagne and wines, but would chase an asked for drink if you wanted.
I watched as the women went off in pairs and threesomes. Kate and Maggie were interested in baccarat, Juanita, Mercy, and Sue headed toward the ever present slot machines, and Missy and Beth said they wanted to come with me to play roulette.
First stop was the cashier to buy chips, then we watched a few tables with wheels to see which one we wanted to play on. The three of us liked a table that looked like the players were having fun, so we went up to it and exchanged our house chips for roulette chips and put some money down. Each player's chips differed in color so the croupier could tell what chips belonged to whom. Beth and I chose just the color red, but Missy smiled and put money on red seventeen.
The ball was spun then came to rest in red seventeen. Beth and I had a small payoff, but Missy received a huge stack of chips. When the man called for bets, Beth and I again put our money on red, but Missy said that it was probably going to be black this time so we moved our bets. Missy didn't bet at all, but watched as the ball rolled to a black number. We did this a few more times and consistently won, but Missy did not bet. Then she put all her chips on red nineteen, smiling. Beth and I decided to join her pushing all of our chips that we had won into the marker.
Because between the three of us and another player having bet so much, a floor supervisor came over to watch. When the little ball settled into red nineteen, everyone at the table cheered at our winnings. Instead of little chips, they gave Missy several big rectangular chips in the same color as her other chips.
"I think we should do something else before we win too much. Our luck is scary. The floor manager commented in a thick French accent, "Thank you for moving on, your luck was phenomenal." He exchanged our roulette chips for house chips.
I wanted to play blackjack, while the ladies wanted to join Kate and Maggie at baccarat. As usual, I went to a low stakes table and enjoyed a nice winning run. Blackjack is easy if you pay attention. The house has to do some things and you should do some other things. If you play smart, you almost always win.
It was while I was concentrating on the game that a woman got up close to me rubbing her chest up against my arm. It was distracting enough that I looked over to see some nice cleavage, then was curious enough to look at her face.
"Sheila, what are you doing here?"
A hand slapped me on the shoulder, and Dewey's voice said, "She's in Monte Carlo seeing her friends throw their money away."
I turned and hugged Sheila, then hugged Dewey. I was genuinely surprised, but happy to see them.
"Seriously, Dewey, what are you doing here?" I asked, pulling my chips from the table.
Dewey said, "I had called you in Florida and found out you were on your great adventure and were heading toward the Riviera. It's not too hard to track down a hundred seventy-five foot sailboat with S&S all over it. We found out what hotel you were in and we have a suite across from you. We must have just missed you because you all were down here when we checked in. We dressed quickly and came down to find you."
"Wow, so you just decided to come play with us?"
"It's kind of dreary in the islands this time of year, and Sheila has never seen the Riviera before, so here we are."
I was excited, "Let's go find the girls and tell them you're here." As we passed Missy, Beth, Maggie, and Kate I told them I was going to get the other girls. Missy and Beth both knew Dewey and Sheila and greeted them warmly. We found the three ladies at adjoining slot machines pushing buttons in an attempt to win a big pot.
Sue saw Dewey first, and jumped up to hug him and Sheila. Mercy got so excited, she said that she almost peed on herself, and gave the couple hugs and kisses. Juanita was sweet. She had met the couple and enjoyed their company, but knew that the two were important to Sue, Mercy, and me. She gave them warm hugs, telling them how happy she was to see them.
We found a sitting area and had a drink while talking for a while. Missy came over and said, "Come on, Steve, come win some more money for Beth and me. Dewey, you should come too, as Steve has his lucky horseshoe up his butt again."
Sheila went with my three girls, while the other four women, with Dewey and I, went back to the roulette tables again. We watched the tables a while, selecting one where the players were having fun, and after exchanging chips, we began placing bets. After just a few rolls, the floor supervisor was over to see us again saying, "So you're back. Are you going to take all our money?"
Dewey smiled at the man, "If anyone can, this guy will do it."
The floor man asked, "Is this gentleman with you, sir?"
"Yes, he is. He is my guest here, and at all of my hostelries," Dewey smiled.
"Actually, Dewey, it was Missy who brought me the luck, or perhaps Beth."
The floor supervisor observed, "You didn't seem to have any trouble continuing to win at blackjack. I think you are very lucky."
Dewey said, "He is very lucky. Stay around him and you will get lucky too."
I looked at Dewey, "Do you own this too, and the hotel we are staying at?"
Dewey laughed, "Only a part owner. The hotel and casinos here all have multiple owners, so the underworld cannot take them over. I think I may own about a tenth or fifteenth of this casino. The employees are required to recognize the owners whenever we are on premise, so that we are treated well. Let's watch you win some money."
I was bracketed by Missy and Beth. Missy whispered into my ear and said, "Red 15, but only put a small amount. We'll lose this time, but win the next."
I told Beth to only bet a little on red then to follow me. Maggie and Kate both put their money on red, and all but me won. The next time the croupier called for bets, I put down five of the hundred thousand rectangular chips and Missy put five down all on red 15. The girls followed suit by putting the majority of their chips down. Dewey was laughing and put down a big chip as well. The croupier held up his stick so the floor supervisor could observe the bet and roll.
When the ball was rolled, I swear the man at the wheel was sweating. The ball hung on the edge for an eternity and looked as if it would fall into a black slot but then swerved over and landed in red 15. The table erupted in applause. While the croupier was paying out, Missy leaned to me and said, "Play a black then we need to go to another table."
The black paid, then we walked two tables down to a real high stakes table. The floor supervisor followed us and watched me closely. Missy whispered, "This is easy, this is all black and all six."
I put my all my chips on the black six. This represented about four hundred thousand dollars. Dewey laughed, and put all his chips down. Missy, Beth, Kate, and Maggie put all of their chips down and we applauded the croupier as he spun the wheel then sent the little ball rolling in the opposite direction.
There was a hush at the table as we had bet probably five or six million Euros on the black six. As the wheel slowed the ball began bouncing around to different numbers then dropped decisively into the slot marked six, black.
A small crowd had gathered at the news of someone winning big. They all began applauding and cheering, happy to have been a part of the game of chance victory.
Sue sidled up to me at that moment and said, "Have you been showing off?"
Mercy was next to her and said, "I think my Mom is showing off. This is right up her alley. I think you guys should leave the gaming room for a while and let the house win some money."
I said, "How about one more roll. Missy, you can't bet or tell me anything. If I were the rest of you guys I wouldn't bet much if anything. I'm tired of carrying all the chips, what do I have here five, ten million worth?"
The floor supervisor quickly counted all of my chips and said, "You have twenty-eight million, Sir."
I stacked all of the big chips on Red seventeen then changed my mind and moved them to black eighteen. I kept one chip that represented the amount I had cashed in at the cashier's cage.
The croupier looked expectantly at the supervisor then called out for bets. All my people put a few of the big chips on black eighteen until there was at least thirty-five million stacked up.
I told Dewey, "Now I'll feel better. The house will get some back."
Sue, Mercy, Juanita, and Sheila all walked up to be told by Missy and Beth that I have just bet almost thirty million at one time. Sue came over and kissed my cheek. "Trying to give some back?"
The wheel spun, the ball rolled, and low and behold the little ball bounced all over the wheel to land solidly into black eighteen.
The croupier had his eyes closed and the floor supervisor let out a huge breath of air, shaking his head. He looked at all of us and asked, "Will you be leaving now?"
As we all cashed out to get house chips and a written receipt for my colossal winnings, Beth was exclaiming. "Oh, Steve, if you had been around when I was raising Sue, we would have lived a luxurious life. My goodness, I don't know how much you and Missy won, but I've won over a million Euros. That's a lot of money."
Dewey said, "Let's go back to our hotel and relax. If you and I are still up for it, we'll go back down to the casino after a while."
We all went back to the hotel and relieved the professional nannies we had hired. They said the kids were all wonderful and didn't require any special treatment. Mercy, Sue, Kate, and I all checked the little ones and kissed their foreheads.
Amazing how you get choked up every time you observe the little critters while they are sleeping. You love them so much they become the focal point of your entire life. After the four of us gave each of the little ones a kiss, we had to have a group hug to let loose the loving feelings we had.
Dewey and Sheila were coming in the door as we came out of the kids' room. Sheila asked, "Can we bring little Dewey in to stay with your kids. I know Dewey and he's going to want to go back to the tables later. If I don't go with him, he'll lose entirely too much money, so if little Dewey stays with your kids, we can let the nanny go."
Sue went with Sheila to bring little Dewey and his bed into the room with our four.
We chatted for a while, then Dewey became a little jittery. "How about going back to the casino for a little while? I'm feeling so lucky that my money is burning a hole in my pocket."
Sheila asked if I was going to go with him, and I nodded yes. She said she was going to stay up with the ladies for a while.
Beth, Missy, and Mercy decided they wanted to come with Dewey and me, so we left, promising to come back fairly soon.
As soon as we entered the casino, Dewey wanted to play roulette. I suggested we all buy some chips, play some blackjack, and have a drink.
Missy and Mercy had never played blackjack before, so I gave them a quick lesson, but should have directed us away from the high stakes table we were at. I played cautiously and directed the ladies how to play. We were up pretty well, then Missy began her squinting and thoughtful mannerisms. She was folding then betting, then folding, then betting. Each time she was winning. Mercy must have picked up on what her mother was doing and was soon mimicking her mother, but on different cards. The two had a stack of chips in front of them.
Beth, Dewey, and I just played our cards and mostly winning, but from our years of playing blackjack, not from sensing what cards were coming. Mercy said, "Let's play something else, this is kind of boring."
The dealer looked at her strangely, and asked in his French accent, "You do not like to win? Why would you quit? Can you be bored with winning money?"
We all smiled at him and tossed him a low value chip as a tip.
Ah, the roulette tables. Missy watched the different tables for a while then had a quiet conversation with Mercy. Mercy was nodding her head, then headed toward the exclusive table down in a pit. This table was reserved for high stakes players. We all exchanged our chips for a couple of meager chips from the croupier.
We put a chip on black and it came up black. We put a chip on red and it came up red. I began to put a chip on red twelve and Missy moved me over one to black eleven. It was a winner.
I almost didn't make the next bet, as I couldn't make up my mind but Missy whispered, black thirty-five. I shrugged my shoulders and put my money there while Missy but a single chip on black. Beth was copying Missy while Dewey was following me.
I said, "Let's bet the farm on one last roll and go to bed. I'm getting tired. Missy whispered into my ear, red twenty-one. All of the others followed where I put my chips, with Missy acting like she was following my lead. The croupier held up his stick and the same floor supervisor came.
"So you are now cleaning us out on the big table again. Here, let me roll. Perhaps I will bring the owners some luck."
Dewey said softly, "Not a chance, pal. This guy has luck that is phenomenal."
I said as the man sent the ball the opposite way of the spinning wheel, "I'm only lucky when I have my women near me." Mercy gave me a kiss on one cheek and Missy kissed me on the other. Beth leaned over and gave me a genuine lip lock that was not a kiss from a mother-in-law.
The ball didn't hesitate but dropped into red twenty-one long before the wheel had finished spinning. The floor supervisor and croupier filled out slips for us to turn into the cashier. We had collectively just won about forty million dollars. We, along with the pit crew, were in a state of shock.
Dewey led us to the cashier then said, "Steve, you are the luckiest man alive. You say it's because of someone else, but you bring everyone luck. Tonight is unbelievable. I'll bet they don't have winners like you but once or twice a year. That was awesome."
We all had the money deposited into our individual bank accounts so we could access it through our debit cards if we wanted.
Mercy and Missy both winked at me as I blushed from Dewey's praise.
When we reached the hotel suite, the girls were still all talking. Sheila asked, "Did you lose it all back, Honey?"
Dewey began laughing hysterically, "No way, I more than doubled my earlier winnings."
"My goodness, you were up over three million when we came up before. You mean you won even more?"
"That's what I'm saying. Steve is my good luck charm. This is unbelievable. He must have won about fifty million tonight. Mercy, Beth, and Missy all won huge too."
Sue said with coy look, "So Mercy, Juanita, Kate, and I can go shopping tomorrow?"
I broke up laughing. "Sure, you can take your lucky mother, mother-in-law, and Mercy with you. They all won as often as I did. I just bet more often than anyone else. I was trying to give some of the money back to the casino when I picked the wrong number and won one last time."
Dewey said, "We just played whatever Steve did. Since I knew he would win, I just kept dumping everything I had on his numbers. He actually beat the table odds in the pit. Nobody does that."
The party soon broke up as it was getting pretty late. It was agreed that we would have breakfast in our suite about seven, then for the people late getting up, again about ten.
Since it was two o'clock in the morning here, I figured it would be about eight in the evening in Florida, so I called home. Glenda answered then put me immediately on speakerphone. Sue, Mercy, and I talked to everyone for almost an hour. Tiny finally asked me, "Are you winning too much money in Monte Carlo?"
"Why?" I asked cautiously.
"Interpol called us at work to find out a little about you. The only reason they would do that is if you were winning outrageously in the casinos," Tiny laughed.
"We did pretty well all evening," I said to Tiny. "Dewey showed up and Beth, Missy, Mercy, Dewey, and I all went down to the high stakes tables and really got lucky. The best part about this is that we don't have to pay income tax on it."
Tiny said, "I told the guy from Interpol that you were one hell of a lucky person and that when you were surrounded by the women in your life, you were even luckier. He said you were being trailed by a half dozen or so women."
I had been having some strange thoughts about our business and the future economy lately, so I said. "I need to talk to you tomorrow about a couple of things I've been thinking about. I'll call during your day so we can talk about it."
"Okay, Dude," Tiny said. "I'll talk to you tomorrow. Oh yeah, I wanted to tell you that both the air charter and the fishing boat charter are in the black big time. Your newest venture, that is now up to three boats, besides the monster you're sailing, is about to be black. We leased the three boats so you could be paid back for the Magellan. This way, we're only on the hook for the lease period. If the economy tanks, we can get rid of everything within less than a year. Anyway, the sailboats are reserved for almost the entire year already. I'm thinking we could use a couple more. The Dunedin yacht club is buying the dock next to them so they have room for all our boats. How about that, we're becoming important."
"Careful, Tiny, we don't want to stretch our business partners. They are sort of a business partner, considering that's where we keep several million in floating stock."
"Okay, I understand but, Steve?" asked Tiny. "Ask me about Mexican oil in the morning. I have an idea that may be a good one. It could be good for us."
"I'll do that, Tiny, but for everyone that can hear me, we all miss you and will be home before long. We have to go to England then we'll be on our way home. I'll talk to you tomorrow," I said and hung up.
Sue said, "You know, I'm really getting homesick."
Mercy commented also, "I miss our home too. Even though I love to sail, I want to go home soon."
That night we loved each other gently, enjoying our closeness.