"Glad that you're back home?" Ali asked as the wheels hit the tarmac at the Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans; well, in Kenner actually, a western 'burb of the Big Easy.
"Oh yeah," I truthfully answered, "It's definitely good to be back home."
I had flown into the Twin Cities on a Wednesday, and it was as cold as a well-digger's ass in Siberia.
Not going to miss this shit, I thought to myself as I drove from the rental car lot at the airport.
I drove to my lawyer's office in St. Paul, on Snelling Street; Teri was waiting for me when I arrived. We hugged and kissed each other, both of us trying very hard to keep a smug smile from our faces.
The meeting was brief, the paperwork from the buyers all in order, and all the numbers as they were supposed to be. Agreeing to meet for breakfast the next morning with him, before we went to the signing, Teri and I left to go to our office.
I made the announcement to my crew, Teri having called them all to come in for a group meeting. After assurances that nobody was losing their part-time jobs and that they were guaranteed transition to the buying company, we were hugged and kissed and thanked by as good of a bunch of geeks as there ever was.
"Yes, I cried," I told Ali when we talked that evening over the phone, "You're damned right I cried; some of these kids have been with me since their freshman year at college."
"I would've expected nothing less, Lynn Marie," Ali's voice soothingly said in comfort to me.
Ali would be flying to the Cities for a board meeting on Monday, and she'd help me pack the few remaining personal items I had left at my condo for shipment to our home in New Orleans.
Teri asked to buy my condo, as an investment property, to use as a rental; she and Nat were still cohabitating and seemingly, still very much in love with each other. That bit of news made me happy as well. We agreed on a price that would include the remaining furniture as well, and shook on it; she called a real-estate agent friend of hers to start drawing up the papers for us to sign before I left the Cities next week.
I drove to my parent's farm on Friday morning, looking forward to spending a weekend with my family and my sibs. Yes, my sibs; Jan hadn't been a bitch to me in over a year and we were able to have normal, stress-free interaction now.
Daddy and Mom were as glad to see me again, as I was them. Mom did her best that weekend to make me gain a hundred pounds with all of the wonderful meals and desserts; she 'thought' that I looked a bit 'thin', but I was happy with the 120 lbs that I carried on my frame but I ate anyway, vowing to begin running again when I returned to New Orleans.
Ali arrived as scheduled, had her meeting and we spent Monday night and most of Tuesday packing up my crap for shipment. Teri would oversee the pickup of my goods after we returned to N'awlins.
We took Nat and Teri out to dinner on Tuesday evening, the table overflowing with good vibes and genuine happiness for both Teri and I. Hugging and kissing them goodbye before we left the restaurant was very bittersweet for me, my mind overflowing with 'snapshots' of my time with them over the past couple of years.
Yes, I cried that last night in my soon-to-be-sold condo, Ali's arm holding me tight to her body as I did so.
I spent a huge part of my life in the Cities; I discovered a side of me that I didn't know was in me and in the end, I had found my soul mate, here, in the Cities.
So, yes, I cried.
~
The Gallery was very busy these days; Mardi Gras season was in full swing, visitors were dropping in as they toured the art district, and Sami had been successful in getting our site designed and running. Her choice of a web designer was outstanding and all three of us were very pleased with the resulting 'hits' after just a few days.
For her part, Sami was working like a woman possessed; first to arrive and usually, the last to leave at night. She had set up a network of burgeoning unknown artists on a rotating schedule of showings, which resulted in a lot of sales; the artists were happy with their sales, and we were pleased with our commissions.
Win-Win; a good thing, no?
About a week after Ali and I had returned from the Cities, the three of us were at home, devouring a delicious Shrimp gumbo that Mama Jo had made for us and had one of her sons drop off.
"How's your mama?" Ali had asked Jerome when he dropped off the gumbo.
"She's really good, Ms. Alice; really enjoying spoiling her grandkids," he laughingly said.
"Good. I'm glad to hear that," Ali told him and giving him a message that Ali and I were going to take Mama Jo out to dinner in a few days, he left, waving as he pulled onto the boulevard in front of the manse.
"Damn, this is good!" Sami exclaimed between spoonfuls of the gumbo.
"Oh yeah, Mama Jo can cook!" I chimed in.
"So Sami, any luck with Sharon finding you a place?" Ali asked as we cleaned up our dishes.
Laughing, Sami said, "Why? Have I worn out my welcome already?"
"Hell no, babygirl, you're welcome to stay with us however long you want, I just figured that you'd like to get your own 'space' is all," Ali said, and my head nodding in agreement.
"Well, truthfully, Sharon does appear to be dragging her feet a bit; oh, she's showed me a few places but they weren't quite right, you know?"
"Yeah, I know what you mean; it took me a long time before I found my place in St. Paul," I chimed into the conversation.
"I think she's more interested to see if she can get me into bed, if you want to know the truth," Sami offered up, "She damned sure drops enough hints and innuendoes."
"The woman does like to fuck, that's for damned sure," I agreed.
"Well, there's no rush, baby; like I said, you're welcome to stay with us as long as you'd like," Ali said to her, giving her a quick kiss to her lips.
The three of us cohabitating was working very well, all of us enjoying the sorority atmosphere of the manse with Sami there. Yes, the three of us still had joyful romps as a triad and, a couple of times, Sami had even brought her new friend, Gina, to spend the night. The sounds from Sami's room on those evenings certainly indicated that they enjoyed each other's company in bed, that's for damn sure.
Gina had not told Janice, her boss, that she was fucking a client and we didn't feel the need to inform her either. Work was work, but after that, they were entitled to enjoy each other was Ali and I's view.
~
"It's a shame that Sami's not able to go with us," Ali mentioned as we got into our costumes.
Ali's family had belonged to a Mardi Gras Krewe for years, and with her dad's passing, Ali inherited that, as well.
A Krewe is a private, usually expensive, 'club' that holds its own parade sometime during the long, festive Mardi Gras season. The Krewe's parade was that night and we were riding on one of the floats as 'throwers', tossing beads and trinkets to the parade watchers.
"Most of the float riders will probably be drunk before we even leave the staging area," Ali explained to me, "but its great fun and one huge fucking party."
"Do I look okay?" I asked her as I twirled in my get-up.
"Good enough to eat," Ali said as she embraced me before kissing me with passion.
"Baby, we just got dressed and we have to be there in an hour," I said as she felt me up, kissing me and getting my horny motor running fast.
"Yeah, I know, but still..."
We were only fifteen minutes late.
The parade was the most fun I've had with my clothes on in a long time. Drunks on the floats tossing beads and shit; drunks on the street catching them and yelling, "Throw me something, Mister," fighting each other for the goodies that were flying from the floats. Old women, young women lifting their shirts flashing their titties hoping to attract attention from the throwers; one hell of a good time was had by all, I can truthfully say.
Our particular float was the third in line and when we reached the end of the parade route, we boarded chartered busses that would take us back to the staging area and our cars.
One of the other riders was a married woman of about forty-five'ish, and had been next to Ali and me on the float. The three of us had shared nips from the flask of Cognac that we had brought, and when we finished it, she had produced one of her own, sharing it with us. Her husband was also on the float but was very busy chatting up some of the other women and girls on our float. Ali knew her, casually, introducing me to her when we started the parade.
"Any chance that I could get a ride with you gals back to my place?" Jane had asked when we arrived at the staging area on the bus. The three of us had sat together, finishing her flask and laughing on the trip back. Her husband had chosen to sit with a couple of 'young things', obviously more concerned with scoring with them then being with his wife.
"Your husband's not going with you?" I asked Jane as we stood next to Ali's car.
"Him? Fuck him! He's more interested in trying to fuck one of those girls," Jane answered, "Me? I'd just as soon go home and get plowed rather than watch him embarrass himself and me."
"Not much fun for you," Ali said, a glint of 'something' in her eyes, I noticed.
"Yeah, well, I'm use to it," Jane said, "So how 'bout it; want to give an old lady a ride home."
Ali's eyes quickly flashed me signals, and leaning in towards me, Ali gave me a long, lingering kiss while feeling my breast.
"Oh my, am I interrupting some plans for you two," Jane asked, not as much shocked by what she had just witnessed, as she was, intrigued.
"No, not at all, we were just going to head to our place for a little hot-tubbing and maybe enjoy a bit of ganja," Ali said, wiping her finger across my lips, smoothing my gloss back into place.
"Well, that sounds like fun," Jane said, her eyes moving between Ali and I as we stood with our arms around each other's waists.
"Want to join in the fun?" Ali asked locking Jane's eyes with her own.
