Sometime in April
Leaning over her desk at L’otarie in Paris, Claire scrutinized a sketch on an X-Large iPad in front of her. In the lower left-hand corner, she wrote her initials to approve it. On the next sketch, she scratched out a sash and made some notes and swiped to the next one. Glancing at her watch, the time read eight forty-five.
>Blue Light<
Wyatt stood in front of her desk. “Mon chéri, you’re late for our date,” he said.
“Mon Dieu,” replied Claire. She gently tapped her forehead. “I’m so sorry. Your French girl forgot. I am way behind on reviewing the spring show.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” asked Wyatt, walking behind her to massage her tense, tired shoulders.
“That helps…” Claire smiled as she leaned back to enjoy his fingers.
Wyatt brushed her hair aside and kissed the nape of her slender neck.
“So, does that…” Claire’s smile widened.
“How long’s it going to take for you to catch up?” asked Wyatt as his tongue lazily rolled across her neck.
Claire sighed. “Maybe…two to three hours.”
“Well then,” said Wyatt merrily, “it’s a good thing I brought a book.”
Wyatt walked to the couch and laid down. “I’ll keep you company until you’re ready.”
He opened the book. “When you’re finished, let me know and I’ll take you to Michelle’s and we can go dancing to celebrate you finishing.”
Three hours later, Wyatt woke kissing Claire. He looked around. A dozen candles illuminated the room.
“What happened?” asked Wyatt.
“You fell asleep while I finished my work,” said Claire, kissing him again. “Thank you for being so patient.” She kissed him once more. “And thank you for keeping me company.”
She pointed to the middle of the room to a folding table with two lit candles. On the table waited Chinese takeout and a bottle of red wine airing.
“I’ve been thinking,” said Claire, “if it’s ok with you, could we have dinner here tonight before we head home?”
Standing, Wyatt took her hand and smiled at Claire. “Shall we dance?”
Claire tapped her iPhone and slow music started playing. Setting it on the table, she held out her arms to Wyatt. Wyatt embraced Claire. Taking a deep breath, she molded herself into him as their feet moved together. Wyatt pushed Claire’s hair back and whispered into her ear as he kissed her neck.
“Je t’aime ma belle Claire.”1
Claire snuggled happily into Wyatt’s shoulder. “Je t’aime aussi, mon Wyatt.”2
Sometime in May: Wyatt Morgen’s Day Off
One morning on a beautiful spring day in May, Wyatt woke up alone. Julie had early appointments at her music studio in Carmel, and Heidi subbed for a sick manager at the new Nye Beach restaurant, La Belle Morgen. Claire had left early with Gretchen to shop in Paris while Keiko trained on Prince Glorb-O’s ship in high orbit.
Rolling out of bed, Wyatt decided to check the nursery and play with the kids. But all the children were fed and asleep, and Tawny shooed him away before he could wake any of them.
Heading to the kitchen he found a breakfast burrito in the refrigerator and heated it up in the microwave. While he ate on the dining room balcony, Wyatt wondered what to do with the day. It felt odd. Between his wives, Lesbians, children, and writing, and military training, there always seemed to be something to do. He decided to take a shower and think about it.
After drying himself with a towel, Wyatt went to the bedroom to get dressed. He put on a pair of blue jeans and while he tied his tennis shoe on a nearby chair, he looked at the bed and began to think. Originally, Wyatt and his wives had decided on a California king mattress, but that seemed a little small to him now.
“House, make the bed fifty percent larger,” he ordered.
The bed grew as Wyatt watched, nodding his head in satisfaction. “Uh, huh, that’ll work,” he said. “Much better.”
Then he noticed that by making the bed larger it now blocked the doorway. “Oh, crap!” he said while scratching his head.”
“House, make the bedroom”—he thought a second—“forty feet wider and longer. Along the southeast wall, I want three large walk-in closets and boudoirs. Move all Julie, Heidi, and Claire’s clothes, jewelry, and shoes into their individual closets and fold, sort, and hang by clothing type. Make it neat.”
The room enlarged. Wyatt glanced around. “Darn it, now the ceiling is too low.”
Wyatt had never liked the height of the ceiling anyway. It felt cramped when he opened his wings, so he decided to change it.
“House,” he ordered, “enlarge the ceiling upward…”
Remembering how much Julie liked making love in mid-air on a trapeze…
“Thirty…no forty feet high…no wait sixty feet. And curve the windows into one solid glass enclosure outward from the top of the ceiling to the balcony. Make the glass opaque from the outside and transparent from the inside. Enlarge the outside balcony accordingly.”
Wyatt looked around in satisfaction. It all seemed so light and airy. But something wasn’t quite right. “Ahh darn,” he said to himself.
“Now the furniture finish is off. House,” he ordered, “add two sofas, additional end tables, and change all the furniture in the bedroom to modern Swedish with a blonde finish. And I want flowers in vases… on all the tables. Access Julie, Heidi, and Claire’s favorites in your files. Also take the Uglakov out of storage. Hang and center it five feet above the bed on the wall. There are five boxes of watercolor paintings next to it. Frame them and distribute them randomly around the Uglakov.”
The house did everything with its usual perfection. However, now, the wall color did not go with the Uglakov or the paintings.
“Shit!” He shook his head. “House, change the walls to eggshell off-white…perfect!”
Wyatt looked towards the bathroom and then downstairs and smiled.
“Hmmm…”
Looking sharp and stylish in his leather jacket and oversized black aviator sunglasses Wyatt pulled Julie’s BMW up to the McDonald’s drive-through kiosk with the top down.
“Can I take your order?” asked the microphone.
“Yeah,” demanded Romeo sarcastically as he sat strapped in next to Juliet on the passenger side. “Do you have anything that’s actually healthy for us?”
Wyatt held a finger to his lips. “Shhh!”
“We’ll have six, no…ten Egg McMuffins,” said Wyatt into the speaker.
It only took a minute for the BMW to reach the window. A young girl handed Wyatt a sack and then gave Romeo and Juliet a puzzled look.
“Nice dogs you have there,” she said. “I thought on the intercom that you had another person in the car.”
Romeo and Juliet turned their heads towards the young girl. “Shhh. We’re not allowed to talk to strangers!”
Driving out of the parking lot and onto the Coast Highway, Wyatt laughed hilariously with Romeo and Juliet while the stunned McDonald’s employee watched.
“You two want to go through the Starbucks drive-thru next?” asked Wyatt.
Heidi walked into the kitchen and set a small bag of groceries on the counter. Looking around, she noticed that everything seemed different. The kitchen had been enlarged by a factor of three and installed against the back wall stood a new XXXL stainless-steel gas Bar-B-Q grill. Heidi noticed it had a brand name, The Ultimate Grillosaurus Rex! In addition, they now had a walk-in refrigerator and freezer large enough for a family of four to live in.
“What the…”
Julie strolled into the kitchen. “Have you seen the upstairs?” she asked.
“No, I just got here,” said Heidi. “Do you know anything about this?”
She pointed to the grill in the corner and the kitchen in general.
Julie shook her head. “Oh my, no.”
She took Heidi by the hand… “You have to see this?” …and led her upstairs.
When they entered the bedroom, Heidi looked upward and gasped.
“This is certainly going to give sleeping under the stars new meaning,” joked Heidi.
Julie pointed. “You should see the bathroom,” she exclaimed. “We no longer have a jacuzzi hot tub. We have a swimming pool, and we can wash the Caddy in the shower. And, except for the toilet, the ceiling and walls are just as open and transparent as this.”
>Blue Light<
“You like it?” growled a voice. “Wyatt changed it. He seemed very proud of it.”
Julie and Heidi turned to see Commander Pinky standing by the bed, smiling.
“Where’s Wyatt now?” asked Julie.
“He’s in the outback with Romeo and Juliet,” growled Commander Pinky.
“The steakhouse?” asked a confused Heidi.
“No,” replied Commander Pinky, “the Australian.”
She made a bouncing motion with her hand. “He’s eating Egg McMuffins with Romeo and Juliet and watching kangaroos hippity-hop.”
“And…oh, you might want to know,” added Commander Pinky grinning, “they have your car, Julie, and soon you’re probably going to get a call from Marta about Wyatt and Romeo and Juliet playing jokes on her Starbucks associates in the drive-through line. They actually went through the line three times. And each time they”—Commander Pinky started laughing—“well, I’ll let Marta tell you all about it.”
Julie frowned a little. She pulled her iPhone from her bag and pushed a button. Claire answered.
“You and Gretchen want to have some fun?” asked Julie. “Because I think our husband has way, way too much free time on his hands today.”
Juliet pranced in front of the BMW, showing off her new red cape with a kangaroo on it.
“So, what do you two males think?” asked Juliet.
“Gorgeous, just gorgeous,” gushed Wyatt, pointing a finger at Juliet. “You are one foxy Labrador!”
Juliet grinned.
Wyatt leaned on the BMW’s hood and watched the kangaroos hop on the dusty red plain in front of them. His hand cocked the Australian bush hat that he had just bought.
“What do you two think about my new hat?” asked Wyatt.
“Great, just great,” said Romeo, sitting next to him.
He held up his chin. “How do you like my new kerchief?”
Wyatt tilted his sunglasses and gave him a thumbs-up. “You are one good-looking pooch,” he proclaimed with emphasis. “Very stylish.”
>Blue Light<
“Uh oh, Politzei!” said Juliet, looking towards the light. “We’re busted!”
The horn honked three times and four beautiful women, wearing cowboy hats, and rhinestone boots jumped from the Cadillac and headed their way.
The four stopped ten feet in front of Wyatt and posed provocatively like petulant pouty-lipped models in front of him.
“What’s going on, Wyatt?” asked Julie.
Wyatt smiled seductively at the four. Thinking for a second, he raised an eyebrow in their direction.
“What are you up for?” asked Wyatt.
“That depends. What have you got?” said Heidi.
“You ladies want to go for a camel ride?” he asked suggestively raising an eyebrow.
Julie looked at the other three, shrugging blankly at her and then back at Wyatt. “Uh…sure.”
Half Hour Later at Lester’s Camel Station Outside Pink Town, Australia
Adjusting herself, Julie wedged her pregnant body into the tight saddle on the camel.
“I thought a camel ride was some sort of weird sexual euphemism,” said Julie, looking down at Wyatt. “I didn’t know you actually meant a real camel ride.”
Wyatt chuckled as he handed her the reins. “Sometimes a camel ride is just a camel ride.”
Eight Hours Later
Wyatt lay on the bed in their newly enlarged bedroom surrounded by three happy naked women with lots of room. While Heidi and Claire slept in each other’s arms, Julie snuggled into Wyatt’s chest and gazed upward.
“It’s a stunning view,” she said. “I remember one like it a year and a half ago in Corvalis that sang to me.”
“What did it sing to you?” asked Wyatt as he kissed her forehead and rubbed her pregnant stomach.
“It sang ‘go to the beach and find your true love.’” Julie sighed as she relaxed into a blissful, happy sleep.
Holding Wyatt’s hand, Gretchen and Wyatt sat on the lake dock with their feet dangling in the water below them. Above them their three daughters gleefully buzzed about chasing lightning bugs. Fräulein Gretchen kissed her Inspector.
“I had a fun time today” said Gretchen. “I’ve never been to Australia.”
Wyatt chuckled a little.
“What are you laughing about?” asked Gretchen, smiling.
“I’ve gone with you to death and beyond, and yet, you’ve never been to Australia with me,” said Wyatt.
Gretchen ran her finger down his nose. “I hope you realize how much I love you.”
“I do, Munchkin,” said Wyatt, looking deep into her big blue eyes. “I love you beyond words too.”
“I really like what you did with my bedroom at La Belle Aurore today,” she said as her fingers played with his. “It was very thoughtful to make the ceiling five stories high. The girls love it.”
She kissed him again. Only this time for a little while longer. Finally, she let go.
“Don’t you think it’s time we put our birdies to bed?” she asked.
Wyatt smiled. “Sure.”
He looked towards the house. “I noticed there isn’t any wood to split today.”
Gretchen, starting with his chest, stroked her index finger to his abdomen.
“I want you to give us another child tonight. And this time I want a boy who smiles like his father,” said Gretchen.
She rolled her tongue along the edge of his ear and lingered. “I’ve made myself fertile, and what I really need you to do tonight is to take me over and over, and over again, my wonderful Inspector!”
She lightly tapped him on the nose. “And don’t worry,” she said as she giggled. “I’ll let you know when you can quit!”
Wyatt stood and extended his wings. —Whoosh. Three birdies immediately flew in their direction.
“You take Sara, and I’ll take Helen and Anna.” Wyatt smiled.
“Ok, honey,” Gretchen replied as she giggled and grinned up at him. “Anything you say.”
Sometime in June
Heidi sat up in bed when Wyatt brought the tray table in. She rubbed her eyes.
“You let me sleep!” Heidi yawned. “I need to get ready for work.”
Wyatt set the tray on a nearby table and reached in behind her. As she leaned forward, he plumped up her pillows.
“Not today, my love,” he said. “I called La Belle Morgen and told them you would not be coming in today. We’re spending the day together.”
Heidi’s face lit up. “We are?”
“We are,” said Wyatt. “You’re pregnant and I think you work way too much.”
Wyatt set the tray table in front of her. Next to the covered plate lay a pink rose. Heidi held it between her hands and inhaled while Wyatt pulled off the lid to Heidi’s usual breakfast, sliced melon and rye toast and kissed her.
Heidi smiled sweetly and Wyatt removed the bed covers from her feet and massaged the bottom of her left foot.
“How about we start the day with a vigorous foot massage?” said Wyatt. “Then a good scrubbing in the shower and afterwards we’ll take a drive along the coast road. Or, if you like, maybe go to Paris and take a walk along the Seine. I don’t care where we go. I miss you when you work, and I just want to spend the day with you.”
Heidi began sobbing. Wyatt abandoned her foot and taking the tray table from her lap he sat beside her and held Heidi in his arms.
“What’s the matter, little bunny?” asked Wyatt in German.
“I don’t know,” said Heidi as she cried in his chest, “I don’t know.”
Wyatt said nothing and held her while she cried. After a while, the crying slowed.
“Could we stay here for a while and talk?” asked Heidi between tears.
“Sure,” said Wyatt while he rubbed her back. “I just want to spend time with you.”
Heidi started to cry again. “You want to spend time with me,” she wailed. “But I’m so ugly. Why do you want to spend time with someone as flabby as me?”
Wyatt hugged her to him tight. He ran his fingers through her hair. “Little bunny, you’re not flabby, you’re beautiful,” said Wyatt.
“How can you say that?” blubbered Heidi. “Look at me, I’ve gained fifteen pounds again. How can you love someone that’s as hideously out of shape as me? Right now, I couldn’t fight my way out of a paper bag.”
Wyatt crawled onto the bed. “Like this,” said Wyatt, and he pulled Heidi to him tight and held her for the rest of the morning. Afterwards they took a relaxing shower together and went for a long drive along the coast.3