The Bareep and the Model

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Once we'd docked and secured the boat I drove Xanthe home, after agreeing we'd both freshen up and then she'd rideshare to my place. We'd decide on dinner then. I drove home and after checking with my manager headed upstairs to shower and change.

Forty-five minutes later I was waiting in the bar when Xanthe arrived, carrying her tote and a dry-cleaning bag. I took both from her and led her to the elevator. Once inside, I asked "What's all this?"

"Well, since it's only a couple of blocks to my office I thought you might like some company tonight. These are my work clothes." She grinned as she said this.

"You're just full of surprises today," I told her.

"You don't know the half of it yet," she replied. "Where are we going to dinner? Here or somewhere else?"

"I thought we'd go to my favorite Italian place if that's okay with you."

"Definitely! I love Italian. And Italian/Englishmen," she grinned again.

I laughed as I hung her suit in the closet. I ordered a ride share and we headed downstairs for the brief wait. In twenty minutes we were at Mama C's, a cozy little place run by a couple who had emigrated from Italy a decade ago. Their name, Caputo, means 'skillful' and their son and chef, Marco, is certainly that.

After reviewing the menu Xanthe said "I think I'll just have the Caprese salad. Need to balance all the meat and cheese we had for lunch." I chose the manicotti, one of my favorite dishes here. She ordered a glass of chardonnay while I opted for a Johnny Walker Black, neat.

When the drinks arrived and we had given the waiter our orders, we both started to say "Hon, there's something I want..." at the same time. We stopped and laughed and I said "Ladies first."

"Dusty, I know this is going to sound strange since we only met three days ago but I've fallen in love with you. You don't have to respond right away - but please tell me what you were going to say."

I chuckled and said "Exactly the same thing. I'm in love with you, Xanthe, and I want you in my life completely."

"What does that mean, completely?" she asked.

"I would love for you to move into my apartment. I want to fall asleep next to you every night and wake beside you every morning. You're all I think about all day, and dream about all night. I have never felt this way about anyone. Three more days or three more decades won't change a thing."

"Oh, Dusty! I feel exactly the same. Are you sure you can handle living with me?" she said. "I imagine you're used to having your own space."

I laughed. "Hon, all those years in the service I lived with lots of people. None as beautiful as you, of course. Besides, the primary en suite has two sinks. No sharing needed," I grinned.

After pausing our conversation when the food arrived we waited until the waiter finished and left. Then Xanthe asked, "So where do we go from here?'

"When you get off work tomorrow we'll drive to your place and move whatever you need to my apartment. I have plenty of room and we can even convert one of the spare bedrooms into an office for you. You'll need someplace comfortable to do your schoolwork."

"That will have to wait since I have class tomorrow night. I will need a ride to my place to get my car so I can drive to the college. You realize that in addition to classes Monday and Tuesday nights I will have papers to write and tests to study for. We won't see much of each other in the evenings, at least during the week," she said.

"That's okay. I'll spend those times down at the bar. And I can let my staff handle things so most nights we can go to bed together, at whatever time you need to," I told her.

The next few weeks flew by quickly. We had moved all her clothes and personal items to my place and then packed everything else she wanted to keep while carting the rest to Goodwill to donate. She ended her lease at the end of the month and had the electricity and cable shut off. I put the furniture from the spare bedroom into storage and we picked out what she'd need to turn the space into an office. While she only has a few more months of night school she might continue to need an office afterwards, depending on how her career went.

I rearranged the management schedule so I wasn't needed on the weekends. Naturally if one of my managers needed a day off or got sick I'd cover but as a rule Saturday and Sunday belongs to us.

Three years passed without a single argument or harsh word spoken by either of us when Xanthe said "Dusty, we need to talk."

"Is everything alright, hon?" I asked.

"I think it's perfect and I hope you will too," she replied. "I passed another test this morning."

I scrunched up my eyebrows in confusion as she'd finished school almost three years ago. She smiled as she passed me the First Response pregnancy test stick, with the word 'Yes' in the little window. I looked up at her in mild shock and said, "Is this for real?"

"I'm sure it is but I have a doctor's appointment Monday morning to confirm. So how do you feel about it?"

I finally found my footing and jumped up from the chair. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her as hard as I could. My heart was beating so fast and hard Xanthe couldn't possibly miss it. "I'm going with you. Not just Monday, but every single appointment the two of you have."

She smiled at me and hugged me even tighter. "I knew you'd say that. So like you," she said.

We went to our favorite restaurant, other than Dusty's, to celebrate. "Are you okay if I order a drink?" I asked.

"Of course, go ahead and enjoy yourself. I know I can't have any alcohol for the next couple of years," she replied..

Initially confused, it suddenly dawned on me. "Oh yeah, breastfeeding," I said.

"I know how much you like them but you're going to have to share," she grinned.

When we got home after dinner I took her into the bedroom and slowly stripped off her clothes. I admired her still flat stomach as I stripped off my own clothes. We made love more gently and tenderly than ever before, not out of fear but rather deep, deep love for one another.

We both got a surprise when we visited the Ob/gyn on Monday. "Twins!?" we both exclaimed when she told us there were definitely two heartbeats. Xanthe had actually missed two periods, I learned, before taking the home test. She was already nine weeks pregnant based on the doctor's best estimate. We'd be back in two weeks for an ultrasound which would confirm that estimate.

Xanthe was a model patient. She almost completely avoided the dreaded morning sickness. Her biggest complaint was leg cramps which she addressed by avoiding heels completely. I helped out with nightly leg massages, which often led to more intimate contact.

I was in the delivery room when Allegra made her appearance, followed two minutes later by Aida. Allegra means 'joyous' while Aida is 'happy'. Both were rated 9 on the 10 point Apgar scale, a very encouraging score. Xanthe, though tired and sweating from the delivery, smiled broadly. As soon as the girls were cleaned and diapered the nurses laid them on her chest, skin to skin. I carry a picture of that pose in my wallet.

Fifteen minutes later Xanthe said "Take your shirt off." I did as she asked and she passed Allegra to me. I pressed her to my bare chest with her ear over my heart. The little one fell asleep almost immediately. Ten minutes later I returned her to Mom who passed me Aida for some father/daughter bonding.

All these thoughts came back to me as we took our twin five-year olds to their first day of school. Xanthe had done an outstanding job preparing them and instead of tears and fear of the unknown both girls were excited to start this new journey. The school had agreed to keep them together in the same class, at least through kindergarten. We'd reassess next year.

Xanthe and I had had many discussions over the past five years, culminating in a decision that I would have a vasectomy. We adore being parents and couldn't ask for happier, more loving, well-behaved offspring. But we decided that two was enough for us.

I don't know if our lives qualify to be called perfect but neither she nor I could think of a single thing we'd want to change.