Feeling like an elephant, Georgia rose from her chair with great effort. In the time it had taken her to get up, Ken had been able to come down from the upstairs room he shared with his wife and answered the door. Ken looked at the visitor and said, "I should have known that it would be you two."
William grinned and said, "We had to come."
Giving Ken a hug, Lucy said, "We wouldn't miss this for the world."
Georgia waddled over to William and stopped a few steps from him. Putting her hands on her swollen belly, she said, "I'd give you a hug but my arms won't reach beyond my belly."
"Twins will do that to you," William said looking down at her belly. It was pretty obvious that she was expecting twins.
Lucy smiled at her and said, "You're looking well."
"I'm fat," Georgia said with a grimace.
Looking even larger, Debbie slowly made her way into the room. She looked over at William and Lucy with a smile. Pleased to see them, she said, "Thank the Powers That Be you've come."
"Why?" Lucy asked unable to believe how large Debbie had gotten as a result of her pregnancy.
"I know that we'll be giving birth soon," Debbie said with relief evident in her voice. She knew that William wouldn't miss the birth of Oscar's children.
Nodding her head in agreement, Georgia asked, "How much longer until we go into labor?"
William smiled at the pair of women and answered, "I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise."
"Spoil it," Debbie said. She was tired of waddling around like a duck on land.
From the kitchen, Lisa shouted, "I'll be right out."
Without even looking in the direction of the kitchen, William knew the Lisa was busy making them a treat. He leaned in the direction of the kitchen and shouted, "Two cups of hot chocolate would be wonderful, Lisa."
Lucy smiled at his suggestion and said, "Yes, that would be wonderful. You don't know how much I've missed your hot chocolate."
Puzzled by Lucy's comment, Lisa came out of the kitchen carrying two cups of hot chocolate. She said, "It comes out of a packet. All I do is add hot water to it."
Lucy said, "It's perfect because you are the one adding hot water to it."
William accepted the cup from Lisa with a wink. He asked, "Do you want me to hold the other cup while you say hello to Lucy?"
Lisa handed over the second cup and went over to Lucy. The two women hugged. In a soft voice, she said, "I've missed you too, Lucy."
As the women hugged, William looked around the house. It was clear to him that Debbie had taken it upon herself to fix up the house in a very classic style. The overall impression was very feminine. He said, "I like how you've decorated the house."
"Thank you," Debbie said as she rubbed her back. It was hard on her lower back carrying the weight of the twins. She had a nearly constant backache from the strange distribution of weight.
"You're welcome," William said. He held out the cup of hot chocolate for Lucy. She took it without commenting on the fact that he had positioned it exactly where she had been reaching. She had gotten used to him doing things like that.
Lucy took a sip of hot chocolate and said, "This is so good."
"I guess we should hurry up and finish our hot chocolates," William said before taking a sip from his cup.
"Why?" Lisa asked looking over her cup at him.
"I'd say that these two women can expect to give birth any time now," William said looking over at Georgia. He winked at her.
"Oh," Georgia said. There was a little ripple in belly and she looked down. Surprised, she said, "Oh!"
"Surprise," William said with a grin.
Feeling very depressed, Sandra stared across the luxury suite at Barbara. The other woman wasn't feeling much happier, but at least she wasn't wearing the fat suit. Sandra said, "I never realized how we act to draw attention to our attractiveness."
"Same here," Barbara said looking over at Sandra. She couldn't help but wonder when she had adopted all of the little flirtatious moves that attracted the attention of men. She didn't see it in herself, but it was obvious by how Sandra acted when dressed to kill. The past ten days had been an eye opening experience for both of them. They had each served as a mirror for the other.
"What are we going to do?" Sandra asked feeling depressed. Her perceptions of the world had been turned upside down. It was one thing to blame men for all of her problems; it was another to accept responsibility that half of the problems were of her own creation.
Shrugging her shoulders, Barbara answered, "I don't know. I'll tell you one thing; I'm never going to get fat."
"Same here," Sandra said adjusting the fat suit. If being attractive meant that men looked at you as a sex object, then being fat removed you from being a person altogether. People either ignored you or were insulting. Insults ranged from unconscious avoidance behaviors to very vocal abuse.
"If Cole says it is okay, how about we dress down today?" Barbara said. She realized that she had always known that there were ways to dress that minimized her sex appeal, but she had never chosen to dress that way.
"Good idea," Sandra said.
"Speaking of Cole, I wonder where he is," Barbara said looking over at the door of their suite.
Sandra rose from her chair with difficulty. She complained, "This damned suit is heavy."
"Yeah," Barbara said. She couldn't imagine moving around with that much weight on her for the rest of her life.
Sandra walked over to the counter where the coffee pot was and poured a cup of coffee. As she fixed it, she said, "I never would have realized that the austere business woman was such a sexy image to men if it wasn't for this past week."
"Who would have thought that we dressed to fit a sexy stereotype?" Barbara asked. Of course, she suspected that she had known it, but hadn't given it that much conscious thought. The way they had been dressing was like waving a red flag in front of a bull. It was sure to attract the attention of men and promote exactly the behavior that they hated.
"We should have known," Sandra answered feeling depressed. She took a sip of her coffee.
"You're right," Barbara replied with a sigh. There was nothing worse than finding she was the source of her problems.
Running a hand through her hair, Sandra said, "It kind of makes me wonder if that isn't the reason why business casual has taken such strong root in the business world today. Only the people at the very top of companies dress business formal anymore."
"I hadn't thought about it," Barbara said.
Sandra returned to her chair and plopped down in it with a sigh. She said, "I'll be glad to get out of this blasted fat suit."
"Yeah," Barbara said. She looked over at the door of the suite hearing a noise.
Cole entered the suite and looked at the pair of ladies. Smiling, he sat down and said, "Sorry I'm late, but my other cases in the area were at critical junctions in resolving some of their issues."
"You have others you are treating?" Barbara asked surprised.
"Of course. You two aren't the only ones around with problems," Cole answered. Their problems were relatively minor compared to most that he treated.
"I didn't think about that," Sandra said. It made her wonder when she had adopted such a self oriented view of the world.
"Yes, I know," Cole replied.
"What now?" Barbara asked hoping that he would tell her they could dispense with the fat suit.
"I think you two should go shopping and get some sedate outfits," Cole said.
"What do you suggest?" Sandra asked.
Cole answered, "Loose fitting pants that mask your figures, flats, and simple shirts that don't show your cleavage or draw attention to your figure."
"I had a feeling you were going to say that," Barbara said. She wondered how people would treat her dressed in that fashion. She realized that she was about to find out. It seemed to her that she was discovering why the Carters often said that clothes were the first lie that people tell each other.
The deliveries were relatively easy, but it would have been hard to convince Georgia or Debbie of that. The women were lying in bed holding their babies. It was a nearly perfect Hollywood image of mothers bonding with their newborns. Marring the effect was that neither woman was wearing make-up and they both looked exhausted.
William followed a rather excited Lucy into the hospital room. She could hardly wait to see the babies. It wasn't that her biological clock was ticking, but she was interested in motherhood at some point in the future. She went immediately to the bedside.
Debbie said, "I'd like you to meet Marjorie Georgia Meyers and Patrick Oscar Meyers."
Georgia said, "And these two little wonders are Gloria Deborah Meyers and Mark Oscar Meyers."
William looked at the babies appreciating the miracle that was life and said, "I like the names you've chosen."
"Thanks," Georgia said.
Lucy leaned over and examined the fingers of Mark Meyers. She said, "Their little hands are so perfect."
"It is amazing isn't it," Debbie said looking from one baby to the other.
Georgia sighed and said, "I wish Oscar were here to see them. He'd be strutting around like a bandy rooster."
"I'm sure he would," Debbie said with a grin.
The nurse came in the room and stared at the four babies. Although she had known the patients' last name was Meyers, she hadn't put that together with Oscar Meyers. It was a rather offhand comment about the birth certificates by one of the other nurses that had made her realize the identity of the two women. These were the wives of the famous Oscar Meyers.
The nurse wasn't the only one who had figured out the identity of the two patients. Downstairs, a small but growing crowd of reporters was gathering. There was the expectation that someone would give a press release and they were ready with their questions. She said, "The press is here."
Looking over at the nurse, Debbie asked, "Why is the press here?"
"You were married to Oscar Meyers and just delivered his babies," the nurse answered rather surprised that Debbie had asked the question.
"Oh," Georgia said. Thanks in large part to William's efforts; the two women had not been bothered by the press. Going through the pregnancy in the relative isolation of their home, it was easy to forget that they were minor celebrities.
"I'll talk to them," William said. He turned to Lucy and asked, "Would you like to go down there with me?"
"No," Lucy answered with a shudder. She hated dealing with the press.
"It will be good practice," William said with a wink. He knew how much she enjoyed dealing with reporters.
"That's okay. You go and have fun," Lucy said blowing a kiss in his direction.
William left the room and went down to the car. He had packed a small bag for this occasion. He opened the bag and removed a black robe. Although this wasn't exactly Druid business, William was going to make sure that the kids were never bothered by a press that wanted to turn infants into celebrities. One way of doing that was to lay down some ground rules and backing them up with a threat that would be believed.
William returned to the hospital and entered the room where the press was waiting. Rather than enter at the front of the room, William entered the back of the room. He cleared his throat to get the attention of the members of the press. All eyes watched him as he started towards the front of the room. His black robes drew attention as they swirled around while he confidently walked the aisle that passed through the center of the room. He was an intimidating presence among individuals who were not used to being intimidated.
At the front of the room, William turned and faced the press. With a very grave expression on his face, he said, "I'd like a moment of silence in honor of Oscar Meyers."
A wave of unease flowed over the room. A polite request to shut up wasn't the way that most press conferences started. Individuals who had been about to shout out questions were particularly off balance as a result of the request. After a minute, William said, "This afternoon, Georgia and Deborah Meyers each had twins. Debbie gave birth to Marjorie Georgia Meyers and Patrick Oscar Meyers. Georgia gave birth to Gloria Deborah Meyers and Mark Oscar Meyers. The mothers and infants are healthy."
"Will they be Druids?" one of the reporters asked.
"That is up to the Gods and Goddesses. They don't tell us their plans," William answered knowing that his father would have to hold his hands over his ears on hearing that answer.
"What do they look like?"
William looked at the reporter with disdain and answered, "They look like babies. You know, small and kind of cute."
"Will the mothers give interviews?" one of the other reporters asked.
Shaking his head, William answered, "No. You will respect their privacy."
"This is news and the public has a right to know," one of the reporters commented.
William faced the reporter and, with eyes narrowed, said, "It has a right to know what exactly? That a baby is a baby? That a mother is protective of her child? That a child will learn about the world through trial and error? That sometimes little children aren't perfect? Do you think that the public has a right to feel superior to them because they will make mistakes? Do you think that the children of famous people have fewer rights to privacy than the children of other people? What right does the public have to snoop in the lives of young children?"
William's questions created a minor stir among the reporters. It wasn't a typical event to have the subject of an interview question their right to know in such a fashion. One of the reporters answered, "Yes, the public has a right to know all of that."
"I suggest that you rethink that position," William replied with a nasty little smile.
"Why?"
"There are forces in this world that will intervene when children are being exploited. I, like many others, feel there is no crime worse than exploiting a child for self gain," William answered.
Coming from someone wearing the robes of a Druid, William's words were interpreted as a direct threat. Everyone in the room knew that William had promised that careers would end if they pursued the story. More than one reporter muttered, "You don't fuck with a Druid."
Looking around the room, William asked, "Are there any more questions?"
No one was willing to ask a question. Smiling, William said, "Thank you very much."
After William left the room, cameras were turned off and the reporters started to talk among themselves. One reporter said, "That killed that story."
"You can say that again," another reporter said in disgust.
"We were live with a full minute of dead air time. The boss is not going to be happy about that," one of the reporters remarked shaking his head. He wondered how William had managed to get such total and absolute control over the news conference.
"The editor of the paper wanted a headline," one reporter said. There could be headline, but the story would only cover two inches of a single column.
"I'm not going to explain to my editor that you don't fuck with a Druid."
"You don't need to tell him that. He knows."
"I hate dealing with Druids," one reporter said shaking his head.
"You never win when you go up against a Druid."
William returned to the hospital room. This time, his journey through the hospital created a stir among doctors, nurses, and patients. The now rare sight of a Druid in robes tended to attract lots of attention. Those who were not aware of his reason for being at the hospital watched him pass by with concern.
William paused beside a distraught looking young woman. She was shaking out of fear at the tests that she was about to undergo. Putting a hand on her shoulder, he said, "Cheer up. It is not that bad."
"It's not?" the woman asked looking up at William.
"There's no need to worry. You will recover and be stronger than ever," William answered looking into the distance.
"Thanks," the woman said feeling relieved.
William walked down the hallway to the room where Georgia and Debbie were recovering. He was amazed at how people got out of his way. He entered the room and said, "That went well."
Having watched a live broadcast of the interview, Lucy laughed. Gesturing to the television where a talking head was trying to say something intelligent about the press conference, she said, "That depends on who you are."
"That's always the case," William said with a smile. The reporter on the television finally gave up trying to make commentaries and the regular program resumed.
Debbie realized the full magnitude of what William had done for them. The press would not bother them for a long time. She said, "Thanks for doing that."
"There's no need to thank me. I think it is long past time when the press learned that the lives of children are not to be subject to the kind of public scrutiny that has been past practice," William said. He thought of the children of other celebrities and how their lives had been warped by living under the microscope of a ravenous press.
"I agree," Lucy said.
"Well, you just made our lives a whole lot easier," Georgia said.
Sitting down on a chair, William asked, "What are your plans now?"
Georgia and Debbie exchanged glances. Ever since learning that they were pregnant, they had discussed what they were going to do after giving birth. William's house had served as a nice retreat where they could heal from Oscar's death and spend their pregnancy, but it was just a retreat. Georgia said, "We will stay at your house for a while longer."
"We'll stay until the babies are ready to travel," Debbie said. She couldn't imagine traveling around with a pair of twins in diapers.
"Then we'll look for a place of our own," Georgia said.
"Thanks to you, we are very well provided for and can afford to live anywhere we want," Debbie said.
"Thank Oscar, not me for seeing to your financial future. I only did what little I could," William said.
"Right," Debbie said rolling her eyes. The expression on her face caused Lucy to giggle.
"We're going to stay together for now," Georgia said looking over at Debbie. Debbie smiled back at her and nodded.
Lucy said, "I don't blame you. You've both been through a lot."
Wanting to change the subject, Georgia looked over at William and asked, "What about you two? What will you do now?"
"I'll go home and perform my service," William answered.
Lucy shrugged her shoulders and said, "I'll stay home and take care of William."
William laughed and said, "You make that sound like you are condemned to a life of misery. I'm not that bad."
Grinning at William, Lucy said, "Speak for yourself."
Colt and Nicole entered the room. With barely a glance at the babies, Colt said, "We've made arrangements for tomorrow."
"Good," William said.
"What about tomorrow?" Debbie asked.
"You're checking out of the hospital tomorrow," William answered.
"We've arranged for a car and security. We'll leave a security team to watch over you for the next few months," Nicole said.
"Why?" Debbie asked. Georgia just shook her head.
"The paparazzi will not be so easy to deter as the mainstream press," William answered. He knew that there would be some individuals who would do anything to get a picture of the babies. They had already discovered that there wasn't a market for pictures of the two women when they were pregnant. It would take them some time to learn that there wasn't a market for pictures of the babies.
"I didn't think about them," Debbie said.
Georgia said, "I'm kind of surprised that pictures of us looking like whales didn't appear in the tabloids."
Although Debbie and Georgia weren't the reasons behind William's actions, Lucy said, "William let a few of the tabloids know that he had purchased a number of loans that allowed them to remain in business. He can kill a story with a single phone call."
"Oh," Debbie said.
He said, "I got tired of having people following me around trying to create a news story where there wasn't one. I really didn't like it when they took advantage of Lucy."
"They tried to publish a nude picture of me taken by a hidden camera while I was in a changing room at a store. William was more than a little angry about that," Lucy said.
"A little angry?" Georgia asked raising an eyebrow. She had a feeling that Oscar would have killed whoever had done that.
Lucy said, "The photographer who took the picture is now in prison."
"Good," Debbie said.
"The man who was going to publish it is now a janitor at the tabloid where he was once the lead editor," Lucy said glancing over at William. The expression on his face suggested that he had really wanted to take the man out somewhere and bury him. She added, "He knew how the picture had been taken."
Georgia looked at William remembering how Oscar responded to aggression. Oscar also had that same no holds barred attitude. She shook her head as she said, "You really know how to play hardball."
"I suppose that I do," William answered.