North Meets South, Worlds Collide - 63. Chapter 63

And we began to plan a wedding and suddenly we had help we didn’t ask for. Everyone had ideas. Sherry, Mary, Rhonda, and even Michael and Chuck all had ideas and more surprising there were even ideas from David’s mother, Aunt Judy to me. My mother wanted to help as did Aunt Hilda, which I’m sure embarrassed her husband, Uncle Earl. And since the budget wasn’t really worried about, there were some pretty lofty ideas, but I sensed that David and Sasha wanted a more…quiet service. All the flash and glitter was nice, but it wasn’t legal. David didn’t want a big wedding like Tony’s and mine had been. I felt I could offer help, but this was really David’s and Sasha’s wedding, so I left it all to them. When asked, I gave advice. Like I knew all there was needed for a wedding? They opted for a quiet ceremony at our church. Being a gay church they had done many commitment ceremonies.

And Tony was pressing me about the new house. What did I want was his main concern. I gave my usual reply. “I don’t care! As long as you’re there, I don’t care.” I didn’t care what kind of wood the floor had or color, I didn’t care about the color of paint or things like that. I thought it was a bit early as the bridge to our island wasn’t even finished yet. The pipes needed to be run and electricity put out there. Tony wanted the pipes and electricity to run under the bridge and hidden. I hate to admit it, but those last weeks at the hotel were a little bittersweet. That last Friday before our hotel became something else and I’d have all the time in the world, Tony came by the hotel to take me home. This time, he brought the single rose he always sent himself smiling as he walked up. Now no one was surprised at the delivery…or the kiss he gave me unashamed.

We had a little party for the employees and the mood was both ways, sad and tearful, yet a little excitement as a new chapter in the lives of those I’d worked with most of the years. Most were applying for their jobs with this new company and hotel. Sasha opted not to apply at the new restaurant.

I smiled as Alan came over with Kent.

“So, this ends a chapter in our lives,” Alan said to me and Tony. “I’ll miss seeing you nearly every day.” Then he grinned. “I’ll miss those great presents you always bring back for me when you jet around the world.”

I hugged Alan. “I will always bring you something, even if we aren’t working together anymore.” I even hugged Kent. “I regret we didn’t get to know each other more, but we’ll always keep in touch. Who knows, we might see each other more now that Alan and I aren’t always working together.”

Kent chuckled. “I admit I was a little jealous of you where Alan was concerned. You shared a part of him I couldn’t.”

“Now, he’s all yours.” I grinned. “As I said, we’ll be around. Just stay connected and we won’t drift apart. You’ve been a great guy to work with, Alan. I’m glad we’re friends.”

Now that David and Sasha were joining lives, we had our powers of attorney altered. While Tony and I would remain powers of attorney, we would be second to David. The same for Alik. Alik would be first Sasha’s responsibility and then David. If they weren’t available, it would be Tony and me. Once those papers were signed, David and Sasha were married as Tony and I were. We still had a year to go before the ceremony, after David graduated. It was at dinner again when we all met again at the table.

“Well, I’ve signed up and been accepted at the Cordon Bleu in Atlanta,” Sasha said smiling. “I begin in the fall.” He grinned at Alik. “And you will stay here with Daddy David, Uncle Mitch and Uncle Tony.”

Alik nodded a little sad. “You said you’d come home on weekends.” He said in Russian, understanding English better, but still replied in Russian.

Sasha nodded at Alik. “This is for both of us,” Sasha said in Russian, but David’s clearing of his throat caused Sasha to smile. “Sorry, the three of us.” He grinned at me. “So, what are you planning to do with all this time?” David was understanding Russian a lot more now.

I shrugged. “I have no idea. Tony keeps asking about plans for the house which we can’t get to until the bridge is fixed. I don’t want to look for a job if we’re going away a while.”

Tony touched my arm. “You don’t have to get a job.”

I nodded. “I know, but I’ll be crazy without something to do.” Then I grinned at Tony. “And that will make you crazy, trust me.”

David chuckled. “You could be like some of those other rich wives in New York. Do charity work in the morning, have lunch with the other girls and get your hair done! Remember that movie…To Wong Foo? A day with the girls or something?”

“Do I strike you as someone’s rich wife?” I growled at David and swatted him on the arm. “As Tony and I are the owners, you’re just staying here as our guest, I could throw you out.” Making Alik chuckle as he saw us interact.

David just laughed at that. “But I mean it about the charity thing.” He defended. “There are hundreds of charities you can work with. Everything from cancer to AIDS, LGBT causes…”

Tony nodded. “I know you’ll find something to do.” I watched as he did something he never did, he winked at me.

Sasha had moved back upstairs since he got better and Tony and I were back in our room for now. I grinned as Tony came from the bathroom, shirtless wearing just pajama bottoms. This man aroused me just being him. He pulled back the covers sliding in beside me.

“I was thinking…” Tony began with a smile. “I was thinking….since you don’t have to be back any particular time now…we can head up to New York!” He leaned closer kissing me gently. “Take in a show or two, check in on Nick and our nephew David and see what havoc their wreaking on Kathy and Al.”

I pulled him even closer. “That would be nice.” I smiled again at the warmth of my husband, the feel of him against me. “Now, if you can just take off those pajama bottoms.”

Tony grinned raising the cover to see I was already naked. “I’m overdressed, aren’t I?” He chuckled.

I nodded. “Just a tad.” I flipped him on his back. “But I’ll take care of it.” I smiled raising his arms up over his head. “Just relax.”

Tony smiled back. “I always do with you.” He chuckled as I did my progression down his chest, into his armpits and down further as I pulled his pajama bottoms off. The smell again working its magic as I was very, very aroused. “I love you, Tony,” I said taking him in with practiced ease.

“I know you do,” Tony muttered inhaling quickly as the pleasant sensations sent messages to his brain. “I love you.”

I smiled. “I know you do.” I inhaled again letting his musk work again. “This never gets old.”

During the afterglow, Tony’s lips worked my neck as he was spooned up behind me. “You need to brush up on Australia and New Zealand.”

Afterglow or not, I spun around. “What? When?”

Tony grinned like the Cheshire Cat! “Middle of October till the middle of November.”

“The Queen Mary!?”

“The Queen Mary.” He nodded. “We’ll be there in their spring, I don’t know the weather there, but I imagine it’s warm.” He grinned. “I’m sure there’s a nude beach or two.” His eyebrows danced at the idea as he rolled us over so he was looking down at me.

I sat up. “I’ll find out! How long is the cruise?”

“Three weeks.” Tony smiled again wider. “I figured a week before to get used to the time difference…” he shrugged a nod. “…we go down and see Sydney.”

I shook my head. “How are you doing this? You’ll be away from work a month!”

“So? Most of what I do is on the Internet and they have that down there. Any calls needed I can do. I’ll be fine. The Stock Market can be viewed down there.” He chuckled. “I can even say it’s for research. International Business.” He wrapped his arms around me tighter again. “We’ll spend a week in Sydney, go to Coogee Beach or anywhere you want for a week. Then board the Queen Mary, celebrate yours and my birthdays being waited on like kings.” He said kissing me again.

“I’ve lied to you, Tony.” I frowned as I confessed very solemnly.

Tony’s eyebrow rose. “Lied? You? Do you even know how?” He chuckled. “That’s saying something is true that isn’t, you do know that?”

“I always said things like this didn’t impress me.” I smiled. “I AM IMPRESSED!!!” But I looked at him closely. “But you know it’s you I love.”

He was laughing. “Beyond the shadow of any doubt!” He kissed me and then brightened. “We are rich, you know? You are rich.”

I nodded. “I know, it’s a hard thing for me to accept, but we are. I hate how I got it, but yes, I am.”

“Oh!” Tony brightened. “We can squeeze a trip to Milan again! To get clothes for the trip!” Then he narrowed his eyes. “And none of that shit about the cost, okay? I won’t overspend, but we’ll spend. It’s our money and there’s a good part of it that is in the bank because of you. You could finance the whole thing! This is going to be a great trip!”

I looked as he leaned down kissing me. “Which one?”

“All of them!!” Tony said happily. "I want to show you the world!"