Chapter 22
The number of bodyguards in the Las Vegas area was at a record high. People who had worked with Natalie, Nicole, Rock, and Colt had flown in from all around the country to attend the wedding. Nowhere was this more obvious than in the exercise room of the hotel in which the wedding guests were staying. The exercise room had attracted a large number of women who were watching the men work out. As one young lady said, "Why pay for tickets to see nearly naked women performing on a stage when there's a whole room full of hunky men here for the picking?"
A small group of very large men is not all that unusual in Las Vegas, but when a hundred or more gather it is noticed. When it reaches several hundred, people really notice. It was also quite easy to observe that they weren't your typical bodybuilder types. The men moved with too much alertness of their surroundings. Often they greeted each other with terrifying displays of aggression until they broke out in laughter. Bodybuilders looked big, but these men looked intimidating.
The most dangerous looking men weren't the big ones whose presence was usually sufficient to prevent trouble. The smaller men tended to be the specialists and they were usually brought in long after trouble had developed. Their demeanor was much more threatening since their jobs involved a lot more danger than guarding some celebrity.
Not all of the bodyguards were men, just the majority of them. With so much testosterone gathered in one place, single women were frequently propositioned. For the most part, the attention was flattering. The women who weren't flattered were quickly ignored as the men turned their attention to those who would be flattered.
Lucy was seated at the blackjack table staring at her cards. She had fourteen in her hand and the dealer had a ten showing. She scratched the table and watched as the dealer set down a jack. Shaking her head, she watched as the dealer collected her five dollar bet. Replacing her bet for the next hand, she said, "This is not good at all."
At the table with Lucy were three men who were attending the wedding. They didn't know Lucy, but were definitely interested in getting to know her. In an attempt to impress her with their machismo, one of the men said, "Without Ling here, who would you say is the most dangerous person in town?"
"I don't know. I guess that would be Dexter," one of the other men answered. Dexter was a specialist who helped retrieve abductees.
"It could be Big Mike," the third man said gesturing to the first man who had spoken.
Watching the dealer clear the table after turning over the bottom card and revealing a King, Lucy said, "Nope. You're both wrong."
The first man asked, "Oh, are you in the business?"
"Nope, I'm one of the protected rather than a protector," Lucy answered.
That little piece of information surprised the men and they all turned to look at her. It seemed obvious to them that she was impressed with the services of her bodyguard. The first one to speak said, "So I take it your bodyguard is the most dangerous one here?"
"Nope," Lucy answered smiling as the dealer laid an ace in front of her.
"Then who is the most dangerous man here?"
"My husband," Lucy answered frowning when the dealer laid a second ace on her hand. She put out a second chip to split the cards.
Amused, one of the men asked, "Who is your husband?"
From behind them, Claire answered, "He's William Redman Carter."
The men all jumped and turned to look at Claire. Everyone at the table knew who she was and reacted to her sudden appearance. Of course, it was hard to tell if they were more surprised by her presence or the fact that they had been trying to pickup the wife of Ling's son. As one, the three men said, "Hello Claire."
"Hello, Chuck," Claire answered. She looked at the other two men and said, "Hello, Big Mike. Hi Joe."
Lucy groaned when the dealer laid a three and a four on her split aces. It looked like she was going to lose another hand. She turned to Claire and said, "I'm having rotten luck."
Looking over at the hands in front of Lucy, Claire said, "It looks like it."
"I'm glad to see that you could make it," Lucy said.
"Well, Ling was pretty upset that she couldn't attend, but she insisted that I come anyway," Claire said with a shrug of her shoulders. Ling had beaten the stuffing out of a punching bag back at the house when she discovered that William had asked that she not attend the wedding.
"I'm sorry about that, but William is still pretty angry at her," Lucy said.
"It is for the best," Claire said.
"So how is little Michael doing?" Lucy asked.
"He takes after his father," Claire answered. Laughing she added, "He can't get enough of my breasts."
Lucy laughed as the three bodyguards blushed. She said, "That's just because he's male."
"Yeah," Claire said smiling. She looked over at the three men and asked, "So what do you think of Rock and Colt getting married to Nicole and Natalie?"
"It's different, but they've been a team for so long that it makes sense," Chuck answered.
Nodding his head in agreement, Joe added, "It would be bad to break up a team like that."
Claire said, "Smart answer."
"Momma didn't raise a cabbage," Chuck answered.
Lucy laughed and said, "I'm going to have to remember that one."
Joe looked at Lucy and said, "So you're William's wife."
"Yes, I am," Lucy answered groaning as the dealer took her money. She shoved another bet out and said, "I want a winner this hand."
The dealer smiled and spent a minute cleaning up her money tray. William came up behind Lucy and said, "Master Fong has agreed to spar with me. Do you want to go with me to watch?"
Turning to look at William, Lucy said, "No. I think I'll stay here and lose some more money if that is all right with you."
William smiled and said, "Keep your losses to under your allowance."
"I'll try," Lucy replied. Her debit card still had a balance of over twelve million dollars. She'd make more in interest that day than she could lose at the five dollar table even if she spent the entire day there. She smiled at him and said, "Have fun beating up Master Fong."
"I will," he said with a smile. After a few more minutes of small talk, he left for the Dojo of Master Fong.
The bodyguards at the blackjack table looked at each other for a second. Chuck said, "There's no way I'm missing that."
The bodyguards left the table. One of them called out to a friend who was seated at another table, "William Redman Carter is going to spar with Master Fong at his dojo."
From around the casino, several dozen people all got up from their tables. Many of them left their bets. Noticing the mass exodus toward the doors, the blackjack dealer asked, "What's going on?"
Claire settled into one of the recently vacated chairs and answered, "William is going to spar with Master Fong. It should be a pretty good show."
Lucy looked down at her cards and sighed. She shook her head and said, "Another fourteen."
Claire laughed and said, "You have to hit a fourteen."
"I know the odds and they ain't good," Lucy said provoking a laugh from Claire. She indicated a hit and groaned when the dealer gave her another face card.
Claire asked, "So how are things at home?"
"They are okay. William's still a little upset about Betsy and Ling," Lucy answered replacing her bet.
"You should see Betsy and Ling," Claire said.
"We heard Betsy at the hospital. She was still crying," Lucy said.
Nodding, Claire said, "You know what? I think William did exactly the right thing. Even I could see that Ling has been a little overboard lately. She wasn't helping Betsy with her take no prisoners attitude."
"Yes, I know."
"William was the only one who could put a stop to it," Claire said.
"Believe me when I say that he did not enjoy it," Lucy said. She watched the dealer give her a pair of tens. She smiled and said, "At last, I have a good hand."
Claire looked down at her hand and saw that she had nineteen. Smiling, she waved off another card. Lucy did the same. The dealer turned over her hole card and showed that she had a sixteen. She dealt herself a five.
Lucy stared at the hand and said, "This is not good."
"What are you doing at the five dollar table? Why aren't you over at the hundred dollar table?" Claire asked.
"I'm only playing against the interest that I'll earn today from my allowance money," Lucy answered. She shoved another five dollar bet out and said, "I've got about another three hundred hands to lose before I have to quit."
Claire laughed and pushed a green chip out. She said, "I'm going to have to lose at a little fast rate than that. Michael will be getting hungry soon."
"Are you breastfeeding?" Lucy asked.
"Yes, it is a Carter tradition," Claire answered. She wasn't going to mention that it wasn't limited to infants.
The dealer dealt Claire a twelve and Lucy a twenty one. Lucy said, "Finally, I won a hand."
"Lucky you," Claire said groaning as she went bust.
Lucy left the money on the table for the next hand. She asked, "What's it like being a mother?"
"Wonderful," Claire answered.
The women played blackjack for an hour talking about motherhood and other matters of general interest to them both. Lucy broke even while Claire lost five hundred dollars. They each gave the dealer a hundred dollar tip when they left the table.
As was common with group marriages, rather than getting a marriage license the foursome filled out all of the papers necessary to cover each other financially. None of the states recognized group marriages, but they did allow for legal partnerships. The stack of papers included wills that covered inheriting assets, papers of incorporation for dealing with the taxation issues, living wills, and powers of attorney that gave them the ability to make decisions for each other. It was a sizable stack of paperwork that they had to sign.
The papers covered the legal aspects of getting married, but the spiritual aspect was a much more personal matter that was performed very publicly. The hall William had rented was filled to capacity. The guest list was a who's who of the protection industry. To say that the brides were a little overwhelmed by it all would be an understatement.
The Minister, hired to perform the service, was a well known Lesbian who had a reputation for performing services that more conservative Ministers would not. She was willing to accept that a marriage wasn't always between a man and a woman. Sometimes it was between a man and man, a woman and woman, or even a group of people. More conservative Christians often accused her to trying to destroy Christianity from inside through her subversive ideology.
She stood in front of the brides and grooms waiting for them to settle down and take their places. When they had all given her direct eye contact, she took a deep breath. Looking across the room, she said, "We are gathered here to witness these four people declare their love for each other. We should be honored that we have been invited to such a significant event in their lives.
"Love is a powerful force. From love comes the inspiration for magnificent creations like the Taj Mahal. From love comes acts of greatness that echo through the centuries. We respect love and take pleasure in seeing people declare their love for each other. We cry when love is lost. We laugh when love plays.
"Such declarations as we are witnessing here are obvious and public expressions of love, but there are other times when people express their love in purer ways. The partner who nurses their mate to health when they are sick is showing love without expectation of reward. Cooking dinner every night is another way of showing it. Love is often very subtle and easy to over look. On this day, I take the opportunity to remind everyone here to watch for love and learn to recognize it in the little things we do for each other.
"Now some will tell you that Love conquers all. I suppose that many of you think that I, as representative of my God, should tell you that. I can't, because it isn't true. Love is so fragile that neglect can kill it in the same way that neglecting a flower can cause it to wilt and die. It is important to take a moment every day to nurture love so that it can grow and blossom.
"A great storm can tear apart the mightiest oak. In the same way, strong harmful emotions can rend love into a million parts. Hate, jealousy, and anger can destroy love in a minute. Like Humpty Dumpy, it can't be put back together again. I remind you of this because Love has to be protected. Before allowing hate into your hearts, before allowing jealousy to color your world, and before allowing anger to consume you, think of poor delicate little love sitting there unprotected. Don't destroy that fragile flower with the hurricane winds of your savage emotions.
"Marriage is not easy. It is not easy to remember at times that others have needs that must come before your wants. The divorce rate in this country is over fifty percent. That should tell you something about the difficulty of staying married. It is difficult, but not impossible.
"There are four people entering into this marriage. Marriage is hard enough with only two people involved. Four people make it even more difficult to maintain a marriage, but it can be done. We are here today because these four people believe that they have what it takes to make a solid marriage.
"There are only a few things that you have to keep in mind to enable a marriage to last. Remember when times are hard that you are not alone. Accept the support of your mates and allow them to shoulder some of your burden. Remember when times are good that you are not alone. Share the joy that is in your life with your mates. With attention, care, and restraint, Love can grow into a mighty tree.
"When establishing a marriage, vows are exchanged that place walls between the members of the marriage and the rest of the world. This wall is described using words like fidelity and we vow to consider our mates above all others. We vow to protect and support our mates. Too often we hear these words and imagine that they encase us like prison walls.
"The walls erected by these vows are not a prison that keeps you from experiencing life. They are like the walls of a house in which you can retreat and feel safe. The exterior of our house is what keeps all that we value safe. Like every good house, the walls erected by our vows should have doors and windows through which we can experience the rest of the world. A marriage is not a jail cell in which the doors are locked and the windows barred.
"When you exchange your vows remember what it is that you are doing. You are erecting a house in which you can rest, relax, and recover. You are creating a place where you can grow together as human beings. You are creating a shelter into which you can retreat when the storms of bad times come blowing. You are creating a home that you can fill with love."
The Minister paused and looked at the gathered people. After a moment of silence, she asked, "Is there any one here who has just cause that should prevent these four from committing their lives to each other?"
When no one said anything, she turned to face the brides and grooms. Addressing the grooms, she asked, "Do you, Rock and Colt, promise to love, honor and cherish Natalie and Nicole?"
The two men answered, "I do."
"Do you promise to protect and support Natalie and Nicole in good times and in bad?
Again the two men answered, "I do."
"Do you agree to take Natalie and Nicole in holy matrimony?"
For a third time, the two men answered, "I do."
The Minister smiled and looked at the brides. She asked, "Do you, Natalie and Nicole, promise to love, honor, and cherish Rock and Colt?"
The two women answered, "I do."
"Do you promise to protect and support Rock and Colt in good times and in bad?
Again the two women answered, "I do."
"Do you agree to take Rock and Colt in holy matrimony?"
For a third time, the two women answered, "I do."
The Minister paused long enough for everyone to lean forward in anticipation of her next statement. She smiled and said, "I now pronounce the four of you, husbands and wives. You may kiss the brides."
There was a bit of fumbling at the front of the room while Rock and Colt tried to figure out which woman they were supposed to kiss first. One of the guests, a very large bodyguard, seated in the first row said in a voice that was a little louder than intended, "They haven't even been married for a minute and they've forgotten how to kiss."
A ripple of laughter broke out among the witnesses. It was enough for Rock and Colt to get down to the serious business of kissing their wives. As cheers broke out in the room, they switched partners and resumed kissing.
When the foursome marched out of the room, William looked over at Lucy and saw that tears were streaming down her face. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her tears. She was embarrassed about crying, but accepted his attentions. In a soft voice, she said, "That was so lovely."
"Yes, it was," William said, "The Minister did a very fine job."
The reception was held in a large conference room of the casino. In light of the locale, William had arranged for gaming tables to be brought into the room along with fake chips that could be redeemed for gift certificates in the Casino stores. There were blackjack tables, poker tables, and roulette tables. People drifted to the table that interested them rather than being assigned specific spots.
At each table, a dealer stood ready to deal cards. Cocktail waitresses in skimpy outfits carried out drinks to people at the gaming tables. When it was time to eat, they brought the plates of food to those same tables. The guests ate the reception meal while gambling at the tables. The brides and grooms walked around the room talking with their friends.
The guests talked, joked, and laughed so loud that they nearly drowned out the band playing in a corner of the room. As the evening wore on, the volume of the conversations diminished and couples moved to the dance floor. Before long, new, if not more transient, relationships were being established.
Looking around the room at the folks gambling at the tables, Lucy asked, "Isn't this kind of cheesy?"
"Yes it is," William answered with a smile. Pointing to all of the people in the room, he said, "And everyone here is going to remember this day for the rest of their lives. Whenever Colt, Rock, Natalie, or Nicole meets up with one of them, they are going to mention this day. It is cheesy, but that isn't bad."
"You're right," Lucy said. A group at one of the poker tables exploded in a roar. From where she and William were standing, it was hard to tell exactly what happened. Whatever it was, the people were having a good time. She looked over at the dance floor and asked, "Are you ready to take me dancing?"
"I am, but first I should give the toast," William said picking up a glass of champagne and handing it to Lucy. He picked up one for himself.
"I forgot about that," Lucy said.
William moved to where the band was playing and motioned for them to stop. Taking the microphone, he shouted, "Everyone, could I have your attention?"
It took a minute, but people finished their games and turned to look at William. William said, "I'm sorry to hold up your games, but it is time for us to toast the newlyweds."
The room exploded into a minor roar as people yelled and clapped. When the noise died down, William said, "It doesn't matter if you've just drawn a royal flush or have been dealt a blackjack, I can say one thing quite honestly -- you are not as lucky as Rock, Colt, Nicole, and Natalie. You might leave a few chips richer, but they are leaving with each other. Fortune has shined on them today and I know that it will shine on them forever! Here's to the newlyweds!"
Watching William give the toast, Lucy hung back thinking about his
behavior the past few days. She was convinced that he had finally
learned how to deal with having lost his ability to see the future. He
moved easily among the people at the wedding reception; talking and
laughing in a natural manner. The strong confident William she had
married was back. She raised her glass thinking, 'Fortune has shined on
us, too.'