by S. E. Lund
"Got it. Let me know what you learn."
I hung up and switched channels, but there was nothing on the local news except talk about the traffic issues because of a steam pipe explosion earlier in the week.
I peeked into the bedroom, which was still dim due to blackout curtains over the window. Kate was asleep so I went to the other bedroom and saw that Sophie was still asleep as well. I smiled to myself, happy that my two girls were fine.
I really wanted to go for a run, but that was out of the question. Until Monroe was in custody, I wasn't taking any chances. I quickly and very quietly dressed, and then I went back into the living room and called down to room service, ordering breakfast for the three of us. For the next twenty minutes, I worked on my laptop going over some information on my credentials at NYP, wanting to talk to the supervisor there about waiting for a year before being considered for reinstatement.
I heard a light knock at the door and checked through the peephole. Sure enough, a young female room service staff was standing outside with a cart containing several silver dome-covered plates, glasses and cups and what I really wanted -- a carafe of coffee. Beside her stood one of the guards who was on duty, watching our hotel room all night.
It felt a bit excessive, but John and I agreed that it was better to be safe than sorry.
I opened the door and the maid wheeled in the cart and placed it in the living room. When she was finished, I thanked her and gave her a generous tip.
First things first -- coffee. Black. Two sugars.
I sat in front of the television, drinking my coffee and waiting for my two girls to wake up and keep me company. In about ten minutes, I heard the shower running and knew that Kate was up and getting started. I put my cup down and went into the second bedroom to find Sophie asleep on her back, her arms thrown up beside her head, her pacifier still between her teeth. She was asleep and I wasn't going to wake her up. Maybe Kate and I could enjoy our breakfast together before she got up and could talk about the whole business.
Sure enough, in about ten minutes, Kate arrived, freshly showered and dressed. She came right over to where I was sitting on one of the sofas and bent down for a kiss.
"Good morning," she said. "I see there's breakfast."
"There is," I said and got up. Together, we went to explore the food. There was an opulent spread -- a hot serving dish with eggs and bacon, plus fried potatoes and toast. There was also a cold serving dish with fruit and yogurt, Danishes and muffins. Plus a carafe of coffee, one of fresh-squeezed orange juice and one of hot water for tea.
"Yum," Kate said and took a plate. "I could get used to this."
Together, we dug in and sat at the sofa, eating our breakfast in front of the television.
"Anything new on Monroe?"
"Nothing yet," I said. "I talked with John but they're still looking for him. He didn't show up at home so maybe he's hiding out at a friend's place or other family."
"I hope they find him soon," she said and forked some eggs onto a triangle of toast. "But not too soon, so we have an excuse to stay here and get room service morning, noon and night." She gave me a smile and I laughed.
"You know, we could afford to hire a housekeeper and cook, if you really wanted it."
She shook her head. "No," she said and drank down some juice. "We only ever had one cook for parties and occasionally a housekeeper would come in for deep cleaning at my home when I was growing up. It's a bit ostentatious for me to have a housekeeper and cook, but it's fun to indulge now and then." She smiled at me, her eyes crinkling up at the corner.
"If you ever change your mind, let me know and I'll sign the papers."
"Seriously? You'd agree to having a housekeeper and cook?"
"Of course," I said, for I would if it would make Kate happy. "If you feel it would give you more time with Sophie or with your art, yes."
She glanced away and considered. "I'd be embarrassed. Maybe a housekeeper once a week though. That would be nice. Then neither of us would have to mop or vacuum."
"Consider it done. I'm sure there's a service we could hire that could come in once a week. We could all go out as a family while they were cleaning and when we came home, all our dust and dirt would be gone."
"That's great. But I want to keep cooking together. I love it when we cook for each other."
"Me, too."
We kissed quickly and then returned to our breakfasts while the news came on at the top of the hour.
The jury had been deliberating for several days, and that wasn't a good thing, according to Lara. The longer they took, the less likely they were to convict because it would mean the state's case had not been made clearly enough for an easy verdict. They had asked to see evidence again and read over testimony. Lara said it was often the case that jurors wanted to go back over the evidence and testimony but the longer they were out, the shorter might be the sentence.
Finally, what we had been waiting for – the jury reached a verdict and was going to reconvene in the courtroom. There were cameras on the street and a real buzz in the public. What would the verdict be? We watched entranced while the news reporters outside the courtroom heard the verdict over their earphones and informed the viewers.
The verdict was better than I could have hoped. Lisa would be spending twenty-five years in prison for the murder of Derek Richardson. Her trial for the death of Jones wasn’t for months but it could only add to her sentence – or I hoped at least she'd get another decade or two.
I turned to Kate and smiled, then opened my arms. Together, we hugged and a moment of silence passed between us. I think that, at that moment, the burden of the past was partially lifted.
She was going away – for a long time. Once her other trial took place, I knew she'd be going away for even longer.
"I'm so glad," Kate said, tears in her eyes. "That bitch can no longer hurt us."
"I hope not," I said but I felt uncertain even then. I paid a heavy price for my relationship with Lisa. What else could she do? She could continue to spread lies about me. I had a feeling she wouldn’t go gently into that good night.
Kate and I sat listening to the commentary for another half an hour. Then I heard a squeak from the back of the suite.
"That's Sophie," I said. "I'll go get her. You stay."
"Are you sure?" Kate said, making a move to stand.
"It's my day today. You stay."
"Okay, thanks," she said and sat back down, then continued watching.
I went to the bedroom and opened the drapes to admit bright sunlight into the room. Sophie was standing up in her crib and was smiling at me, her pacifier in her mouth.
"Good morning sweetheart," I said and went to her, picking her up and giving her a big kiss on both cheeks. "How's Daddy's favorite little girl?"
She pointed to the door, but instead, I carried her to the bed and laid her down, grabbing the diaper bag from the floor. Of course, by the time I got back, she'd crawled to the edge of the bed so I had to grab her playfully and pull her back into place. While I unzipped the bag, she twisted out of my hand and crawled once more over to the edge.
"Hey, you!" I said and grabbed her, pulling her towards me and tickling her once I got her back into place. "You stay put so Daddy can change your diaper."
She giggled when I tickled her, and finally, she let me get her onesie unzipped and her diaper off. As I changed her, we played the 'Wat dat?' game, as I called it. It was a point and name game that we played while I changed her. She would point and sometimes poke my face or her own and we'd name the part. Every time I changed her, it was the same.
"Wat dat?"
"Daddy's nose," I replied. Then it was my turn. "What's that?" I asked, pointing to one of her eyes.
"FoFi eyes." Then, she'd point at something on me. "Wat dat?"
"Daddy's mouth. What's that?"
"FoFi ear."
Sophie referred to herself as FoFi, as it seemed to come the easiest for her to pronounce. I loved hearing her say actual words rather
than the babble that often came out when she was trying to talk. I couldn't wait to hear what went on in her mind in more detail once she could express herself more fully.
When I rolled the wet diaper up and was reaching to the trash can beside the bedside table, she wriggled away once more, squealing when I grabbed her and tickled her back into submission.
"You are a wiggle-worm," I said and finally managed to get her diaper on her, with no further wriggles away. I zipped up her onesie and she crawled off the side of the bed while I went to wash my hands. I watched from the bathroom door while she ran out of the bedroom and into the living room where Kate was seated, still eating.
"Hi, baby girl," Kate said, opening her arms for a hug.
Sophie babbled around her pacifier and climbed up on Kate's lap. Kate then happily fed her some yogurt and fruit. It was such a happy domestic scene that only a few years earlier, I never thought I'd ever have or enjoy.
I almost didn't get a chance to enjoy it either, because of Lisa Monroe. And now, Lisa's brother was threatening me.
I exhaled and went back into the living room, thankful for what I had, determined to never, ever take it for granted.
* * *
I spent some time on my laptop that morning catching up on my email while Kate and Sophie played. Dave sent me the final papers that officially shut down the foundation, and seeing them, reading over the document, made me sad. I loved the foundation for it kept me connected to the memory of my father and the good work he did all his life as a trauma surgeon, volunteering with Doctors Without Borders. I hated that my past and my involvement in BDSM had forced me to shut it down.
I sighed and sent Dave an email, thanking him for taking care of it for me and asking him to keep me informed of his efforts to set up a new foundation.
Around eleven, my cell rang and I checked the caller ID. It was from Detective Gates.
"Just a quick call to let you know we apprehended Mr. Monroe without incident about half an hour ago and we have him in custody. He spent the night at a relative's place after one of his family members warned him that they'd called the police. We surrounded the house but there was no stand-off. He came out willingly, was arrested and is getting processed as we speak. You can relax. He won't be getting out of jail any time soon, at least until his trial finishes."
"I hope not then either," I said.
"I doubt he will, but we'll let the wheels of justice grind and find out whenever the case comes up. In the meantime, he'll be in custody so at least you don't have to be afraid to return home."
I glanced over to Kate. "My wife was just saying she could get used to the room service."
"I'm sure she could. I expect you heard the verdict?"
"That I did. I can tell you that it was a relief that she's going away for so long."
"Everyone did their job," the officer said. "Have a good day. If anything related to the threat comes up, please give me a call."
"I will," I said and ended the call.
"Well, we can go home," I said, raising my eyebrows at Kate.
"So soon?" She mock-pouted, although I was certain that she really meant it. "Can we stay another day at least?"
"We can," I said. "I already called down to the front desk, reserving the room for another night just in case. We have it until tomorrow at eleven."
"Good," Kate said and leaned back, her feet stretching out. "I want to eat waffles tomorrow. With real maple syrup."
"Waffles it is. What do you want to do all day?"
She stretched her arms up over her head. "I don't know -- maybe go to Central Park? It's a bit cold but it's sunny."
"Central Park it is. Maybe we can finalize our trip."
"Yes," she said. "I can't wait to go to Nassau. I want to go back to every place we visited that weekend."
"If I recall correctly, we didn't really have the greatest time. I thought everything was going well and then all of a sudden you were treating me like I was the oldest fuddy-duddy ever and couldn't wait to get out of my presence."
She leaned closer, resting her head on my shoulder. "I thought you were the hottest, most desirable man I'd ever met and felt sick to my stomach that I had to lie to you and leave early."
"I had so many plans for you, and then bam. You were gone back to Manhattan and I was alone -- again."
"I was physically sick over the next few days because of it. I honestly laid in bed and moped for so long, Lara was worried about me. Then I cried on her shoulder at a coffee shop and told her what happened."
"She saved the day," I said, remembering when Lara played the recording of what Kate said about me.
"She did," Kate said. "I remember thinking she wanted us to break up. Instead, she was forcing both our hands. When I saw you across the street from the deli, I only knew I wanted you more than anything."
"When I saw you sitting in the window seat in the deli, I only knew I had to have you as my own. More than anything."
We smiled at each other, leaning our heads together, forehead to forehead.
"I love you, Mrs. Morgan."
"I love you, Dr. Morgan."
We kissed tenderly. On the floor, Sophie bashed her Tiny Town characters into the toy car, her pacifier clamped tightly between her teeth.
Kate
We dressed and went to Central Park as we planned, walking along the pathways with Sophie in her stroller, which thankfully, Drake thought to put in the back of the car on our way over the previous night. Sophie was wearing her kitten hat and heart sunglasses and looked so cute sitting forward in her stroller, eager to see the world. We passed an old man and woman sitting on a bench. The two of them smiled and waved at Sophie. She smiled and waved back, delighting the old couple. Ahead of us a few paces walked John, who scanned the pathways for any sign of a threat. I wasn't afraid any longer, now that Monroe was in police custody, and Lisa had been put away, but there had been enough publicity about Drake's lifestyle and his face had been plastered enough in the news that someone might recognize him. John didn't think anyone would actually want to harm Drake, but they might harass him.
Drake didn't need it, so John walked ahead of us and one of the other guards from the agency walked behind us.
"Will this ever end? This constant entourage of ours? Will we ever be able to go out again without protection?"
Drake took my hand and squeezed. "It will. I promise you in a year, it will all be forgotten. Some other lucky person will become the press's darling and the tabloids will ruin their lives and forget about ours." He raised my hand up to his lips and kissed my knuckles. "I promise."
I forced a smile I didn't really feel. "I hope so."
We spent about an hour walking through the park, then stopped and watched while Sophie ran through piles of leaves. The vibrant colors reminded me of the year we were married. So much had happened since that day, and my life had changed irrevocably and for the better. As we walked back to the Ritz, I wondered how much our lives would change again in another year, or ten. Where would we be? Would we still be in Manhattan or would we be living elsewhere?
I loved Manhattan, but given recent events, I felt a little sour on it. I hoped Drake was right and it would all change once the trial was forgotten but until Drake got his surgical privileges back, he would be at loose ends.
Of course, then I thought about Southampton and how great the job would be for him. If only the job was here instead, everything would be perfect.
I sighed and pushed the thought out of my mind. Drake seemed happy enough and that was all I cared about.
* * *
We arrived back at the hotel and had a nice quiet dinner in the suite, room service providing a delicious prime rib roast and all the trimmings. After dinner, after Sophie had a bath and Drake read half a dozen of her books, we put Sophie down for the night. I felt a little thrill in my belly at the thought that we were finally – finally – going to make love. I had no idea what to expect, but Drake said he had plans for me. Whatever plans he ha
d, I knew I'd enjoy them. Already, my flesh was swollen and wet at the thought of the evening to come.
When I came out of the bedroom, Drake was already seated on the sofa, his arm on the armrest, his fingers rubbing his chin. "Come here, Katherine," he said, his voice low and sexy.
I couldn't stop smiling, but then caught myself and forced my expression blank. "Yes, Sir." I stood in front of him, waiting.
"You have far too much clothing on," he said, his gaze moving over my body from my feet to my face and back.
"But it's cold outside, Sir," I said it with a bit too much playfulness in my tone. "If I didn't have clothes on, I'd be very uncomfortable."
He made a mock face of affront. "That's a very saucy mouth you have." He stood up abruptly and faced me, his eyes locked with mine. He touched the scar on my bottom lip. "I might have to silence that mouth."
"Sir doesn't like this one's mouth?" I said with a pout.
"I happen to love that mouth, but it would do better for you, Katherine, if you used that mouth for better purposes than to test your Master. Now, about that excess of clothing..."
He quirked one eyebrow expectantly.
"Would Sir like this one to remove her excess clothing?"
He sat back down again. "I just might. But first, climb onto my lap. I'll think of ways to put that mouth to good use, fill it full so you can't be so insolent."
"I hope you wouldn't consider a ball gag," I said and knelt over him one knee on either side of his thighs. I purposely leaned forward so that my breasts were almost touching his face.
"I had something completely different in mind..." He narrowed his eyes and glanced up at me. "And remember your manners..."
"So sorry," I said, fighting my grin. "This one hopes Sir wouldn't consider a ball gag..."
"You should know I only ever think of your pleasure," he said, his face becoming stern once more. "Now, kiss me."
I took his face between my hands and kissing him, my tongue sliding into his mouth and searching for his.
The kiss went on and on, and with each passing moment, my body was even more ready for him, my flesh aching to feel him inside of me.