by Mary Peart
“I don’t try on clothes Peter, you know that and you are going to have a heart attack when you see the amount of clothes bought. I am finally spending our money.”
“Good to know and I am not going to have a heart attack, knowing you. I guess you are the one hyperventilating over the lack of price tags.” He said shrewdly.
“You know me too well.” She said dryly.
“I would never cheat on you.” He told her suddenly.
“I would hope not. I would have no hesitation in cutting off what is supposed to belong to me alone.” She told him.
“Ouch!” he said a smile in his voice. “No need for violence, I am all yours. Where is our son?”
“He is in the play room trying to decide which one of the many toys you bought him, to play with.”
“Kiss him and tell him I will be home shortly.”
“I will darling,” she told him softly. “I was thinking: How about I cook for us later when Daniel has gone to bed?”
“Sounds like a plan.” He murmured before disconnecting the call.
*****
“And the teacher had to take her to the bathroom and wash her off,” Daniel said solemnly. He was sitting in Peter’s lap and relaying the story he had told both she and his grandmother, but in greater detail.
“What do you think happened to her?” Peter asked him seriously. Elise loved watching them together. He treated Daniel like a person, always listening to him and making sure he thought about it before answering him. He was also very patient with him.
“I think she got sick because she ate something bad.” Daniel told him. “I am glad I did not get sick and throw up all over my clothes, I would have felt so stupid.”
“She could not help being sick Daniel,” Peter told him.
“I know, that’s what I told Benjamin. He said it’s because she is a girl. But that’s not true is it daddy?” he looked up into Peter’s face, his eyes trusting and he felt his heart constricting as he looked down at the boy calling him Dad. He swore to himself that he would never do anything to ever hurt him and he would never let him down.
“No,” he said softly. “It’s not true.”
He prepared Daniel for bed and told him a story and stayed with him while he drifted off to sleep. He stood there looking down at him in wonder. How could any father possibly not want their kid? He wondered.
*****
“How about tucking me into bed after?” Elise asked him as soon as he came into the sitting area. She had prepared spaghetti and meat balls and the table was already set with a bottle of Cabernet chilling in the bucket in the center of the table. His eyes widened as he took in what she was wearing. She had showered and changed into a sheer black teddy with the legs cut so high that he could see glimpses of her pubic area and the cheeks of her bottom. She had put on one of the brand new shoes with impossibly high heels that gave attention to her beautiful legs. Her hair was caught up into two pigtails and made her look like a mischievous teenager. “Ready to eat?” she asked him innocently as he just stood there staring at her.
“What are you doing?” he asked her hoarsely, finally finding his voice.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she pulled out his chair. “I am serving my husband of course.” She indicated for him to sit. He did so, almost stumbling over his feet. She served him, making sure to bend over so that he caught glimpses of her breasts pushed up by the material. Next she poured the wine and gave it to him, and to make him even crazier she bent over to pick up the napkin that had fallen to the floor, causing him to groan as if in pain as he saw the lips of her vagina with the material caught in the middle.
“You are going to give me a heart attack.” He said hoarsely, his body tightening with need.
“I would never do that,” she told him mildly taking her seat at the other end of the table. “Bon appetit,” she said, lifting her glass. She deliberately made some spill in her bosom. “Oh dear, I am such a klutz” she said, looking at him under her lashes.
With a groan he pushed back his chair and taking the glass from her, he hauled her up against him. “You tease!” he buried his head in her bosom and licked off the wine there before pushing down the material and latching onto her nipples. He lifted her and strode with her into the bedroom, his body tightening with every move. “Time to pay!” he growled as he laid her on the bed.
“Gladly,” she murmured huskily reaching up to pull him on top of her.
Chapter 12
It was final! The papers had come through and Daniel was now Hamasaki. The summer had arrived with intense heat and bright promises. Elise had scaled down a whole lot and was involved in some of the charity work her mother in law was doing.
She stared at the birth certificate with the name added. Her son now has a name and a father who loved him like he was his real son. She remembered crying herself to sleep at nights when she had discovered that she was pregnant and with no father and no prospects and had spent days wishing and hoping he would change his mind and come back and had thought her life was over.
She was still in the bedroom and in bed while Peter was taking a shower; it was Saturday and they were going out to celebrate later today. He had brought the documents home last night and had given it to her and she had cried in his arms before taking it to show Daniel.
“So it means I am really your son?” he had looked at Peter after staring at the embossed document.
“You were my son before, but this just means that you are legally mine.” Peter told him sitting on the bed next to him. He was well scrubbed and in his pajamas and had been watching cartoons. Peter had also bought him a flat screen television that he had installed in his play area with the promise that he would not get up in the night and turn it on.
“What if I cannot spell, Ha-ma-saki?” he asked, making sure to break up the name into syllables as he was taught to do.
“We will teach you.” Elise told him.
“Can we celebrate?” he asked in excitement.
“We sure can,” Peter had told him giving him a hug.
*****
Peter watched them both. He had absolutely refused to go on the merry-go-round but had opted to sit on one of the benches and wave at them each time they passed. Elise was sitting behind Daniel and smiled and waved each time she saw him. Her legs looked tanned and toned in lavender shorts and a lavender and white top that showed her skin. Her hair was piled on top of her head to combat the heat and she was wearing a pair of large gold hoops. She looked like a carefree hippie, just a little bit older than her son. He loved watching her and how happy she looked ever since they had been together. She had no make-up on and even though the make-up artist had left her tons of the stuff, she only wore them when she was going to some function or another with him. She had adjusted to the lifestyle easily enough and had taken having to laugh and make conversation with people she did not know into stride and he was so proud of her. Most of all she had scaled back drastically from doing the manual work, and although still very involved with her company, was prepared to step back and let her crew do the heavy lifting.
He had a family and he was so happy that he could not believe that he was the same person almost a year ago who had buried himself into work. Usually on a Saturday he would have gone to the office to put in a full day’s work, but he was determined to make time for his family.
The ride had stopped and they came over. “Daddy, aren’t you going to have even one ride?” Daniel asked him curiously.
“I prefer my horses to be alive Daniel,” he told him gently, ruffling his curls. “How about something to eat?”
“That sounds great! I am starving.” Daniel said jumping up from the seat.
“What else is new?” Elise said wryly, getting up as Peter reached for her hand.
They had hot dogs from a street side vendor and they strolled along the park and watched the ducks in the pond.
“I had often seen families going out and having fun together and wondered what it fel
t like,” Elise murmured resting her head on her husband’s shoulder and watched while Daniel stared at the ducks with their young ones. “I now know what it feels like.”
“I never thought about it because having a family was the farthest thing from my mind before I met you,” Peter said with a whimsical smile, his arms tightening around her waist. “I like the feeling.”
“Have I told you lately how much I love you?” she asked him looking up at him.
“Not since we made love this morning,” he told her huskily.
“I love you Peter Hamasaki,” she murmured.
“I love you more,” he whispered, kissing her softly.
*****
“They go well together don’t they?” Leslie watched as her grandson and his adoptive father climbed into the large tree house that had been made with fancy windows and was large enough to sleep in. He had begged to have a camp night with a friend of his one day last week and both Peter and Elise had finally succumbed going out all hours of the night to check up on them. Peter had had an alarm installed on the house because he said it was better for his peace of mind. He did not want to know that while they were asleep indoors something might happen to him and even though the grounds were secured, he was still taking no chances.
“Yes they do.” Elise agreed watching as her husband closed the door behind them. They were lying by the poolside and Mitsui had gone in to instruct the women on what to prepare for lunch as they had dedicated the day to just pure relaxation with family members. It was Daniel who had suggested it, and said that the Fourth of July instead of having a barbecue and inviting a lot of people, if it could just be family members alone.
“So how is Earl?” she asked her mother teasingly. Her mother had finally decided to start seeing someone and she had met him while doing volunteer work at the community center downtown. He was a retired firefighter and volunteered at the center as well and they hit it off a month and a half ago. Elise had met him when she had gone over to her mother’s to pick up some papers she had left there. Leslie had told her that she was not ready for him to meet the rest of the family yet.
“He is okay,” her mother said her eyes downcast and Elise was amused to realize that her mother was quite taken with him. He had seemed like a nice enough sort and she knew that both she and Daniel leaving at the same time had had an effect on her. “He is spending time with his children and grandchildren at their home for the day.”
“You could have invited him over mom,” Elise chided her. She felt the midday sun passing through the umbrella covering the chair and mildly remembering that she had forgotten to put sunscreen on.
“I am not ready yet,” Leslie told her firmly.
“Okay, no rush,” Elise closed her eyes and relaxed, determined to enjoy the day.
*****
Elise rode Peter’s back in the pool while Daniel splashed water on them repeatedly in between playing with his rubber ducks. Leslie looked at the small family and felt, not for the first time, the glimmer of envy going through her. She was ashamed of herself because she had had a good marriage before her husband died and now the relationship with Earl has been going well. She had lied to her daughter, saying that Earl was spending time with his family. His family was all the way in Florida and he had hinted that he had wanted to come with her to meet her family but she had refused, telling him that she was not ready for that yet; he needed to give her more time. He had been hurt and she had seen it but she was not sure she wanted to put a permanent stamp on it just yet.
“You look like you are far away,” Mitsui commented as she stretched out on the chaise lounge her daughter in law had been occupying. “They look so right together, don’t they?”
“Yes they do.” Leslie said quietly.
“Both of us lost the men we loved and it’s not easy to bounce back from that no matter what people tell us.” Mitsui’s eyes met hers squarely. “I have not met a man who could add up to my late husband and to tell the truth I have not been seeking but I keep myself busy and I love being by myself and going about getting things done. I know you have questions about this man you have been seeing Leslie but it’s worth it to see where it goes.”
“My daughter and her big mouth,” Leslie said wryly with a shake of her head.
“She wants you to have someone to talk to and be with when she is not around and I think she feels guilty because she now has a family and you are alone at the house.” Mitsui told her.
“You are right,” Leslie sighed. “I miss them and I especially miss my grandson running up and down in the house and asking me all sorts of questions. It’s not easy being alone.”
“You are not.” Mitsui reached over to take the woman’s hand. “You always have a place here and you have Earl, so if you are alone, you are the one who is doing it.”
She squeezed Mitsui’s hand gratefully and relaxed back against the chair with a smile. Two hours later she packed away some of the food and told them that she was leaving and her daughter hugged her tightly. “I am glad you are going to him, we all need someone.” She whispered.
*****
“So we have the bounce about scheduled, and the clown as well; and the same person said that they can also provide a trampoline. Now what are we missing?” Mitsui tapped the pencil against her coral colored lips. It was July 15th and it was a birthday party for Daniel’s fifth birthday and Elise had wanted to do just a small party with a few of his class mates and their parents but both Peter and Mitsui had insisted that it be a big event.
“What about the zoo animals?” Elise asked her dryly. They were in her office and she was doing up a design for a bathroom they had gotten earlier this week. Even though she had scaled down somewhat, she still did the design and left the manual stuff to Michael and Jack and the two others she had hired.
“Ah!” Mitsui said rising gracefully from the sofa. “The ponies for the rides for the children. Instead of getting a merry-go-round we should have real ponies’ darling. Thank you.” She said before hurrying out.
Elise stared after her in frustration. She had taken over completely and as usual had gone overboard with the planning. Her phone rang just then and she picked it up. “Your mother is doing it again,” she told her husband as she answered the phone.
“You mean about the ponies?” Peter asked in amusement. He gestured for his secretary to close the door on her way out.
“You know about that?” Elise asked him in exasperation. “Baby, you are no better than she is. I wanted a small party but of course not, because we Hamasaki’s’ don’t do anything small.”
He felt the pleasure shoot through him at the way she included all of them together. “Of course we don’t,” he told her softly. “I miss you.” He added softly. “I miss pulling on your nipples with my teeth and going inside you so deep that I touch your soul. I miss kissing you down there and sticking my tongue inside you.”
Elise was silent as she tried to catch her breath. She felt herself going weak as his words stirred something deep inside her. “What are you doing?’ she asked him huskily, feeling the wetness inside her panties.
“Having a conversation with my wife,” he told her casually although his erection was practically boring a hole though his pants.
“You are going to pay big, mister,” she threatened.
“Looking forward to it.” He told her softly.
She looked at the clock on her desk and discovered it was almost two o’clock. She had time and besides, her mother in law had hired caterers for the event and Daniel was spending the day before the party with Grandma Leslie because the party was supposed to be a surprise.
She took a shower and sprayed on some of the expensive perfume he had bought her in Paris. She went into the vast closet and chose a short floral dress with thin spaghetti straps and flared waist that ended mid thigh and she teamed it with a pair of high heeled, strappy red sandals. She added sparkling diamond knobs and a silver chain with a diamond pendant that he had given her a week ago. She pil
e combed her hair into a neat chignon and looped it at the side of her neck and put some make up on.
Mitsui’s eyes widened as she came outside where she was instructing some men to put some tables.
“I am going to take my husband out for a late lunch,” she told the woman blithely.
“Of course,” Mitsui said with a knowing smile. “Take as much time as you like, everything is under control here.”
“Thanks,” Elise said with a nod going towards the huge garage to choose a car.
“And darling, he is not going to be able to work for the rest of the day.” Mitsui said slyly.
“That’s the idea.” Elise told her.
She drove the red corvette and felt the powerful engine turn over as soon as she turned the key inside the ignition.
*****
She took the private elevator up and said hi to the receptionist before going towards the secretary’s office.
“Mrs. Hamasaki!” the woman stood up hastily staring at the stunningly beautiful woman in front of her. “He is on a call just now; shall I tell him you are here?”
“No, that’s okay, I’ll just go in. Thanks.” She left the woman staring after her and went towards her husband’s office. He looked up as soon as the door opened and stopped in mid-sentence. “I’ll call you back.” He told the person and replaced the phone staring at her wordlessly. She looked cool, elegant and so beautiful that he was speechless and he realized that he had difficulty breathing and moving.
She closed and locked the door and without a word, pulled the zipper on the side and stepped out of her dress. He watched, mesmerized, as he realized she was only wearing red silk panties that were cut low on her pubic area, and was still in the red heels.
“Please hold my calls.” He told the secretary briefly and watched as she came around to sit on the edge of his desk her legs wide open.
“I told you I would make you pay.” She told him huskily, placing one foot clad in the heels on his thigh.