Chapter 8
Nina and Erika spent the night at the Murphys' house on December nineteenth. The morning of the twentieth dawned dismal and gray. A major snowstorm was marching relentlessly eastward and was predicted to blanket Boston in a foot of snow during the overnight hours. Nina called the airport at seven. She was told that normal flight operations were ongoing. Heartened by the news, they all waited anxiously for their ride to the airport to arrive. Jennie was the only Murphy not going; she was staying at the Flynns' house to spend the holidays with Larry. Larry was now stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and would arrive home for Christmas leave on the twenty-second.
At seven-thirty, two limousines glided smoothly to the curb in front of the house. It was the first surprise of a day about to be full of surprises for the Murphys. The limousines made good time to Logan, the veteran drivers taking advantage of their knowledge of Boston traffic. Sean noticed that the limos did not use the main terminal road, instead traveling around to the private aviation hangers. The limos drove onto the tarmac and parked nose-on to a small jet. The General Electric Corporation owned the Lear 24c. Terry Steyaert had been able to leverage TFA's increasing appliance orders into an at-cost use of the GE corporate jet. Sean wanted to complain about the extravagance, but Nina told him it was actually cheaper to lease the jet than to buy all of them a ticket. Well, actually, it was cheaper than buying them all a first class ticket. Nina just kept that addendum to herself.
The pilot put Mr. Murphy in the co-pilot's seat, made sure everyone else was belted in, and then prepared his aircraft for take-off. The pilot rolled out on the taxiway and assumed his spot in the take-off rotation. Fifteen minutes later, they were wheels-up over the Atlantic. The pilot climbed to twenty-eight thousand feet and turned south-south-east for the three and a half hour flight to Daytona. Mr. Murphy got out of the copilot's seat after the fasten seat belt sigh was extinguished. He made his way back to sit with his family while Erika took the seat he just vacated.
Erika asked the pilot a bunch of questions about the plane and flying in general. The pilot was happy to explain things to the big blonde. She was sitting sideways in the seat showing some spectacular topography. The flight was short and smooth; it ended way before the aviator wanted it to. The pilot deftly touched down in a bright sunny Daytona and taxied towards the general aviation hangers. He coasted to a stop in front of another pair of limousines that waited for his passengers. The pilot opened the main cabin door and lowered the integrated stairs. He stood at the bottom of the stairs assisting everyone exiting, while a ground crewman opened the cargo hold and unloaded their luggage. His enchanting copilot was the last to disembark. She thanked him for his patience with a little kiss, her large firm bosom pressed against his arm. He remarked that she could be his co-pilot anytime; the smile on his face lasted well beyond her departure.
Jake had walked up to the plane as soon as the engines shut down. He was standing next to the pilot as the Murphys exited the aircraft. Jake shook hands with the men and hugged the women. Jake not only hugged the newly thirteen-year-old Nina but also picked her up and swung her around. Nina had grown over the last four months; her breasts were now sizeable mounds in her sweater. Jake led them to the limos and helped the drivers stow all the baggage. In only minutes, they were speeding down the highway, headed for the ranch.
The Murphys were agog at the size of Jake's house. Mary was the only one who had known that Jake and Nina were rich and even she could not believe how big it was. Sean estimated that the mansion would cover at least half of the block they lived on in Boston. Melissa and Carmen were waiting on the porch as the limousines pulled up. Jake made introductions, and then left the women in Melissa's care while he went with the men to get everyone's luggage. Carmen took Sean Senior, Mary, young Nina, and the twins to the east wing. Jake took everyone else to the west wing.
The flight down had been easy on everyone; so, once baggage was stowed, they wanted to look around. Mary hooked up with Carmen for a tour of the house while Jake and Melissa took the others to see the ranch. Jake took his group to the stables to meet Ramon and Louisa. The father and daughter were working with some of the new horses they had recently acquired. The ranch now had thirty-five horses and seven of the mares were pregnant.
Faith and Hope were also at the stables tending to their horses Credo and Esperanza. Jake and Melissa had given them the mares for their recent fifteenth birthday. The twins were now part-time employees of TnT ranch, working in exchange for the boarding of their horses. Louisa was also boarding five other horses, earning income for the ranch for lessons as well as boarding. The Phillips twins were talking to Louisa in Spanish; they had taken Jake's advice and learned the language. With their musical ears, it was not a difficult chore. Faith and Hope immediately latched onto young Nina, they were happy to get another little sister to fill in for the departed Dawn. Jake gave them a stern look and told them, in Spanish, to be on their best behavior.
They curtsied and said, "Si, patron," in unison.
Jake shot Louisa a glance; she met his look with smile and a shrug. Could she help it if the twins eavesdropped on her and Jake's little noisy bedtime games? Of course, Nina's younger brother and sister wanted to stay and ride the horses -- so Louisa took charge of them. Ramon took over the tour and led Sean and his sons towards his truck to show them the rest of the spread. Mr. Murphy was astounded when Ramon told them the ranch encompassed nearly 1700 acres. Claudia begged out of the truck ride and walked back to the house with Melissa and Jake. Jake walked between them with an arm around each woman; he delighted in softly bumping against their hips.
Jake had asked his family to come over after dinner that night; he said he had something important to talk to them about. At seven, Helen, Charles and his two sisters were at the door. Jake answered the booming doorbell and led them into the large family room. His family looked curiously at the horde of Murphys sitting around the room then turned to Jake for an explanation.
"Mom, Dad, these are the Murphys. They are friends of Nina from Boston. And, by the way, they are our cousins," Jake said.
Comprehension dawned in Helen's eyes. "Mary McCarthy?" she asked incredulously.
Mary nodded and jumped up to hug her almost-lost cousin. Both women were soon crying; hell, so was Jake for that matter. It was a Hallmark moment. Mary finally regained her composure and introduced her family individually. Then Helen did the same. Debbie and Angie were stunned. Charles was the only child of an only child and Helen had never mentioned any living relatives, so they had gone from zero to nine cousins in one evening.
Jake looked at Mary and Helen as they stood side by side. They shared many common features. They had the same blue eyes, same relative build, and identical sweet smiles. Some difference in hair color and height was what threw you off at first glance. In his generation, the similarities were much more apparent. Young Nina was a smaller version of Debbie -- hair and all. While Angie was a slimmer version of Claudia: hair, freckles, and all.
Charles and Sean Senior shook hands looking bemused and slightly embarrassed by all the reunion histrionics. Jake got them both a cold beer from the wet bar to help them get over it. Jake explained to Charles about the unusual way he had met the Murphys as they sipped on the brews. Charles was as amazed by the story as he had been about anything his extraordinary son accomplished earlier. What the hell would Jake do next?
Jake had a chance to catch up with his sisters' lives while they were all talking. Debbie was doing well at the newly renamed University of Central Florida. She was living in the dorm but commuted the fifty miles home every weekend. Debbie was planning to major in the new field of Physiology and Strength Development. Debbie had found another dojo in Orlando and there was a martial arts club on campus so she could keep up her karate. She also saw Tiny a couple of times a month for weapons training. Debbie spent a lot of time that evening with young Nina. Nina was in awe of her beautiful cousin and felt some unusual tingles roaming her body, while Debbie's radar for small submissive girls zeroed in on Nina immediately.
Angie was finishing out her senior year at Kennedy High School. She was running track again this year, and was the top rated female cross-country runner in the state. She was mulling over an offer of a full scholarship to Florida State. Angie and Tyler Thornton were still dating; Tyler had only one semester left at Princeton. Angie did not talk as if she and Tyler were quite as close as they had been; it seemed the ardor had cooled. Tyler would be down the twenty-second and Angie was not even that excited about it. Angie did hit it off with her cousin Michael, however.
The Turners left around eleven; Jake thought the get-together was great. His mother hugged him fiercely and told him how wonderful he was, that made the evening even better.
Sean, Sr. and Mary herded the younger Murphys to bed as soon as the Turners went home. The youngsters were all tired and did not put up much of a fight about turning in. Sean and Nina slipped off immediately after the parents were gone. Melissa and Erika were right behind them. Jake decided to give the women some alone time to get reacquainted. That left Michael the odd man out; he stayed in the family room for another fifteen minutes then turned in. Jake and Claudia were finally alone.
"I didn't know you were rich, Jake," Claudia said.
"I'm actually not," Jake said. "Melissa is. We are partners in some things but they are just starting to pay off."
"Melissa is very beautiful and totally in love with you. Erika told me about your current relationship arrangement and about your plans to get married. Your lifestyle is very progressive -- in a Peyton Place sort of way," Claudia said.
"I admit it's unusual and not for everyone, but it works for us. We all love each other, no one is being abused or hurt, and everyone enjoys it. What's the harm in that?" Jake asked.
"Well, nothing I guess; but what happens to everyone else when you two are eventually married?"
"I honestly don't know," Jake admitted. "We haven't worked that out yet. I do know that we are up-front about that to everyone involved. We aren't looking to trick someone into bed. That includes you, Claudia; so relax."
"I know that, Jake, you've already turned me down once, remember?"
"I postponed us being together; I didn't turn you down. Besides, you weren't really ready for all that. Are you ready now?" Jake asked.
"I'm totally ready for you, Jake. I can't quite wrap my arms around being with Melissa too, though."
"Well, for the long term that's how it has to be, but for right now, it's just you and me," Jake explained.
Claudia smiled in relief when Jake told her that. Sure, she thought that Melissa was beautiful and desirable and she had had threesomes all the time with Erika and Nina. It was the idea of a man in the mix that threw her out of kilter. She did not want anyone seeing how little she knew about boy-girl sex. Maybe after a few sessions with her sexy cousin she would be up to sophisticated speed. She hoped so because, regardless of what she had just told Jake, she really wanted a piece of his exotic Italian girlfriend. She felt her pussy spasm at the thought of Melissa. "I am such a slut," she thought, then smiled.
Her mental exercise took only the couple of seconds required to cover the distance between their lips. Making out was one of her favorite activities and Jake was as good at it as any girl she had ever been with. They had to settle for just kissing while in the family room but that was fine with both of them. Jake, as he rearranged his clothes to minimize any damage to his rigid rod, told her that he would take her somewhere private tomorrow and they reluctantly parted for the night.
Jake slipped into the master suite quietly, mesmerized by the sight before him. Melissa was lying on her back in the center of the bed, her hands tangled in Erika's thick blonde hair. Erika was between her thighs, slavishly paying homage to Melissa's sweet pussy. Jake often wondered what it was about Melissa's taste that made them all so crazy for it. Even Louisa, who did not like women all that much, would drop to her knees in a second if Melissa even hinted she wanted her to.
Jake shed his clothes, got the K-Y out of the nightstand, and climbed on the bed behind Erika. He breathed in Erika's musk as he lined his dick up with her dewy slit, then he plunged into her in one long firm stroke. Erika's moans were muffled between Melissa's thighs as Jake stroked in and out of her forcefully a few times to warm up. Jake soon began to apply the K-Y liberally to Erika's little rosebud as he thrust in and out of her. Erika had hinted earlier that she missed her occasional backdoor visits from Jake. Erika had a nice ass so it was not exactly punishment to give her what she had been missing.
Jake was looking into Melissa's passion-glazed eyes when he pulled completely out of Erika's steaming quim. Melissa pulled Erika's face tighter into her groin and nodded to Jake. Erika went to town on Melissa's muff as Jake slowly forced his dickhead past the big babbling blonde's tight sphincter. When he reached maximum depth, Erika let out a prolonged muffled moan of delight; as he slowly drew his probe out for another stroke, Erika sucked up Melissa's juice with an audible slurp. Within a few cycles, Erika was gripping Jake's pole tightly on each outstroke and welcoming him deep into her bottom on each instroke. It did not take long for Jake to accomplish his visitation mission with a prolonged emission deep in her channel.
Jake settled into bed after a quick shower a very satisfied man. Melissa sleepily rolled toward him and draped her arm and leg over him. Erika spooned herself up to Melissa's back. Melissa loved having a warm loving body pressed against both sides; they kept her warm and toasty all night long.
The next day was Thursday the twenty-first, the last day before the first annual TnT Ranch Children's Christmas party. Jake had come up with the idea of a Christmas party for the children of Thornton and Turner employees at Thanksgiving. Among the various businesses, friends, and family almost a hundred children under the age of twelve would be there. Jake said that he wanted a committee of wives to organize the party and make it a truly community affair. Melissa handed Jake's idea to Mitzi Walker. The ever-organized Mitzi had a committee in place in two days. She had worked it so that every company was represented. On the evening five days after he had the idea, Jake, Melissa, Mitzi, and the committee conducted their first meeting. Jake told everyone what he envisioned, and then got out of the way. The women excitedly discussed ideas, came up with a plan, and set it in motion.
Jake made sure he would not be needed for any party prep, and then hunted down Sean Sr. and Mary. He figured the Murphy parents probably had some questions about his life style. He was going to answer them before he slept with their daughter. He was not going to ask their permission but he was going to get everything out in the open.
It turned out that Sean and Mary did have some questions, but were much less judgmental than he had prepared for. The Murphys were an amazingly progressive couple when it came to sex. They were also unconcerned about Jake's ability to handle relationships despite his age. They were also fine with Claudia being sexually active. After all, they themselves had gotten married when Sean was seventeen and Mary was only fifteen. It turned out that Sean and Mary had suspected Claudia might be a lesbian. They were not thrilled with the idea, but they had mostly accepted it. She was an adult and her lifestyle was her business. That Claudia had shown an interest in Jake was a surprise, and great news to them.
After their discussion, Mary went to call Helen. She and her cousin were going to lunch and do some Christmas shopping. Jake and Sean stayed on the porch and talked some more. Jake quizzed Sean about his work. Sean told him that he was a Detective Sergeant in the Major Crimes Division of the Boston Police Department. He mostly handled robbery and burglary cases; he made his career solving major robberies. Jake asked him when he was due to retire. Sean replied that he had twenty-one years on the force so he could retire any time he felt like it; the problem was his retirement check would not provide for a family the size of his.
Jake cataloged what Sean had told him. Sean's declaration fit nicely with an idea that Jake had been stewing over. Jake got up and told Sean he was taking Claudia sightseeing. The men shook hands; Sean did not immediately release Jake. Jake looked at him quizzically.
"Jake, I trust you with my daughter; but she is not like the other girls you are used to. Something has happened to her that has made her distrustful and wary of men. I appreciate that you have helped her start to come out of that. You need to make sure that whatever you do helps her to keep moving forward."
Jake thought for a minute about telling Sean about Billy McNamara but decided against it. He was, however, going to encourage Claudia to tell her folks about it. She needed to put the episode behind her. Telling her folks about it would at least relieve her of the terrible burden of keeping it a secret.
"Mr. Murphy, I promise that I will not do anything to make things worse for her," Jake said.
"Fair enough," Sean replied and released his hand.
The day was sunny and warm, the temperature hovering around the mid-seventies. Jake made the beach his first tour stop for Claudia. She loved the white sandy beaches and was amazed you were allowed to drive on them. After the beach, Jake made a side trip to the costume store to pick up the Santa suit he had ordered. It was the deluxe model with a red velvet coat, pants, and hat. The white trim was lambs fleece and the wig and beard were first rate. Claudia looked at him strangely.
"I'm playing Santa for the children's Christmas party tomorrow. I am going to arrive on a fire truck, it is going to be way cool," Jake enthused.
Claudia laughingly said, "How old did you say you were?"
Jake laughed with her. "I can't help it; I love little kids, especially at Christmas. They are so innocent and full of hope."
Claudia took his arm as they left the costume shop. She was having a hard time believing her newly found cousin was real. He matched the description he had just given her, innocent and full of hope. Jake just seemed to expect things to go right, and usually for him, they did. She shook her head in wonder as he led her to the car. Jake broke out in an off-key rendition of Santa Claus is Coming to Town as he put the Santa suit in the back seat. He turned to let her in the car with a lop-side grin. She was staring at him strangely again.
"Sorry," he said, "I get carried away sometimes."
The latest boyish grin did it for Claudia; a wave of lust rolled over her like a stampeding herd of buffalo. She felt her nipples pop out against her top and imagined her juices would soon be flowing in a torrent.
"Jake, you have exactly ten minutes to get me somewhere that we can make love. If you don't, I'm going to attack you in the front seat of your pretty black car."
Jake ran around to the driver's side of his Chevelle and sped away from the curb. It would be close, but if he caught the light at Nova Road, he could be at the bungalow in just under ten minutes.
They made it in nine minutes flat. Jake opened the bungalow door and Claudia walked inside.
"This is a nice place, Jake, who does it belong to?"
"A friend," Jake said. "They gave me a key because they only use it occasionally."
Claudia was suddenly unsure of herself again. She still wanted him desperately but her inexperience with men was holding her back. She knew she was talking too much, too fast, yet could not stop.
"Is that your friend? She asked, pointing to a tasteful partial nude painting of Liz.
"Yes, her name is Elizabeth Moran. The world needs a lot more people like Liz."
"What does Melissa think of this Liz?"
"Melissa thinks that it's good that I spend some time with Liz. She says I am much more serene after I've spent the afternoon here. Of course, I don't really spend much time here with Liz any more. She has been busy for the past month and she's going to Europe for a while in the next month or two."
Claudia nodded and sat down on the couch. Jake turned on the stereo and reel-to-reel. Soft chamber music wafted out of the big Pioneer speakers as Jake fetched them each a glass of chardonnay. He rejoined Claudia on the couch and handed her a wine glass.
"Relax, Claudia; this is as far as we need to go if you are having second thoughts," Jake said.
"I not having second thoughts -- don't think that for a second. It's just intimidating being here where you spent time with a creature as elegant and sophisticated as the woman in that picture. She probably knows more about how to please a man than I could even dream of."
Jake smiled and took the now empty glass from her hand.
"I'm here with you, not her, and I want you as much as I've ever wanted a woman. Don't worry about performing, just let go, and do what feels good. I guarantee that you will be much better than you think you can be if you just let the feel-good train roll down the tracks."
Claudia was still nodding yes when Jake kissed her, gently pulled her to her feet, and led her to the bedroom. Jake laid her on the bed and they resumed kissing. Jake undressed them both as they kissed. Claudia was not as hesitant about him seeing her body this time. She had lost a few pounds and had been walking every day; Erika had even told her that the results were noticeable. She was still softly feminine, just firmer in her ass and legs. Jake took his time; bring her to numerous climaxes with his lips and tongue. She had a smooth almost sweet taste and a faint odor of what seemed to be poppy-seed bread. With each orgasm, her nether lips seemed to grow thicker and expand in length. She moved her legs further and further apart to assist Jake in darting ever more deeply into her honeypot
Finally, Jake knew it was intromission time and positioned himself between her welcoming legs. He held himself suspended above her until she opened her eyes.
"Do I need to use a condom?" Jake asked.
She blushed scarlet and shook her head no.
"Then put me in you," he said, "It's your show".
Claudia turned even redder but reached down and touched his manhood. She gasped at the size of the warm pulsating tube in her hand. Gingerly, she seated the flared helmet at her opening as a sign of her willingness to be penetrated. When she moved her hand away, Jake pushed slowly forward until the head of his dick popped though the elastic outer lips of her pussy. Claudia felt him stretching her but there was no pain. Cautiously, she lifted her hips as he pushed forward. Their joint efforts pushed another couple of inches of Jake's joint into her clasping channel. A few more mutual thrusts and Jake bottomed out. Claudia put her arm and legs around his torso and sought his lips with hers. When he broke the kiss and started grinding against her, she moaned her approval. They were off to a good start and she wondered why she had ever hesitated or worried.
"Ummm, Jake, I can feel every inch of you inside me," she said. "And I can feel my clit rubbing against you; it's too good to describe."
Jake smile down on her then pulled back until he was at her entrance again. Claudia's pussy was squeezing him rhythmically the whole time. It was going to take some will power to keep her from milking him into an early orgasm. Jake pushed back into her forcefully and ground down at the bottom of his stroke. Claudia picked up his rhythm and started meeting him halfway. It was like dancing for her -- Jake set the tempo and she followed his lead. Except when she climaxed, then she bridged up and moved her hips in circles to keep her clit in constant contact with him. Claudia did not get cheated in the orgasm department. She came long, hard and often.
Her squeezebox caused him to explode as she had her third climax. Jake groaned and pushed harder against her as he came as thoroughly as he could ever remember. The extra stimulation of his pumping against the end of her tunnel extended Claudia's ecstasy. Jake slumped down on her when his balls were finally drained. Claudia stayed wrapped around him, making appreciative noises. They untangled themselves only when they had caught their breath. Jake lay on his back and pulled her on top of him.
"You are either a natural or you've been lying to me," Jake said.
"What are you talking about?" Claudia asked, perplexed.
"You made love like you knew exactly what to do. The way your pussy was squeezing me had me ready to cum from the first stroke," Jake answered.
"Was I really good?" she asked wearing a huge grin.
"No, you were miles past good; you were great," Jake said.
"We made a mess in your friend's bed; do you know where the clean linen is?"
"Yes, but we aren't through yet, unless you are too tired or too sore or plain bored," Jake replied.
"You mean we can do it again," she said excitedly. "I thought you were through."
Jake told her that he needed a few minutes to recuperate, and then showed her how to help him recover faster. His slippery dick fascinated Claudia; it was the first adult one she had ever really examined. She was not reticent about taking it deep into her mouth, either. Her only reaction to the taste of their combined juices was a humming sound of appreciation. When it started growing between her lips she giggled gleefully. She knew he was ready for another round when the tip of his elongating shaft prodded her throat into an involuntary 'Urk!'; she felt a certain pride in workmanship to have crafted a fine tool and released it so it could be put to immediate use.
Jake took her doggy style, which she enjoyed. Then he put her on top, which she absolutely loved. As he just lay there with his hands behind his head, she experimented. Claudia found that sitting upright and grinding against him with varying pressure caused her to cum almost continuously. When Jake could not take any more he flipped her onto her back, draped her legs over his shoulder, and really put the wood to her. He was as loud as she was as he yelled his release. Claudia was smugly pleased that she could make him come so hard and was especially pleased by the passion duet they had just sung.
An hour later, the bed and the mattress pad were both changed, the lovers had showered with soapy aftershocks, and Claudia was blow-drying her hair in front of the mirror. Claudia examined herself critically in the mirror. Nothing had changed on the outside but inside was a different story. Her afternoon with Jake had shown her that, well, face it, she loved to fuck. Oh yes, dick was going to be a big part of her future. Hard-on the inside, soft on the surface, lovely stiff man-cock was definitely on the Claudia menu from now on. Not that she was giving up girls, mind you; in that regards Jake was right. She could and would have both from now on. As soon as they got back to the ranch, she was going to have that talk with Melissa. She was already getting aroused again thinking about being with both Melissa and Jake.
Jake told Erika and Melissa about his afternoon with Claudia that night in bed. Melissa said that she and Claudia had already talked about them all getting together. Erika said count her in as well.
The next morning every one pitched in to make the final preparations for the children's party. At eleven thirty, Ramon drove Santa Jake and his elves to the fire station. Hope, Faith, and young Nina Murphy looked adorable in their matching green tights, red skirts, green sweaters, and little red elf hats. At twelve, the fire truck pulled out of the station house with Santa perched on top. The elves were ensconced in the cab, bubbling with excitement. Ten minutes later, the shiny red truck pulled onto the swoopy serpentine driveway with the siren blaring. A hundred children were jumping up and down when the engine pulled to a stop.
Jake stood up and yelled Merry Christmas to the raucous crowd. He climbed down from the truck and went to the big rocking chair set up for him on the porch. Moms started lining up the first group of excited kids to see Santa.
Jake had to admire how organized the women had made the event. The children were divided into four groups; each child wore a nametag with each group having a different colored tag. There were four different activity areas set up around the ranch: piñatas, pony rides, clowns, and Santa. The groups would rotate among activities about every forty-five minutes. The committee had purchased a gift unique to each child. The gifttags were the same color as the nametags and were in four stacks on the porch. The elves and Melissa, dressed as Mrs. Claus, would match the child's name with their gift as they stood in line.
Jake took his time one-by-one with the kids. He did not rush them off his lap to get it over with. If a kid wanted to talk, Jake listened. He handed each child the gift his elf handed him, then made sure the urchin was smiling for the Polaroid photo a committee member took. Jake did not mind a bit that it took nearly three hours to get through all the children. He was having a blast. Jake not only wowed the kids, he impressed the moms with his genuine kindness and patience.
Jake got a double surprise when the last group was almost finished. Standing in back of the line was Vickie Greer with Bill Junior in a stroller. Right behind her was Katie and Rebecca Doane, along with a beaming LaMonte Dupree pushing a fancy perambulator. Rachael Doane was sleeping peacefully as LaMonte gently rocked the carriage. Jake was thrilled to get to hold both babies as cameras snapped away. Helen was on the porch by then holding Billy while Melissa was entertaining a smiling Rachael.
After the last child was photographed, Jake ducked inside to hit the bathroom and change clothes. Fifteen minutes later, he was mingling among the kids in his street clothes. Word spread among the wives that the big handsome man walking around had been the one playing Santa. He got lots of thank you kisses and hugs from the moms. It was one of the best days of either of his lives.
The next morning, cleanup from the children's party happened concurrently with the setting up for an adult Christmas party. That night Helen and Melissa were hosting a combined Christmas Party for Thornton Development, TnT Holdings, and Turner Furniture and Appliance. The party was going to a pretty big do; it was an open house, and every employee of every company was invited. The house was already decorated and a caterer was bringing in a spread of buffet type foods. Two tents were erected in the back yard and propane heaters on masts were scattered around as a precaution. The low overnight was forecast to be sixty-two degrees, so it should be a perfect evening to spend outdoors.
Helen, Charles, and Debbie were the first guests to arrive. Angie was coming later with Tyler Thornton and his family. Helen went into an immediate huddle with Melissa and Mitzi Walker. Mitzi had checked and double-checked the Christmas Bonuses that they were giving out tonight. A lot of people were going to have a very Merry Christmas this year. The assorted companies had all made substantial profits so it seemed only fair to share some of it with the people who actually did the work.
The guest arrived in a steady stream starting at seven; Jake finally met the people who worked for Thornton Development. They were a sharp and cohesive bunch, totally devoted to Melissa. Jake was amused at the protective and fatherly way Paul Willis, the Chief Operating Officer of Thornton treated Melissa. Of course, he had competition from 'Uncle' Sam Parker in that area, not to mention Ramon Diaz, who thought Melissa hung the moon. Paul was in his sixties, a retired Marine Corp Colonel. He was ramrod straight and formally courteous when Melissa introduced Jake to him. Willis looked Jake up and down before dropping his handshake.
"Sam Parker speaks highly of you and Melissa thinks you are the best thing since sliced bread. Those are the best references you are probably ever going to get, son," he said.
"Thank you, sir," Jake replied.
"Of course, that still doesn't mean I won't kill you if you hurt Melissa," Willis added.
"I'll keep that in mind," Jake said sincerely.
Jake re-met all the moms that had been at the children's party the day before. They all looked pretty, dressed in their festive clothes.
The band started at eight-thirty and Jake's dance card was filled from the first song. He must have danced with almost every woman there over the course of the evening. It was tough duty, but he figured 'what the hell' anything to keep up morale. More than one of his dance partners told him, usually accompanied by full-fronted booby presses, that he could play Santa with them any time he wanted. Jake gracefully sidestepped those booby-traps, smoothly steering the conversation to a safer course. The only one he acknowledged was Helen. As they danced, she bluntly told him that, at the next children's party, Santa was going to be holding their baby. Jake nodded glumly. Only fifteen minutes earlier, Charles had told Jake that his mother wanted to talk to him and that Jake needed to agree to whatever she said she wanted. Jake was having a hard time reconciling his hesitant body, which was closely related to Helen, with his eager mind and burning libido, which were not; his enlarged-by-navel-engagement johnson was trying hard to break the tie in favor of servicing the lady, the sooner the better. Jake would need to think this through very soon.
Jake was in the kitchen getting something for Melissa when he heard a noise in the pantry. Just as he got to the door, Terry Steyaert and Dawn Diamond stumbled out. Terry was fumbling with the belt on the Santa suit that Jake had loaned him while Dawn was daintily wiping the corner of her mouth. Dawn gave Jake her naughty little girl smile. It was particularly effective given she was wearing Nina's elf costume, minus the tights. Minus the bra, also, Jake judged. Dawn's large nipples were making the reindeers knitted into the sweater look as if their heads were three-dimensional.
"Insurance," Dawn said.
"Huh?" Jake said lamely.
"Hope and Faith bet me a dollar they could give Santa a boner. I was taking out a little insurance on my bet."
Jake stuck his fingers in his ears halfway through her explanation. He could have gone all night without hearing that.
Helen and Dawn had coerced Terry into playing Santa tonight for the adult party. He had a bag full of bonus checks that he would be giving out later in the evening. At eleven Melissa, Mitzi, Helen, and Charles stepped on the stage set up for the band. As their name was called, each employee came forward and received an envelope plus a hug or a handshake from Santa. Those that later surreptitiously peeked in their envelopes were stunned. Over a quarter of a million dollars changed hands that evening.
When the big party broke up, Jake stood on the front porch reflecting on the last two days, his extended family, and the great friends and colleagues he now had. He firmly believed that the world was as full of good people as his life was. In this season of hope and joy for so many people he fervently wished for the entire world:
PEACE ON EARTH and GOOD WILL TO ALL MANKIND