Wedding and A Future


With her husband, and just as important Mrs. Patron, on board with a second wedding ceremony no matter if legal, the time to get the prospective second groom involved was now at hand. Laura understood she needed a little more private time on the west coast, either in San Jose or San Francisco, maybe both, than her normally hectic schedule allowed. That corporate jet sure would be handy right now, wouldn’t it girl? I wonder if, no that would be asking too much. Oh hell, we get along great; she can ask her husband and all he can say is no. Laura decided to call the President’s wife.

“Hi, it’s Laura, how have you been lately?”

“Oh no, I’m still here in my home in Charlotte, I will be coming out there late this week or the weekend. I haven’t made travel plans yet.”

“Yes, we must get together, maybe a cocktail hour. We can wink at the good looking men while we visit and pretend we are young girls again.”

Both laughed at Laura’s young girls joke; they made routine conversation and catch up girl talk. Laura asked Wife to recall the dinner party and conversation about Laura’s lover Greg. She bemoaned that carrying on an affair was complicated by a two-job, two-home, cross-country-travel-lifestyle. Of course Wife could understand time management problems, especially where busy husbands were involved. After a bit more chit chat Laura decided it was time to ease the conversation closer toward her objective placing the call.

“What I really need to do is squeeze some extra time into my trip. I need to get out to San Francisco earlier, say Friday mid-day, and have Greg take the afternoon off. You do recall talking about consummating things don’t you?”

The two laughed again heartily, “I thought you would remember that part of the dinner conversation. Your husband told me you brought it up several times as you brought him up.” Laura’s last pun brought peals of laughter through the telephone earpiece.

“Now that you mention, there might be a way you could help. Could you suggest to him how convenient it would be for one of the Board members if the corporate jet happened to land at Charlotte on its way back to San Francisco Friday?”

“You will? Oh thank you sweet lady; you just don’t know how much that fast little jet helps with travel. Bless you! Call and let me know what he says.”

Laura’s ploy succeeded. She was at the executive terminal at ten Friday morning when the Business Lady jet pulled to a stop. The attendant escorted her on board and helped stow the small traveling case she carried. The plane began to taxi as soon as the door closed. This trip she would have company. Two other board members, both New York City residents, had a Business Lady related conference scheduled over the weekend in San Francisco. They greeted each other warmly and had a mini board meeting during the four plus hour trip. The Business Lady limousine was waiting when the company jet landed. Even after dropping her two travel companions at their hotel Laura still greeted Francisco before twelve-thirty.

“Welcome home gracious lady. The car you requested has been delivered and is in your parking space in the garage. What time will you need it today?”

“Thank you Francisco, I will be leaving in about an hour. I need to be in San Jose at my lover’s home by two-thirty. Could you be a dear and have it out front for me?”

> > > - -

Laura had requested at least one bottle of champagne chilled and waiting; Greg had several bottles of Taittinger in his refrigerator. Laura opened, poured and served. She offered a most simple toast, “To us.” The toast was totally appropriate for today’s subject.

“Greg, we are living in sin and I am tired of denying to god who and what we are. I want to be married and I want that marriage to be to you, with you, Laura and Greg; will you marry me Greg Harrison and make me Mrs. Laura Martell-Harrison?”

“I love you my darling lady; of course I want to accept your proposal and marry you. I hate to be the one who brings practical technicalities, even precedence, to our relationship but I am a lawyer in case you have let that slip away.”

“I first proposed to you, so to speak, years ago when I gave that diamond ring. You wore that ring alone for three weeks and then you returned to Dan who is your one and only lawful husband. I was proud to be with you but I understood what you felt you had to do. That is why I live here now.”

“Baby, I now reject one and only. I know why you live out here; I know I caused your move. If you recall I cried crocodile tears at the office going away party when you left. I needed to mature and you needed to get away to make our marriage possible. I want two husbands. I want you to be my new husband while I keep Dan as present husband. If Josephine Baker could conduct her own service in Mexico I can conduct mine if you will have me.”

Laura sunk to her knees. Normally on knees was a position for the often violent oral sex she and Greg practiced. In a sense their affair began with Laura on knees under his desk. When she told her husband of that first time he roared with laughter at her stereotypical behavior. Now she was supplicant asking for her lover’s hand in marriage. “Greg Harrison, please say yes to Laura Martell’s proposal.”

She held her left hand forward. Greg Harrison did likewise; he kneeled facing the woman he would marry. “I love you Laura Martell; of course I accept your proposal of marriage. Will you do me the honor of becoming Mrs. Laura Martell-Harrison?”

“Yes, my Darling, yes, I will be your bride, your wife and your lover until the end of time.” Laura produced a small jewelry box. “As I wear your ring as symbol of our betrothal I have this ring for you as well. May I place it on your finger?”

Greg was confused; men do not wear an engagement ring was the first thought in his mind. He and Laura were not about to enter a traditional marriage. Why not wear a male engagement ring? He gave his left hand; Laura slipped the ring along third finger. The ring fit perfectly. Greg looked to his lover with a question in his eyes.

“I had our jeweler make it. He knows your ring size. He and I worked out the design with the diamond in the center flanked by an emerald for your birthstone and a ruby for mine. It is modest and it is masculine. The stones are set low and surrounded by the ridge of gold to protect them. You are not at all used to wearing a ring with a high set stone and will not be able to learn to automatically protect it before hurting yourself or the ring. If anyone gives you crap about it, send them to me and I’ll use the big whip on them.”

“It is beautiful and it fits perfectly. He really is a great jeweler and he can make almost anything with gold and silver. I will wear it proudly for you and for me, Darling.”

Ecstatic with tears in eyes Laura tried her best to shout out her joy though her words were muffled by kisses. With couple still on knees, kissing continued. Greg agreed to marry her, how to make that occur became Laura’s next life mission. She knew well what she wanted for first step.

“Take me to our bed my Darling man. Screw me tenderly, fuck me savagely. I want to make all of my lady friends green with envy when I tell them exactly how and how well you have consummated our love.”

Greg carried his woman to the bedroom caveman fashion with Laura draped over his shoulder and legs leading the way kicking. He undressed her and then himself. “See this cock fat and hard to ravish you. I will fuck you tonight and cum. You will suck until I get hard again and we will fuck again. You will suck and we will fuck until I can no longer get hard or it falls off, whichever comes first.”

Laura went to her back in the middle of the bed with legs straight to ceiling and spread. “Come fuck me Baby.” Greg complied with all the power in his loins. Emotion overwhelmed the couple and they climaxed easily together rapidly. After recovery Laura bent to her suck for revival mission. Baby responded; second sexing was doggie style and as vigorous as their first but much, much longer lasting.

They rested finishing the first bottle of champagne before Laura sucked her man to full hard again. She rubbed lotion back there to facilitate the friction she knew she desired. “My ass this time, Darling, fuck me in the ass as only you and your oh so fat cock can do. I want to feel you into next week.”

On and on and on their sex continued through the night. Laura and Greg would take a break for more champagne; sometimes they would take brief cat naps after exhausting each other in orgasm. When they awoke they continued their loving. Laura always sucked her Baby’s cock to hard and Greg always responded with more fucking: ass, pussy, mouth, slow, tender, fast, hard, furious; they fucked until dawn. With almost no sleep and no ability to recall just how often they sexed during these past twelve hours Laura led the way to kitchen and the juice and especially coffee which seemed to revive them.

As Laura was cleaning their dishes and putting them up, she looked over shoulder to her Baby. She spread her legs and slapped her bare rump loudly to gain attention. “You haven’t fucked me in this kitchen yet, my love; you know how kitchens turn me on. Come get me now.”

Their kitchen fuck was grand finalé. Greg added a hard spanking of Laura’s bottom as exclamation point. They retired to bed once again but this time to sleep through the day not waking until the sun began settling into the Pacific Ocean. Laura’s proposal of marriage and Greg’s acceptance was well and truly consummated.

> > > - -

“What was that you said yesterday about Joseph somebody and their wedding in Mexico?”

“Not Joseph Baby, Josephine; she was a black woman from St. Louis at the turn of last century. She was a performer but run out of the country because she was black.”

“That sucks Laura but times have changed, you know that. What does she have to do with us?”

“Josephine Baker became a star in Paris, at the Folies Bergere. She was married twice here in the U. S., short marriages to assholes; she dumped and divorced them. She was married twice in France and both of those ended in divorce too.” Laura paused to make connection with her Baby.

“She was a star in France but had bad luck in marriage. Princess Grace and Sophia Loren were her friends, but she couldn’t keep the right man by her side. She gave it one more try but on her terms. She and her fifth husband, Robert Brady, went into a church in Mexico and said their vows to each other, no priest, no nothing, just two people sharing vows of marriage.”

“Wow, what happened to them?”

“They remained together as a couple until Josephine died a few years later. Their private vows worked for them and they can work for us, Baby. They will work for us.”

> > > - -

When Laura returned to her San Francisco condo late Sunday afternoon she felt exhausted. Not in seven years had she been so thoroughly fucked by her to-be second husband. As she had very honestly told Dan more than once no matter how good, how hard, how many times he screwed her in a session he could never do the things to body, mind and soul that Greg could. She knew her husband Dan was a very good lover; she told him just so and often. Laura had no doubt that Artsy found him a far better lover than that failure she married to run away from her love for Dan. She knew from conversation and observation how much sexual pleasure Dan gave Mrs. Patron. For this one particular woman, Laura Martell about-to-add-Harrison, Dan could just not touch her in the same places and in the same way Greg Harrison touched.

With glow of sexual exhaustion comforting her brow Laura poured a brandy and curled up on her sofa to consider next steps. There were questions she had to ask and then answers to provide. This wedding would be a one woman job. The interrogatives of the English language are short, simple, one-syllable, words: What, Where, When, Who, How.

What and Where had mostly fixed answers now. The answer to What would be an informal wedding to marry Mrs. Laura Martell with Mr. Greg Harrison. Also included as part of any answer to the What question must be the absolute support of Mr. Daniel Martell, Laura’s lawful husband. Without Dan none of Laura’s hopes and dreams would be possible.

Since Greg didn’t balk at Puerto Vallarta as a suitable place for their wedding, Laura was sure her Baby would have preferred on the beach at St. Maarten, the Where question was answered in Laura’s mind. She wanted a church wedding in that cathedral in Puerto Vallarta Mexico. A ceremony in the cathedral would add an aura of legitimacy her totally preposterous second marriage wedding was going to need.

With two questions settled easily Laura quieted her brain and slowly sipped her brandy. Mrs. Laura Martell-Harrison, her new married name slipped into her brain and Laura smiled; she said the new name aloud twice. Her mind returned to wedding planning mode. The next question must be When; weddings are in June. Can I, oh yes, I can be a June bride one more time. Aloud she spoke to no one, “Yes, June, Dan and I married in June; Greg and I will marry in June. I will be a June bride one more time.”

Okay, three down, let’s try Who. Laura smiled this should be easy; she let her mind run through the cast of characters. Greg and I of course, can’t have a wedding without the couple getting married, and I know we have to find a minister here to take with us. Dan must be with me and he will certainly want Artsy at his side. Mrs. Patron would have a fit if she couldn’t attend. I wonder if we should invite Celeste? I was Greg’s secretary when we began our affair; it would be fitting to invite his current secretary. Is there anyone else at Greg’s new law firm? Oh, I didn’t even think of my Business Lady friends; Liaison just must be my Matron-of-Honor. Do I need to invite President and his wife? Oh my goodness I can’t forget my Executive Sisters back in Charlotte. Charlotte, oh god, I forgot all about LF.

“Help, help, help me someone. I need some sanity,” Laura called out to the ceiling.

Laughing at herself Laura poured another brandy and looked at her watch, just past six pm. It’s nine in Charlotte and I haven’t talked to Dan since I kissed him goodbye Friday morning; I better call. He will still be with Mrs. Patron and Artsy I am sure, but probably not much longer. Laura dialed, she could hear the rings, Artsy answered.

“Hi Artsy, how are you? It is so good to hear a woman’s voice again; I’ve been with only men for the past few days.”

“Have you been taking good care of our Baby?”

“Artsy Honey, you have him all week and you can use our house too. I know Dan can’t stay away from home all week with me gone. He is your man now too; stay with him.”

“Hi Baby, love you so much. I just wanted to share a few love words with you before I get wrapped up in Business Lady doings during the coming week.”

“Awww, that is sweet of you, Baby, I do love you so much.”

“So everything is okay there at home? Nothing burned down over the weekend?”

“Yes, Greg and I had a great time together, all at his place this time. I just got back home a couple of hours ago and I am sore all over from you know what.”

“Yes, you are right, it is a good sore and I smiled every mile of the drive to and from San Jose. I hope you and Artsy have the same sort of smiles for the same reasons.”

“Okay, kiss Artsy and Mrs. Patron for me. Baby I told her but I’ll tell you, take her home with you at least once or twice. Love you! Bye-bye.”

> > > - -

At lunch later that week with her best girlfriend Liaison Laura shared her matrimony plans. “Alright girlfriend, here’s the plan. You are going to be my Matron-of-Honor. I am getting married in that cathedral we visited in Puerto Vallarta Mexico this coming June. I still have a lot of details to work out but your job between now and June is keep Laura from going crazy. You are also my number two in working out the wedding details.”

“Laura, you are really going to marry Greg without divorcing Dan? You’re just nuts but knowing you everything will work out perfectly. You always have had the magic. You go girl!”

> > > - -

Laura also had to let some folks in Charlotte know of her plans. At one of the monthly Friday lunches her Executive Sisters always scheduled Laura held court. “You all remember Greg I am sure and the affair he and I had back then. Well, we have resumed that affair.” With the simple ‘we have resumed’ Laura got all of her Executive Sisters to drop other conversations and focus solely on her. Sex trumped all topics and illicit sex was always top of the mountain.

“This time Greg and I are going all the way. I am going to marry him in a personal ceremony in Mexico this coming June. I will have two husbands; Dan as husband here in Charlotte and Greg will be my husband in San Francisco.”

Two of the sisters announced as duet, “You can’t do that, it’s illegal!”

The senior Executive Sister broke into the conversation, “Now wait-a-minute girls.” She stared down all for quiet and attention. “Our sister Laura works two part time jobs on two coasts and gets paid as though they are full time at each job. Hell, they pay for her to fly back and forth first class except when they send the private jet for her. She is on the Board of Directors for one of the firms she works for and I’ll bet she gets paid extra for that too.”

Laura broke a shy grin and nodded her head admitting that she was paid extra for being on the board at Business Lady.

“As long as Dan either agrees or never finds out, and if she doesn’t run afoul of the IRS, I think someone who has already worked two sweetheart deals like she has can probably have as many damned husbands as she wants. Who is going to stop her?”

That last question broke laughter around the table. Laura decided she ought at least buy champagne to celebrate so she waved for the waitress and ordered two bottles. As she poured and served she invited all of her sister friends to come to Puerto Vallarta for her wedding. Giggles and good natured ribbing accompanied the six ladies through their lunch. Everyone wanted to drop all and fly off to Mexico to attend Laura at her illicit wedding.

Once again the senior sister had to interject reality. “We can’t all be gone at the same time. Can you imagine leaving just the lawyers to run the firm for a week? We would have chaos for months when we got back.”

The Executive Sisters were half an hour later than usual returning from lunch and they all wore big smiles when they returned to their desks and reactivated their telephones. The office grapevine spread the news to the remaining support staff before going home time that day. Even a few of the lawyers, the ones Greg directly supervised when he worked at the firm, learned of their former boss’s upcoming nuptials.

> > > - -

Once more at a restaurant table, she and Liaison were having a working girls lunch, another of Laura’s wedding tasks came to resolution. “Okay girlie, while you have been away playing at legal secretary back east I have been diligently working my pretty tail off trying to get you married. I think I may have solved one of your problems.”

“And what might that be my Matron-of-Honor, I already have a prospective bridegroom.”

“Yes dearie, you have a groom and his healthy parts but you still need one other man; I think this other is normally referred to as a Man-of-the-Cloth. This one, however, I would not look too hard at the cloth and what may or may not be underneath.”

“What in hell are you talking about Liaison? Don’t look under the cloth, if I do look what will I find?”

“I think he might well be the kind of preacher that goes naked under his robes, and I am not taking any bets on how often he bathes either his robes or the body underneath. Understand right now girlfriend, he is a hippie preacher complete with beard and sandals.”

“Wherever did you find this hippie preacher wonder?”

“Where else, The Haight!”

When Laura proved ignorant of San Francisco geography and its cultural significance Liaison had to explain about the Haight Ashbury district as center of the hippie movement in the 1960s and ‘70s. “There are still a bunch of old hippies in San Francisco and they still hang there; this guy has some kind of people’s church.”

“Okay, I believe you. Does this preacher have a name?”

“Don’t laugh Laura; you’ve got to promise me not to laugh.” Liaison dug in her purse and pulled out a business card. She handed the card over, “His name is Reverend Sing Praise High. That’s what the card says – Reverend Sing Praise High, Arch-Minister of the Church of Loving Hearts.”

“Please don’t tell me there are ministers and sub-ministers of this Loving Heart Church too. Where the hell did you find this quack?”

“He had an ad in the Weekly Rag. That’s the paper that lists what bands are playing in all the clubs and has the crazy personal ads too. His real name is probably Joe Not Too Bright or something vanilla like that.”

“Reverend Sing Praise High?” Laura shook her head and waived for the waitress. She knew she just absolutely had to have a stiff drink to finish this conversation. “What time can we meet him?” Laura pulled out her cell phone and pushed a speed dial number.

“Stan, it’s Laura. Will it kill things in the works if Liaison and I take the afternoon off? Something has come up with my damned wedding plans that will take both of us to resolve.”

“Oh good, you’re the best Stan, anything you want except sex just name it. If it’s sex you want Liaison will take care of you.” Stan could hear Liaison’s good natured scream and the laughter of two of his best employees as he hung up his phone. He could only shake his head and prepare some humor for tomorrow at the coffee pot.

Liaison handled the introduction. Laura understood immediately that Reverend High was properly named.

He was smoking one of the cigarettes that she was sure fathered the man’s name. The good reverend was also barefooted wearing cut-off-to-knees ragged cuff jeans and a flowery Hawaiian shirt. His beard had been neither trimmed nor cut in weeks, or longer. In spite of the visual appearance Laura was entranced by the man’s voice. His was the type of voice that inspired women to immediately begin removing their clothes. He would be perfect to perform the spurious wedding ceremony.

“I love your appearance and your voice, Reverend High, you are hired. I will give you the exact dates in June quite soon. Make sure your passport is in order. I will handle all transportation and hotel arrangements. What else could there be?”

“You haven’t mentioned my fee at all my dear, my fee is important.”

“Yes, you are correct, fees are important. I assume you have made the IRS aware of the tax exempt status of your church. Let’s say a service fee of one thousand dollars for performing the wedding and . . .,” Laura could see in the man’s eyes he was expecting a little more, “. . . a tax deductable contribution to your Loving Heart Church of another five thousand dollars.” An ear wrapping smile graced the man’s face. With Liaison’s help Laura had just solved another problem on the road to the altar.

> > > - -

With most wedding details falling into place nicely Laura decided she needed to have at least one more conversation with her current husband, with Dan and Artsy really. She gathered them around their back yard table after brunch on a Saturday morning. “We are going to need something to drink for this conversation guys; I am not sure just champagne is the correct lubricant. Which is your preferred poison, Mimosa or brandy?”

“Neither of those for me, either a screwdriver or vodka tonic, I lean toward the latter.” Both women voted screwdriver but Laura suggested Dan get the makings for both. Finally they were ready for conversations.

“My wedding in June is pretty much a given; you’ve already said yes Baby and I love you for that much. What I think the three of us need to figure out is our future and how we get there after the wedding.”

“Artsy, just as you needed to start rebuilding your relationship with my Baby by talking with me I need to find the way to my two husband future, especially my way to the future with this loving husband, by asking you some questions.” Artsy nodded her understanding by taking a drink from her glass and saluting Laura with her drink.

“Are you and my Baby going to have a ceremony? I know you can’t do what I am doing. I am sure you won’t do something this elaborate.”

“I don’t know Laura... it’s just th... No!” Artsy reached with left hand for Dan’s right; he squeezed and leaned closer to his lover and kissed her neck softly. Artsy closed her eyes, shivered with sensual delight, and accepted her lover’s tenderness. Finally she was ready to try and answer Laura’s question.

“It will be two more months before my final decree Laura, nothing is possible until then. Anything Dan and I might want to do could be used against me and interfere with the whole damned process. You remember about my lawyer Lester MacDaniel? He was emphatic, lay low. So I do nothing for a while as far as Dan is concerned.” Artsy paused again going private inside herself with her thoughts.

“If we do anything, if Dan and I ever do anything, it will be very, very private. It has to be that way for me or I can’t live with myself.” Artsy paused and looked into the other woman’s eyes. “Laura, I am not going to criticize what you are doing with Greg; that’s your business. I love you of a sort, but I don’t like the way you are going about you and Greg. That’s just me.”

“You know I have never been afraid to speak my mind about how you and Greg act. You know why. I cringe when you hurt Dan. I cringe because when he hurts I hurt. You know that; you have talked to me about that fact.”

“If Dan and I have a sharing of some sort of vows it may be sitting under the shade of that big live oak in Mrs. Patron’s back yard. It may well be just two people holding hands and agreeing to share what little bit of life they can have together.” Once again Artsy turned to Dan who was still close. With her off hand she pulled him in for a kiss that lingered and grew to an exchange of passion. Artsy pressed her forehead to her Honey’s head. The action appeared to be their special form of mind meld but it was simply a way to share the intensity their love could reach. Laura watched her husband and his lover with silent respect before she finally spoke to break the spell.

“You two are so beautiful together. I love seeing how tenderly you relate to each other. I can see your love. Seeing you be tender together makes me happy and not jealous at all.” Dan sprouted an aw-shucks grin; Artsy looked down to her hands in lap.

“At very most we might try to add those people we are very, I mean extremely, close to: you, Mrs. Patron, probably LF and Interior Decorator but no more than those few. That’s my feeling Laura; Dan and I have never talked it through so he may have other ideas. I could not do what you are doing and I don’t think my Honey, your Baby, could live with himself any more than I could if we tried to make a splash.”

Artsy ended her dissertation on a vibrant positive pitch conveying no sense of animosity. She reached to Laura and shared a hug and kiss to make sure the woman understood her point of view.

“I do understand completely Artsy. Let me change focus a little to Dan and I and how we need to be to keep this okay current place a continuing okay place and hopefully get even better. I’m concerned about time Baby, having enough time for all we have going on and still have enough time for you and me being together. That was a problem in the past; it was a problem I caused, and I don’t want that again.”

“Baby, I hear what you are saying. I have a feeling you are going to try to spend more time out there. I hope you don’t go too far again. Time is an issue because there is not much we can do to stretch time. What we can do is try our best to make quality use of the time we do have. We can’t do too many things on our own or we eat into what time we really need being together.”

“I know there is one thing I want to start that will be one more together thing we do; you will be involved too Artsy. I want both of you to teach me about the art world you two live in. I want to be more than a naked body on canvas.”

Laura’s suggestion brought a peal of laughter from all three. She picked up the others glasses and went off to get refills. Over her shoulder she called out, “More than a waitress too.” When Laura returned with fresh drinks her Baby and Artsy were still laughing with her.

“You’re right Baby, getting more deeply involved with what this pretty lady and I, Mrs. Patron and our mutual friend LF as well, do in the art world is what I was talking about when I said we need quality time together. You would also be more firmly involved in our main circle of friends.” Dan paused and a wicked smirk shaped his face. He bit off a quiet chortle before pressing into territory he knew would draw punishment from his Baby.

“If you have trouble picking up what we do you could combine the modeling and waitress skills you’ve already mastered and be our topless barmaid.”

Dan was absolutely correct about his punishment. His Baby rushed him and slapped him about shoulders and head with both hands. “You Jerk!” Artsy called encouragement, “Hit him again Laura; hit him again for that sexist crap.” Laura kept swinging but lightly; she finally sat in her Baby’s lap, laughed and showered him with kisses.

After recovery from the fun times Laura asked Dan what he needed from her to make more quality time together. “I have two points, important points; first I do need to spend time with Mrs. Patron and Artsy here on our turning Mrs. Patron’s home into a gallery-museum project. We can try to schedule intense work when you are on the west coast but that will not always be possible. I don’t think there are many ways we can include you in the planning process. After we open things will ease up and there are probably more things we can do together.” Laura nodded her understanding.

“The second point I want to make, it goes back to the issue of quality time, is vacations. When you were with Greg the last time you reserved all of your vacation time for him. We never took a single vacation together those four years.”

Laura tried to object, that couldn’t be true that they never, but then she stopped objecting. She knew Dan was correct in his accusation. “I was a nasty shit Baby; I am so ashamed of the way I acted in so many ways. I’ll do better and if you see me slipping call me on it. You too Artsy, just jump in and shake me back to where I need to be.”

The conversation continued through the afternoon. Most of the suggestions and discussions were quite positive. Both Dan and Laura understood what they wanted to achieve. Artsy often served as referee helping one or the other explain or make a point. When the last screwdriver, the last vodka tonic, was drained as far as these three could say Laura’s wedding with Greg was still a go.

> > > - -

Dan became Laura’s shopping consultant helping find the perfect wedding dress. One Saturday they began early, visited half a dozen department stores and smaller boutiques, looked at dozens of dresses and Laura tried on at least ten, all rejected. Late in the day Dan suggested a boutique operated by a woman he had met several times at gallery openings.

Owner and Dan hugged a greeting; the atmosphere started to get confusing when he introduced Laura as wife and announced what they were looking for. “Mother of the bride you mean?”

“No, I am being unusual but I am going to marry my lover in a simple ceremony in Mexico so I will be the bride. We’ve been shopping all day and I am exhausted. Can you help us by showing something simple?”

Dan amplified Laura’s request. “Instead of something simple think something primitive, maybe that will help.” Shop Owner retreated behind a curtain and returned in a few minutes. “You’re a six, right?” Laura nodded. “I thought so; take a look at these three.”

Owner held each dress for display on hanger spreading hem and top to give best view to her customers. Dan pointed and said “Yes” to the second dress but owner pressed on. “Let’s see that second one again. I think it’s the one you want, Baby.”

“Is he as good with women’s fashion as he is with art?”

“My Baby is even better, simply the best with women’s clothing. That’s why I have him at my side. Well, it’s one of the reasons but only one. Let me get a better look, please.”

The dress Dan pointed out was simple in shape, not at all fitted, with short sleeves and it fell to knee length. There were three layers of cotton gauze, sheer individually but quite properly opaque together. Laura went to the dressing room to try on and returned a few minutes later. She did her best fashion model runway strut twisting and turning to give the dress a proper display.

“It looks perfect on you Baby. The fit works, it flows well when you move, the dress looks great and you look great wearing it. How does it feel to you?”

“Wearing this dress I almost feel like I am wearing a nightgown. It is light and comfortable.”

“Well, we are all adults and understand what comes next after the wedding ceremony, a dress that feels like a nightgown is appropriate, isn’t it?”

“For a two husband whore like me it should have some red to be my scarlet badge or maybe hooker black. What do you think Baby, should we take this or keep looking for something with just a hint of color splash?”

Shop Owner was appalled at Laura’s self deprecating remark but jumped in to save the sale. “A good seamstress could add a border of red ribbon to each sleeve that would still look natural and give the color splash you are looking for.”

Dan made the decision, “Box it, she insists on paying for it so get her credit card. I am buying drinks at The Palette; this shopping day is over for me.” To Shop Owner Dan added his invitation to stop by when she closed shop for the day. “I am going to call Artsy and see if she will join us, Mrs. Patron too. You will be among friends.”

As far as Laura was concerned the last detail required to make her illicit, though still sweet, wedding a go had been checked off. She gave a warm hug to Shop Owner as thanks when the woman returned her American Express card. She hugged and kissed her Baby too. “I love you so much Daniel Martell. Am the luckiest woman alive that I said yes when you asked. I am even more lucky that you didn’t cast me aside those first years of my affair with Greg. You are so, so special.”

> > > - -

Liaison was first to arrive in Puerto Vallarta. She had husband Sig and most importantly Reverend Sing Praise High in tow. She had selected the hotel where everyone would stay; she wanted to check and make sure it lived up to its internet bragging. It did even better than Liaison could have hoped. She reserved the two top floors of the small rustic looking beachfront hotel. All rooms had balconies; the elevator functioned perfectly; best of all, the restaurant on the ground floor had a delightful patio adjacent to the beach.

Greg, also boss Lawrence and Wife, by coincidence booked reservations the following day on the same flight Business Lady President and Wife used. Liaison was on hand to greet their arrival. She had a small loose leaf binder with copies of all reservations and all of the remaining paperwork. The Charlotte contingent arrived toward the end of the day all as one. The two limousines Liaison had waiting, really just a glorified taxis but the drivers did speak a version of English, brought them to the hotel after they cleared through passport control at the airport.

Dan led Mrs. Patron and Artsy along with Interior Decorator from the first limo. Liaison gave each a hug; she was doing a mental check off to make sure there were no last minute surprises. The second vehicle held LF and her latest young girlfriend as escorts for the bride and Laura’s two executive assistant sisters from her law firm. Everything has worked perfectly so far; nothing this crazy can come off without a hitch. Something will get fucked up I just know it will. Liaison hugged and kissed her friend and both began to sob crocodile tears.

Two days later, conveniently mid-week, Laura led the procession on foot from hotel the seven blocks to the cathedral. She had already delivered what she thought of as the bribe to the head priest so they would not have interference during their ceremony. Since the good Reverend High had spent the last two days living up to his name Liaison decided she would be his escort in the parade. She detailed husband Sig to accompany Mrs. Patron. Interior Decorator walked alongside Artsy; Dan escorted Bride-to-be. The Groom and the remainder of the guests brought up the rear of the parade. Liaison had even found a local photographer she hired to document the whole affair.

In the dark of the cathedral everyone spread in a semi-circle to the side of the altar. Surprising everyone, Laura and Liaison most of all, Reverend Sing Praise High transformed into character perfectly. He conducted the simple service with dignity and grace. Dan escorted Laura to Greg, her new intended, and gave his once and present rival, her hand. Reverend High made his introductory proclamations. Laura recited her vows:

I Laura take you Greg to be my Husband, my Constant Friend, my Faithful Partner and one of my Eternal Lovers from this day to forevermore. Here in the presence of God, of Family and of Friends We Hold Dear I offer this solemn vow to you to be your partner in sickness, health, in good times and difficult, to share my life with joy whenever possible and with tears when they are required. I yield my being to you that I bring you pleasure in every way. I promise my love to you complete and request the same from you as long as we both shall live.

The Reverend Sing Praise High, Arch-Minister of the Church of Loving Hearts, added his bit of creativity to the ceremony. Before he allowed the traditional kiss of the bride he walked the couple to the array of ceremonial votive candles, handed each one of the small torches, and asked them to light a candle in honor of their marriage vows. He even left a ten dollar donation in the offertory bowl. He led Laura and Greg back to their wedding party and announced man and wife and kiss the bride.

The reception at the hotel lasted two days and can only be described as inebriation in extreme. Wedding service attire lasted about two hours before everyone switched to bathing suits, shorts, T-shirts and similar comfortable casual wear. Liaison was so pleased with her role and with how well Reverend High had functioned that she decided to accompany the Good Reverend to his room to sample one of his cigarettes. In exchange she gave her body to the Church of Loving Hearts. Sig wondered where his wife had wandered off to but when she returned with the fake hippie preacher in equal state of bombed beyond belief nirvana he made a pretty good guess. They would discuss rules of marital propriety when they got home, he decided.

Laura sought privacy with her new husband Greg in random time segments. She had already talked to Dan and Artsy and the younger woman agreed to keep Dan so distracted he had no time to get into his feelings about Laura now having some sort of formal relationship with Greg. Mrs. Patron helped as well. She really missed her special Friend but kicked up her heels and danced often with Rupert and her Daniel. Three times Mrs. Patron took her Daniel to bed to make sure she was well taken care of sexually.

On second day after the wedding service, a Saturday, most of the wedding guests packed their bags and the limousine drivers carried them to the airport for flights home. On Sunday everyone else was leaving. Saturday evening Dan hosted a quiet dinner party for the newlywed couple and all who remained. The wine wasn’t Dan’s favorite Piper, wasn’t the Taittinger that Greg preferred, it was a cheap Mexican local white but it served to offer a toast, “To Laura, to her husbands, and to her friends - health, happiness and love now and forever.”

Everyone joined in the toast. Kisses and hugs made rounds of the table. Laura gave a soft thank you to her first Baby. Dinner was fun, pleasant, convivial even, with laughter at having pulled off an outrageous event. Everyone slept in proper bed with correct partner that final night in Mexico.

Sunday afternoon found Laura and Greg alone in a hotel next to the Pacific Ocean. They walked along the beach barefoot wriggling toes in the sand. They held hands continuously, kissed frequently, and pointed out sights that caught their eye. Laura was sure one cloud formation had been put in their sky by an amorous deity to announce their nuptials. “Look Baby at that cloud over there. It’s the two of us holding each other and kissing. Don’t you see it?”

Greg agreed with her to keep peace in the family. Two days later one of the limousine drivers made his last run to the airport carrying the main characters of the Martell-Harrison wedding party off on their honeymoon. As Laura handled all details of the wedding; Greg claimed honeymoon plans to be his turf. He wouldn’t even tell his bride where they were going. All Laura knew was she had two weeks of island hopping ahead. She had bathing suits packed for beaches and as far as she was concerned she didn’t need any other clothing as long as she had her new husband.

> > > - -

Shortly after Laura’s wedding Lester MacDaniel worked his magic shutting off any interference Artsy’s husband contemplated through legal action. Divorce was granted and LeeAnne Hopkins was once again a single woman in the eyes of the State of North Carolina.

On a quiet Friday evening in Mrs. Patron’s back yard with only Mrs. Patron, LF and Interior Decorator sharing champagne Artsy made her simple announcement. “Dan, I love you as I have loved you for a long time. I understand who we are and all of our restrictions. I asked Laura to let us have privacy tonight and she agreed. She understands what I am about to say.”

Artsy looked to her friends and then back to Dan, “I want to be with you as your life partner forever Dan. I am free to openly love you and I will never hide from my love for you ever again.”

“I love you, Honey, and I will always be proud to acknowledge you as life partner in any and all situations.”

The couple kissed and then made a silent toast with their champagne flutes. Mrs. Patron lost her normal cool reserve and shed tears. LF and Interior Decorator came to the couple and both gave hearty kisses. Artsy and Dan, each in their own way, harkened thoughts back to Laura’s extravagant effort in Puerto Vallarta Mexico to accomplish a similar goal. Both were satisfied with this more simple approach. They shared Artsy’s bed that night and their sexing had a special delicacy.

> > > - -

All the modifications to Mrs. Patron’s home had been completed. Doors were ready to be opened. The word was on the art community streets up and down the East coast, across the South and even to the West coast. Mrs. Patron, Daniel Martell, and LeeAnne – Artsy – Hopkins made up the receiving line for the grand opening. Laura Harrison-Martell had a prominent role as well escorting significant donors through the showcase artists work on display. Among those representing business interests who contributed to make this event possible included Business Lady President and Wife and also one Greg Harrison representing his law firm in San Jose California who Laura squeezed with very intimate hugs and a kisses when she could steer him into a private corner.

Greg would be in Charlotte for a full week for the opening as well as visiting old friends. Dan told his wife he thought the best situation would be for Dan to move into Mrs. Patron’s home for the week since he would be so busy and involved in his Executive Director duties. For the second time in her life Laura could share her marital bed with her lover and now second husband. This time there would be no anxiety. This time there would be no attempt at one-upmanship. This time when Laura and Greg romped through their sexual exploits they would do so to please each other with no thought of insulting or humiliating Dan.

Laura slept every night with a satisfied smile. She was living her own personal fairy tale and she had every intention of living just this way - with two husbands who loved her - with two husbands she loved equally – just like the princesses in every fairy tale she learned as a child – happily ever after.

Happily Ever After means - The End – No Mas