by G S Binkley
“Consider it done. When can we get in there and start filming Gage’s next movie?” The anxious director asked, happy to hear the news about the progress of Gage and Mark’s new movie studio just outside of St. Troy.
“Hold on, Ryan. The script’s still got a few bugs to work out and…”
“Don’t believe her. It’s perfect. But Hank’s says there’s about couple of months before we could use it for the kind of production you’re talking about.” Lacy advised him.
Feeling left out, Mark announced. “Did you hear I got a new TV network to play with?”
Gage had to smile. “I thought you said I could play with it?”
Mark sighed. “Everybody gets all the fun except me. Ryan’s shooting a movie, Gage, you’re writing one and Lacy… well, you get to do whatever you want…”
“You got that right.” Lacy assured him while she pressed her lips to her lover’s neck, sucking lightly.
“…and I’m stuck here in business negotiations.” Mark finished.
“I’m sure Julie would like to hear all about you not having any fun.” Ryan kidded his business partner.
Mark quickly corrected his friend. “I didn’t say that. Julie, the kids and I are having a great time… when I’m not working.”
Gage hugged her lover and said to her old friend. “Well, put on your party hat on, Mark, cause we’re coming to town.”
Chapter Seven
Gage opened the newspaper and saw the full-page ad announcing the book signing of G.S. Ballantine’s new murder/mystery, ‘Cast of Suspicious Characters’. “Damn that, Mark.”
Lacy lightly touched her partner’s shoulder. “Sweetheart, the kids.”
Her green eyes tracked the whereabouts of their children in their New York City hotel suite. Gage saw the location of three of them but completely missed the alert boy hanging around the corner. “Sorry.”
Lacy grabbed the paper. “Here. Let me see.” She perused the ad and it met with her approval. “I like it.”
Taking it back from her partner, Gage folded the paper then placed it on the table. “I like the part about you. You’re coming Saturday, right?”
Lacy leaned in as she passed the blonde, kissing her and said. “Absolutely.”
That brought a sigh of relief from the anxious writer. “Hey, who wants to check out the pool?” Four screaming kids stampeded toward her. “Okay then. Lacy? You wanna go to?”
“Nah, you go ahead. Maybe Stella will keep me company and we’ll unpack.” When the older woman nodded, Lacy walked to the front door. She kissed all of them one by one then said. “Don’t be too long. I was going to order room service in a little while.”
“Can I do that, mom?” Derek asked excitedly.
His mother ran a loving hand along his face. “Maybe another time.”
Satisfied, Derek commanded the rest of them. “Let’s go.” And he led them out the door and down the long elaborate corridor to the elevator.
The grand and expensive hotel was fancy. Too fancy, Gage thought. However, since they declined an offer to stay at Mark’s home because Lacy and Gage promised the kids they would take them to the huge toy store across the street and to the park, it was more convenient to stay in Manhattan. The other reason for choosing this hotel was that it provided adequate security for their children.
Stella grabbed a suitcase, looked around the huge three-bedroom suite and asked. “Where do we start?”
Smiling, Lacy yanked up two bags of her own. “Does it matter? Which room do you want?”
“The smallest one. Less to clean.” Stella laughed. She wasn’t used to maid service and was the kind of person who made her own bed and tidied up a bit before she allowed the service to come in.
In short order, the two women had unpacked the clothes for their five-day stay. Lacy insisted that Stella sit down while she served them some drinks from the suite’s refrigerator. “I don’t mind telling you this but this is kinda exciting being back in the big city.”
Their hometown, St. Troy, was large but nothing compared to New York City. And somehow with where they lived, St. Troy seemed homier rather than the excitement that accompanied the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple.
“Do you miss it?” Stella asked seriously.
Lacy thought for a moment before declaring. “No. Not really. I like home. I enjoy the visiting but it’s not something I would want all the time.”
“Well then… what’s next on the agenda?” The grandmother asked.
“I thought we’d hang out here today and get a good night’s rest. Then tomorrow, we promised to take the kids around.” Lacy sat forward in her seat and gave Stella a conniving wink before she said. “I figure after that we could talk Gage into watching the three littlest ones while you, me and Dani go shopping.”
“Ah… a conspiracy. Count me in.” Stella lifted her glass to Lacy’s. “Here’s to Gage never knowing what hit her.”
They clicked their glasses together and took a sip. “Even if she did, hands down she would rather play with the kids than go shopping.”
Stella smiled. “Lucky us.”
A pensive look came over Lacy’s face. Yes, lucky me that she loves our children so much. “I think I’ll order something to eat for when they come back. The food on the plane wasn’t very appetizing.” And Lacy usually didn’t eat much when she traveled.
“Except the peanuts. I liked them. By the way….” Stella got up to search the cabinets next to the refrigerator. “I’m still hungry. I had to fight with Derek over Sammy’s peanuts.”
As Lacy punched the numbers on the phone, she recalled the near war over said peanuts. Sammy didn’t want his and both her mother-in-law and son were vying for them, offering the young boy compensation. Gage was ready to buy all the peanuts on the plane so the two would stop but as it was they enjoyed the game more than really wanting the peanuts. “Hello. Room service?” Before Lacy placed her order she yelled over at Stella. “I have a bag left.”
“Where’d you get it?”
Lacy shrugged. “From Gage. She had me save it for later.”
Rubbing her hands together, an evil look crossed Stella’s face. “Where is it?”
Lacy pointed her purse out to Stella then placed the dinner order for her family.
***********************
“Can we go swimming now?” Dani asked. She was very reluctant to come to New York because she was going to miss another big party back in St. Troy. If mom would have let me go in the first place.
“Me…me, too. I wanna swim.” Sammy echoed.
Hayley zipped over to the water’s edge, ready to jump. She was fearless. However, Dani’s snatched the back of her pants and pulled her back into the safety of her arms. “I know what you mean but first you have to put on your arm floating thingies.”
“Okay.” Hayley agreed. She spun around looking for them.
While Gage was trying to calm her racing heart after her daughter took off toward the deep end of the huge pool, Derek snuck around behind all of them. He lay down near the edge of the pool and with his cupped hand started splashing water at the foursome and a few other swimmers.
“Hey!” Gage frowned. “Knock it off, Derek.”
The young boy jumped up then took off, whizzing around the lounge chairs and other hotel guests. He ducked behind the towel cart then pushed off when Gage approached. The blonde barely kept the wobbly cart upright.
“Derek!” Dani commanded her brother’s full attention as he passed near her and his two other siblings. “I’m going tell.”
The young boy stopped dead in his tracks and glared at his older sister.
“Mom’s not going to like it.”
Derek rolled his eyes then flopped on the lounge chair, mumbling. “Who cares? I wanna have some fun.” He didn’t like being ordered around especially after he had full run at his dad’s home in LA.
When Gage caught up with the boy, she glanced between him and Dani. “It’s okay. It was really my fault. It was just
a little water.” The blonde was being very sensitive to anything Derek did since their relationship sprung a leak. She didn’t want to push him away any further but was at a loss as what to do in order to get things back the way they were. “Come on, I bet your mom’s got food for us.”
Gage picked up Hayley and grabbed Sammy’s hand. Dani took up the position on the other side of Gage while Derek hung back a few paces.
***********************
The next day Lacy and Gage took the kids to the huge toy store across the street and what promised to be a delightful morning turned into a near catastrophe. At first, all four children stood in silent amazement upon seeing an array of toys and things throughout the big store. Hayley insisted on touching everything she pointed to and Sammy ran from toy to toy in hopes of playing with everything there.
Dani was more reserved in her method of exploring the store’s contents separating herself from what she considered her sibling’s childish behavior. “They act like they’ve never been in a place like this before.”
“They haven’t.” Lacy reminded her now seemingly sophisticated daughter. “And Derek was too little to remember.” Years ago, Lacy and David had brought their two oldest children to this very same store on a visit to New York.
“Lacy?” Gage reached for Hayley. “Why don’t I take her? And I’ll watch Sammy. Derek wants to go upstairs.”
Lacy astutely realized that once again Gage withdrew from her interaction with Derek and knew the reason why. Before they left for New York, Lacy had suggested to Gage for her and Derek to do something together like they did on their float trip. The dark haired mother thought it would help mend their shaky relationship. But Gage ignored Lacy’s suggestion and the younger woman suspected that her partner was afraid. She just didn’t know of what. “Okay. Let’s meet back here in an hour at the big grandfather’s clock. Dani? You wanna come with us?”
When it seemed as if Gage had shown her two charges everything on the first floor of the store, she heard a thundering crash overhead. “Uh oh.”
“Uh oh.” Hayley echoed as she looked up. Smiling, the little girl pointed. “Dewek!”
It felt like slow motion as Gage’s head lifted upward and when her green eyes came to rest, she saw her son dangling from a net attached to the underside of the second floor as stuffed animals rained down upon them. “Oh, my God!”
Dani screamed as Lacy rushed to her son. “Derek! Hold on.”
Scrambling up the staircase with both Hayley and Sammy in her arms, Gage pushed through several customers to get to the rest of her family. “Lacy? Here, Dani.” Gage handed the two youngest kids over to their sister.
“Where’s Derek?” Sammy asked because he could no longer see his brother hanging from the underbelly of the railing. He crouched down between the legs of the tall guy in front of him in order to see.
“Momma?” Hayley heard her mother yelling.
“Shhh…. Hayley.” Dani reached for her younger brother who had started to crawl through the man’s legs. “Hold on there, buster.”
Shoving her long arm through the railing, Lacy struggled to reach the net’s edge so she could pull it up. “Derek hold on!”
When Gage arrived, she immediately hiked a leg up over the railing but Lacy stopped her. “Wait Gage. Let me.”
“Mom?” In a small fearful voice, Derek called to his mother. He ventured to look down at the floor below and saw several people milling around with the heads tilted up toward him. He looked back up at his mother. “Mom!”
“I’m coming.” Lacy assured her son. “Gage?” She turned toward her partner and said. “Make sure we don’t fall.”
“You won’t.” Gage vowed to Lacy. The blonde wasn’t sure of her partner’s plan but there wasn’t time to talk about it as Lacy hiked a long leg up and over the railing, Gage steadied her partner. Noticing the tall young man behind her, Gage ordered. “Go downstairs and see if they have one of those tall ladders.”
He dashed off without a word.
When Lacy inserted her legs between the spindles of the railing, she hooked them securely. Letting go of Gage’s hand, Lacy was now dangling over the side of the banister. The blonde had reached through the railing, holding on to Lacy’s legs.
“Mom?” Derek called in a very timid voice.
Memories flooded back to the forefront of Lacy’s mind to when she was on the set of Crackdown and the wire she was hanging from slipped. The mother knew exactly what must be going through her son’s mind. She had to steel her nerves for her son. Leaning downward, Lacy stretched her long arms for her son. “Derek? You need to swing toward me. Okay?”
Afraid, Derek shook his head as he hung on for dear life.
“You can do it. Just a little bit. I can almost reach you.” The net was just out of her reach. With his mother’s coaxing, Derek did as requested and it was just enough for Lacy to snag the net. She slowly pulled it toward her. Now that Derek was positioned directly below her, Lacy pulled hard. It was difficult and she feared the net would tear. “Honey, can you….” The scared mother sorted through her alternatives. “…can you climb up just a little bit.” The net wasn’t long enough for the boy to climb down and perhaps jump to safety. She reasoned her only option was for him to climb up it.
“Mom, I can’t…”
Green eyes slammed shut when Gage heard the fear in Derek’s voice. Please God, please do something. Not being very religious Gage didn’t know what to ask for but Dani had once assured her that God would do anything you asked if you did it in His name. Okay, God, Jesus, Holy Spirit… all of you. Please get Derek back up here safely.
“Come on, Derek. Just look at me.” When he focused his scared gray eyes fully on his mother, she continued. “You can do it. Take one hand and reach up. Grab the next loop. Go ahead.” The young boy did as requested and his right foot automatically slid up to find another secure loop in the net.
Lacy saw all the commotion below as someone pushed a tall wheeled ladder through the crowd below but she didn’t know if the net would hold long enough for them to reach him. She decided to have him climb even further up. “Derek. Everything’s going to be fine. One more. Take your other hand and grab the loop above that.”
Sucking in a deep breath, Derek stared hard into his mother’s reassuring eyes. “Okay.” When he did, Lacy stretched her long body as far as she could and clutched her hand around his wrist.
“I’ve got you.” Lacy steadied her breathing. Now what? “Gage?”
The blonde stared over the side and saw that Lacy had their son temporarily secured. “Lacy, hold on. Can you hold on?” The blonde saw the tall ladder being cranked higher toward Derek. “They’re lifting the ladder.”
In her concentration to reach her son, Lacy had forgot about the ladder. She could see it below and it was now within a few feet of Derek. “Okay, Derek. Now listen to me. Right below you…” Her son started to look. “Derek look at me.” She said sharply then softened her voice when he did as instructed. “There’s a man on a ladder right below you. When he gets closer and gets hold of you, I’m going to let go. Okay?”
Nodding quickly, the frightened boy agreed. “Okay.”
Lacy waited what seemed like forever for the ladder to ascend those last few feet to her son. When the guy on the ladder was even with Derek, she spoke with gentle words to her son. “You’re all right now. I’m going to let go. Okay?”
Nodding again, Derek allowed his mother to release him as he fell into the tall stranger’s arms. The dark haired teenager winked at Derek. “You’re cool now.”
Lacy hung there until the ladder had fully descended and her son was safe on the ground. Lifting up, Lacy utilized every stomach muscle she had in order to reach the poles of the banister. Carefully, she untangled her legs from the poles and lifted herself up and over the railing. Barely feeling the hug Gage gave her, Lacy flew down the stairs.
With her son safe in her arms, the distraught mother was able to allow the floodgate of emotions to
break free. Tears ran down her face in joy at holding her son. “Thank God, you’re safe.” She kissed him mercilessly over and over again.
Gage guided the rest of the kids down the stairs to where Lacy was holding Derek. She thanked the men responsible for getting the ladder. The blonde turned to Derek’s tall savior. “Thank you.”
“Sure, no problem.” The eighteen year old didn’t look much like a savior with his short spiked hair, earrings in both ears and some kind of metal thing pierced through his eyebrow but Gage was eternally grateful to him.
Gage shook the tall stranger’s hand before suggesting to Lacy that they go back to the hotel.
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Lacy was reluctant to leave her son when Dani suggested that they go on their planned shopping trip but Derek insisted that he was okay. Even though the nine-year-old boy admitted to himself that he was totally scared hanging from that net, he was unwilling to let on about it. He knew his dad wouldn’t be happy with him if he heard that Derek was afraid. Lacy only at the last minute succumbed to the shopping spree after Gage insisted that she go and get her mind off of what happened. Being held by her lover reassured her enough to reveal one of her worst fears. “I’m always so conscious of someone else hurting our children and… I forget that… that…”
“Things happens, Lacy.” Gage supplied. “You have every reason to put their safety first but when you’re a kid sometimes you do what Derek did today. I admit I never jumped from a banister onto a net before but I did do some very stupid things in my life.”
“What are you going to do while we’re gone?”
Gage escorted Lacy to the door where Stella and Dani were patiently waiting. “To the pool.” She said to the cheers from the three youngest kids.
Chapter Eight