Author's Note:
After some consideration, I will am retitling this story. It is still part of the Sean and Sheila saga, but a new volume. Volume one ended with their first night together. As before, sex is secondary, so look elsewhere if you want a stroke Story. Try
Kitty & Teddy, LLC Ch. 06A,
which will also make the first chapter easier to follow.
There is little sex in these chapters. Sorry.
Chapter 1 --
Changes
Interlude:
25
th
Anniversary
Cindy:
"Everyone knows about the wedding. Some of it is Justin's incredible photography. The shot of the houseboat against the moonlight won major awards. Odd that he gave Mom a lot of the credit. His candid shots of the bridesmaids are hysterical. Justin somehow managed a shot of my Aunt Jo hanging Aunt Fran out of a window. That room is on the third floor and the whole level was ladies only. Aunt Jo would call it the mare moiety. They did get the makeup fixed in time for the ceremony.
"Mom looked incredible. She made the cover of a bridal magazine, which embarrasses her no end. The whole, now famous, Victorian motif was hers, though Dad claims the equally famous dress. Somehow, they managed to set it up in one week, yet made it the event of the season. The week must have been frantic, though no one ever talks about it.
Sheila:
I was learning to love waking up after an evening with Sean. I was invariably sore, well rested and contented. That did not mean that something significant had not happened. Getting engaged rated as significant in my book. Looking over at Sean, I decided that my Teddy Bear would rank as significant just about every morning.
Things were going to be different, and soon. Once I started the thought, the train ran away with me. I had an apartment to consider, complete with a newly acquired submissive. I had a business to run, and G_d only knew what changes would take place there. Sean might want a honeymoon, which meant that I needed a fill in, and CC was not ready yet. The catalog had been put to bed, but there were wrap up details that still needed tidying. There were some unsettling rumors concerning my building, which deserved a long look. At least the wedding planning should be easy. How complicated could a small backyard wedding get, especially on our schedule?
First things first. I slipped out of bed and grabbed my phone on the way to the bathroom. As expected, Francine had sent me a dozen messages, getting progressively more profane. Knowing her habits, there was no way she was up. It would serve her right.
Phone:
If this is Schwartzkopf, you are a shit, the lowest form of life and I am insanely jealous. I hope you had a good fuck. Meet me at the old diner at 9:00. Everyone else, screw yourself, I'm busy.
OK. Score that one for Francine. It was already 8:15 AM, so I needed to hurry. Running back into the bedroom, still naked, I looked for the inevitable intercom. It was on the wall, next to the door. I pressed a button and said, "Who is driving today?" I took a moment, then a familiar voice responded.
This is Gerald. What can I do for you Miss Schwartz?
"Gerald, this ought to be below your pay grade."
You have a point ma'am, but this is an unusual situation.
Wow. I felt like Rene Russo, in
The Thomas Crown Affair,
when Pierce Brosnan said he never brought anyone to his cabin. Unless I missed my guess, Gerald was Sean's head of security. That meant a lot of things, which I would have to sort out later. For the moment, I needed to get a ride.
"Well, I think I can make it a bit more unusual. But first, would you have someone get a car ready. I need to meet someone in town, at 9:00, and I have no clothes to change into. Unless Sean keeps a closet full of woman's clothes, for his guests ... did I hear you snort?"
Yes, ma'am. Sorry, ma'am. I will have a car ready in ten minutes. Is there anything else?
"Gerald, do you remember when I said I was glad you were the center of information flow?"
Uh, ma'am, that sounds very ominous.
"Gerald, you barely know me, yet you know me well. Here is the short version, which you may unpack at leisure. Sean and I became engaged last night. The wedding is a week from today, here on the grounds, with a reception to follow. I would love to chat, but I have a meeting, and you have calls to make. Fortunately, most people are up by now. Now, aren't you glad you got this message in person, so to speak?"
Sean:
Waking is not usually difficult. There is a radio across the room, which plays annoying financial information til I shut it up. When Sheila came home with me, I had managed to switch the alarm off, so I had had more than two extra hours of sleep. Somehow the clock read 9:12 and I was still half asleep.
I stumbled to the house com. Pressing the button I said, "Who is on this weekend." Then there was a noticeable delay. Gerald would be chewing someone out over that.
Good morning. This is Gerald. What can I do for you.
Gerald?
"Gerald, what the hell are you doing, at the com, on a Saturday morning? This is way below your pay grade." My God, Gerald laughed.
Sorry, Sir. It is just that Miss Schwartz used those exact words an hour ago. It has been a busy hour.
Oh my hairy balls.
"I take it Sheila informed you of her new status."
Yes, Sir, in passing. The big news was the where and when of the nuptials."
Oh shit. "
If I may say, Sir, Miss Schwartz has an uncanny ability to do a thirty minute brief, in fifteen seconds. Are you sure that this is where you want to go, Sir?
God I loved this woman.
"Gerald, if that was entire briefing, she left out the part about wanting a room remodeled. Hopefully, we will need it in nine months. How is that for compact information?"
I stand corrected, Sir.
"I assume you assigned Miss Schwartz a car and driver today. Did she take it?"
Yes, Sir, and no, Sir. She asked for a ride to her apartment. She was observed to make a quick change and drive off in her personal vehicle. She was not accompanied by Miss Collins. She indicated an 0900 meeting.
"I cannot say I am surprised by any of that. Send her a text message, requesting a conference. She is to have have family grade access, both here at the house and in the garage, starting immediately. Her shadow, Miss Collins, will have overnight guest status, until further notice. We will need to work her apartment into the rotation, as soon as possible, and get her car vetted. Sell that to her as an oil change and tune up. See what she will sit still for and shoot me a note ASAP. Give me a full write up on everything tonight.
"Enjoy your weekend
."
Security people will run your life, if you let them. I was glad to learn Sheila had her whip in hand when she dealt with them. Of course, finding Sheila with a whip in her hand is rarely surprising. Security would be putting in some serious overtime this week, and that was if things stayed small. As Han Solo would say, I had a bad feeling.
After talking with Gerald, I attacked the email stack. Word of my engagement had not hit, yet, but rumor of the catalog was running amok. Harold Johnstead sent personal assurances that everything would be available for the Monday mail. I wondered how many extra copies he would be keeping. Just to tweak his beak, I replied with a request for 200 wedding invitations, priority job.
There was nothing from Helen in the stack, but that only meant that she was doing something at church. At least I was not Catholic. Confessing fornication was not something I wanted to try. My best guess was that Sheila was a non practicing Jew, but I would need to ask. Pastor Myers would perform the ceremony, regardless, but I needed to find out. I had visions of stomping a glass in a yarmulke. Not going there. Thank God I owned a catering company.
Helen could handle the invitations. It would be strictly local and family, but I had a feeling that would not hold the crowd down much. Sheila might want a small affair, but I had doubts. In the mean time, I needed to talk to Justin. Rumors would be bad enough, just from what I gave Harold. Having a local photographer would be even worse.
One interesting item was a note from Julian, the corset maker. He said the Bridal Corset would be ready for a fitting on Tuesday. He noted that he was aware of the dress requirements, and guaranteed proper fit. The dress was scheduled for Friday, which was cutting things close. I thanked him. I also told him to expect at least one other person for a fitting. Sheila had mentioned CC was a size 8. My eyeball analysis said 32 C. Hopefully that was enough to get Julian started. I did not bother mentioning Francine Martel, since she would likely wear a corset on the outside.
After that. I went to scrounge some breakfast. I could contemplate what Sheila's reverse cowgirl was telling me. It was a nice counterpoint to fried egg on toast. Heaven help me when people started to get home from wherever they went on Saturday mornings.
Sheila:
I pulled up at the 7
th
Street Diner at 9:07 AM. That made me seven minutes late, by most standards, or 23 minutes early, by Francine time. However, I was not surprised to be met at the door with, "You're late. Where the fuck have you been, and how much fucking was involved?" Francine can be subtle. Really, she can. This was not going to be one of those times.
I came inside to find Francine next to the wreckage of a three egg omelet, half a dozen donuts, three cups of coffee and at least five cigarette butts. By law, all restaurants are non-smoking, but that has never applied to divas like Francine Martel. Fortunately, there was a cold cup of black coffee on the other side of the table. I drained it and waived it in the air until someone picked up a pot. Only then did I look at my recently refound friend. Everything I was prepared to say died at the sight.