Editing Reailty Book 2 Chapter 16 Broken Rules
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Second Time Through - Book IIChapter 4: Broken Hearts free porn video
I climbed on the bus, looking around. The adults were near the front, and the girls and Jason, were all in the rear. I finally took a seat about halfway back. It's easier to mope if no one is sitting next to you. I realized that I was still hoping she would come. That she would suddenly appear with her bags saying she had changed her mind.
The driver looked to see if everyone was seated, then closed the door, and put the motor coach in gear.
I couldn't stand it. What if she was on the way, and just hadn't made it to the bus yet? That would be awful, to change her mind only to get left behind. So I scanned for her.
Grace was in the reception building, watching through a darkened window as the bus pulled away. She still had her primitive shield up. But I could sense her sadness. She didn't move. She had made her decision.
I decided, right then, to get on with my life! But somehow, the tears still came.
I don't know how long I had been sitting there with my head bowed, when I felt someone ease into the seat beside me. Catherine sat down without saying a word.
"Are you still talking to me?" I thought to her.
She started crying.
"What did I say wrong this time?" I wondered.
"Oh, Michael. I'm so sorry. You didn't say anything wrong. I've just been so wrapped up in my own thoughts, that I didn't even think of what you must be feeling!"
"That makes a lot of sense. Not!" I thought to myself.
"I'm upset because Grace isn't coming; but I've been battling with myself all day, because I felt so guilty," Catherine thought to me.
"Huh?"
"I've been feeling guilty, Michael," she thought.
"But what? What did YOU do?" I thought back.
Catherine waited a long time to answer.
"I ... I wanted you," she thought as she continued to weep silently.
I took her hand. "I want you too. I told you that," I thought to her. "But what has that got to do with Grace?"
Catherine sniffled, as she began to speak out loud.
"When Grace told me about not being able to handle sharing you, it made me feel guilty for wanting my own grandson. I mean the whole time she was talking about sharing you with the other girls, I was thinking it could have been me she was upset with. If she had known that I wanted you she would have been even more upset," she tried to explain.
"Is Grace upset with Mikeya? Or Ileana? Or Nicky? Or any of the other girls?" I asked her.
"She wasn't really upset with them. It's more like, one minute she was upset with you for not being true to her, and the next minute she would be upset with herself for not being more understanding," Catherine said.
"Grace has a problem with insecurity, Catherine. She thinks that in order to be secure, she has to be in control, whether it's a situation, or a relationship. If she hasn't got a tight grip on it so that it can't get away from her, she's afraid she will lose it: just like she lost her mom; just like she's losing her grandmother; just like she's losing her sister to go away to med school..." I told her.
"That can't be it. That's not rational," Catherine responded.
"Who said fears are rational?" I asked in reply.
Catherine was silent for a long time.
"Okay, Michael. I'll put down my shield now so you can read me," she thought.
"Should I tell her?" The thought passed through my mind before I could stop it. When I was this close, both physically and emotionally to Catherine, it was a sure bet she could feel it.
"Tell me what?" she asked out loud.
I didn't hesitate. I had promised her I would always tell her the truth. I began to tell her about what the Old One had taught me. It turned into a rather lengthy explanation. I was somewhat surprised she didn't grasp a lot of it.
"So what you're telling me, is that my shield, as you call it, doesn't keep you away any more?" she asked me out loud.
"Ah ... sorta..." I stammered. "I guess it's kind of obsolete, now."
Catherine physically drew back. I could sense her concern over this news.
"It's just that now, when I scan someone carefully, I can sense so much more. If I had to describe it, it's like I'm on a different frequency than before. For instance, I can see that your back and shoulders ache, the muscles are tense. Also, I know that your wrist hurts, but I don't know why. However, I can sense the inflammation and swelling."
"I felt something snap when I went to lift my bag off the bed before supper. I think I may have sprained it or something," Catherine explained.
"Well, you need to have it looked at," I said.
I touched Sarah on her mental shoulder, asking her if she could step back for a moment.
Sarah thought it was just a sprain too. She told Catherine that she should put ice on it when we got to the train.
"You should keep it immobile and try not to use it for a day or so," Sarah told her before returning to her seat.
"Now, let's talk about your guilt," I thought to her. "We are both over fifty. Neither of us are married. I happen to have a young looking body, and you happen to be attracted to it. You have a very sexy body that I'm attracted to. I have shared the depths of my feelings with you, just as I did with Grace. The only difference in my mind, is that you committed yourself to sticking with me and helping me with this bizarre situation; whereas, Grace does not want to accept the fact that the situation even exists. Have I missed anything?"
"It's not that simple, Michael."
I tried to arch an eyebrow as I waited for her to explain. For some reason, I couldn't do it like she did.
"I mean, to the rest of the world, you're my grandson. What would people say if they found me in your bed?" she asked.
"I don't intend for the world to know about our private relationship, but let's say our family found out. How would you feel?"
"I don't know. I guess I'm worried about what they would say," Catherine said.
"Okay. That's fair. Let's ask them!"
"Michael, no!"
"Liz?" I thought to her. "May Catherine and I interrupt to ask you a personal question?"
"Of course!" Liz thought back.
"Michael. Don't!" Catherine pleaded.
I ignored her.
"How would you feel if Catherine and I were to become intimate? To make love?"
"Jealous!" Liz thought back. "But I thought you already had, so I guess I'm really surprised at the question."
"Thank you, Liz," I said as I broke the contact. Liz turned in her seat to look at us. She almost got up to come back and find out more, but when she saw the look on her sister's face, she just smiled as she turned back around.
"Sarah, Catherine and I want to know how it would make you feel if you found out we were making love?"
"You haven't done it yet?" Sarah thought back with genuine surprise.
Debbie thought we already had too. John wanted to know if we were asking permission, which he thought odd, because we were both older than him.
"Please, Michael! No more. I get your point," Catherine pled once more.
"One more," I said, tapping Nicky on her mental shoulder.
"Nicky, sweetheart, Catherine and I need to ask you a very important question. Could you come up here for just a moment?"
Nicky came forward, settling into the seat across the aisle from Catherine.
"Ask her," I instructed Catherine.
"Oh, Michael, this is so embarrassing!" Catherine cried.
"Nicky, you understand that I am not your brother, even though I'm occupying his body, right?"
"Uh-huh, I guess ... I try not to think about it, though. It's confusing," Nicky replied.
"When we made love, did you feel like it was incest?" I asked.
"Nope. It never even crossed my mind. I guess that other people might see it like that, but I don't."
"Did I hurt you? Did I trick you? Did I do anything that would damage you later?" I asked her.
"Oh, no! You were wonderful. Besides, you told me everything about your past before we ever did anything!"
"Okay. Last question. Would you have any problems if your grandmother and I were to make love?"
Nicky thought for a moment, looking from me to Catherine and back again. Finally, she spoke.
"Only if you didn't make her feel as absolutely fantastic as you made me feel!" she said as she grinned.
Catherine reached out her good hand, squeezing Nicky's arm.
"Thank you, Sweetheart," I told Nicky. "Your grandmother was worried it might hurt you if we did, that's all."
"Oh, you're very welcome. Just don't forget that I still want some time with you again soon. You have been so busy lately, and I don't want you to forget me," Nicky told me.
"I could never forget you, Sweetheart!" I replied as I reached for her hand as well.
Nicky stood, then bent down to hug her grandmother, whispering in her ear before she headed back to her seat.
I didn't say anything else as Catherine stood up in the aisle.
"We'll talk more later, Michael. I need some time to think," she said, "and I would appreciate it, if you stayed out of my head while I do."
"Catherine?" I said as she started down the aisle.
She turned, giving me a strained smile.
"The same rules that you told the girls, apply for you as well. No means no. This is entirely your call. But before you decide for sure, I want you to have this..." I said.
I opened my heart to Catherine, holding nothing back. I started sharing my memories and emotions, starting this morning with what I told the princesses about her, my entire time with Grace, and finally, what I felt for her now.
She stepped back to me and kissed me on the lips, then turned and hurried up the aisle. I noticed she took a seat by herself. As she requested, I didn't scan her. She would tell me what she decided.
I looked out the window, but the sun had set, so there wasn't much to see. I closed my eyes but I couldn't sleep. I felt a movement beside me on the seat.
"Michael, would you hold me?" Candy asked in a little girl voice. Then she added, "I've missed you."
"I'd love to hold you," I told her holding out my hand to her.
"I know you feel bad because Grace dumped you," she said. "But I wanted a hug and I thought you might want one too."
I couldn't fault her logic, so I pulled her onto my lap, wrapping both arms around her. She wiggled for a moment as she settled in, making herself comfortable. Then placing her hands on top of my arms as I encircled her, she leaned her head against my chest, as she sighed contentedly.
"I sure hope that this is what love is like, cause I really like it a lot," Candy was thinking to herself.
"I love you, Candy," I whispered.
I closed my eyes and just enjoyed holding her as she reveled in contented bliss. She was sure now, that this was exactly what love was all about ... and she was right!
It was around 10:00 PM when the motor coach delivered us to the Rio Grande Railroad switchyard near West 48th Avenue and Huron Street, in Denver. David and Beth were standing at the curb, waiting for us.
David is the head of the small security force that Catherine employs. Beth and Peter both work for David. After greeting Catherine, Nicky, and the others, they helped the driver offload our bags. Then Beth led us through the busy freight terminal, out a door on the end, across a small stretch of rail yard and through a gate in a tall privacy fence.
We mounted the steps to a long, covered, concrete platform. There, next to the platform was a three-car 'consist' or set of railcars. The first two cars looked fairly modern, with their sleek lines looking freshly washed. They resembled what would soon become known as Amtrak railcars. (Amtrak was established a little over a month ago, on May 1, 1971).
I noticed that the middle car had a see-through dome running nearly the full length of the car.
But it was the last car in the consist that caught my eye. It looked much older than the other two cars, favoring, in appearance, observation cars of the pre-World War II era. It was even painted in the traditional Pullman green. However, it had the name 'Rowena' etched in gold paint on the side of the car, where the Pullman name usually appeared.
Catherine and Liz stopped on the platform, watching us, as we beheld the train for the first time. The slight drizzle that was falling, combined with the soft glow of the platform lights, bathed the railcars in a luminescent mixture of light and shadows. It was, as if we had entered the set of an old 1940's era black and white movie. I looked around, half expecting to see Humphrey Bogart, kissing the girl goodbye.
Then Liz started speaking.
"In 1948, Harry Truman is said to have logged more than 28,000 miles in The Ferdinand Magellan, a railcar just like this one. As a matter of fact, this car was intended to replace the Magellan. The original Magellan had been converted from an observation car in the late 1930s, and first put in service back in 1942 for President Franklin D. Roosevelt," she told us. It was obvious to me that she shared in her father's passion for the railroad.
"After the war, the White House decided to order a second, back-up set of cars. But between the bureaucrats and the politics of the time, construction wasn't actually started until late 1949. With the advent of air travel and the lack of endorsement from the Eisenhower administration, Washington cut the purse strings. The unfinished Magellan II sat abandoned at Pullman's 'Richmond Yard' for several years," Liz continued.
"In the late 1950s, our father heard about it from one of his railroad buddies. On a whim, he purchased the unfinished set of three railcars, and brought them to our yard in Bridgeport. He worked on them for several years, doing a lot of the work himself. But, unfortunately, he died before he could finish them. Incidentally, Father named this car after our grandmother, Rowena," Liz said with sadness in her voice as she remembered her grandmother.
"Catherine's husband, Greg, had them finished, taking Catherine and me on her maiden trek to Chicago, about six years ago. Since then, I don't think they've been out of the yard.," Liz stated. "Until now."
I could feel the memories flooding her mind as she spoke. Some of them were of the railcar, but most were about her dad and his love of trains. Finally, she shook her head, as if to clear it.
Turning to Catherine, she asked, "Shall we?"
The twin sisters led us down the long platform to the rear of the older railcar. Instead of an ordinary entry door, we found an open vestibule, almost exactly like the one in the famous picture that showed Harry Truman standing there, holding up the now infamous newspaper that read, 'Dewey Defeats Truman'.
We boarded The Rowena, and I was immediately impressed. The interior had been finished, closely following the original plans for the Presidential railcar. This included the rich oak paneling with polished brass trim, and the plush carpeting in presidential blue. The Rowena had a lounge/observation area, a small kitchen/pantry, two custom suites, then a conference/dining area featuring a wooden table that would seat eight. Then two more suites, followed by the staff quarters at the end of the car.
"This car is designed to travel alone and has armor plating in the floor, the roof, and the sides. The windows are made out of bullet resistant glass and there are two hidden escape hatches," Liz told us.
"The next car is the Dining Car, and the one after that is what daddy called the 'Guest Wing'. It's a sleeping car with eight custom staterooms, with accommodations for two or three people in each stateroom."
We moved through the Rowena, looking in all the rooms. I noticed the staff room was equipped with medical supplies and equipment. There was also a small communications console and a gun locker.
The Dining Car was laid out with booths that would seat four people on one side, and across the aisle, were smaller, two-person booths. I quickly counted seating for thirty.
"Good! At least we can all eat together!" I thought.
Next was the kitchen and pantry. Someone had designed the pantry with a mini wine cellar, but I noted that it was not stocked. Beyond the kitchen was another lounge area, with the seats all facing forward. There was a seal affixed to the bulkhead on each side of the door, bearing the Wagner Industries logo.
"This area was originally designed for presidential press conferences. Truman discovered it convenient to do rolling press conferences, since his detractors rarely rode with his regular press contingent. He also learned to treat the members of the press traveling with him very well. A large area in the supply car was committed to liquor storage," Liz said, continuing her fascinating narration.
"One of the things I always found interesting, is that this car always determined the direction the cars are added to the train. The story goes, that one of the members of the press corps was famous for getting sick if he rode facing the rear, so Truman always made sure the seats in this car faced the front of the train. He once quipped that he didn't care if they were drunk, but he didn't want them sick."
The train lurched suddenly.
"That's the yard switcher. They're positioning us on the outbound now," she explained the train's sudden movement.
Using their family connections, Catherine had arranged to have the Rowena and the other two cars shipped to Denver. It turns out, that all you had to do to 'ship' a set of railcars, was simply add them to the end of whatever train was headed in the direction you wanted to go. The observation car taking the place of the caboose. Usually, the railroads tried to use direct or straight runs, to minimize the number of times the set would have to be removed for cars to be added or dropped from the consist.
"The return trip will take us straight through Kansas City to St. Louis, where we'll be tagged (switched) to a different eastbound freight to Newark. From there, the last freight train will drop us at the Lower Yard in Bridgeport, Connecticut; where Wagner Industries still has a shed," Catherine explained.
Our bags were scattered around on the seats. So we grabbed them as we headed for the 'Guest Wing' car.
"Penny and Beth are in the first bedroom, and Peter is in the last one, other than that, just pick a room and stash your bags. You'll have to share though," Liz told us.
"Michael, let's put you in this one," Penny pointed to the one next to hers. I knew she was doing it for security purposes, so I didn't object.
"Good. Jason can go there as well," Liz added.
It looked like Jason would be sharing a bedroom with me. Any other time, I might have been disappointed not to have been with one of the girls. But after the last two days, and especially today, I was wasted.
"I hope he likes the top berth," I thought as I threw my bag on the larger, lower berth.
Liz and Catherine were sharing one of the four custom suites or staterooms on the Rowena; Kalani had the one next to them. The other two were occupied by John and Sarah, and Debbie, by herself.
As we made our way back to the Rowena, I noticed a man stowing supplies in the kitchen. I had never seen him before. As had become my habit, I scanned him as we walked towards the rear of the train.
One of the things I was learning with my gift, was that everybody has secrets. The General had some of the darkest ones I had ever seen, most of them dealing with the horrors of war and command. Anna, Catherine, and Penny all had more than average also; at least, so far. My preliminary opinion seemed to be that the older a person was, the more secrets they had. I have to admit I didn't have a very big sampling yet.
The guy in the kitchen was a cook, and he had many secrets; nasty, dark, and dangerous secrets. I knew in a heartbeat, that this was the most dangerous man I had ever met. He was also the most emotionless person I had met, so the details were mostly obscured, but his dangerous aptitude couldn't be missed. I was so surprised, I stumbled as I walked past him, falling to the aisle.
I felt a strong hand grip my arm and yank me back up, almost before I had touched the floor. It happened so fast that Nicky, walking behind me, didn't even have time to cry out.
"Michael! Are you... ?" Nicky's thought was cut off before she could give it voice, only to be immediately followed by " ... Oh ... my ... God!"
A jumbled assortment of fragmented fantasies flashed through her mind, triggering an immediate rise in her libido.
"Are you okay?" the strong arm asked as he stood in the aisle and looked me in the eye.
"Yeah. I don't think I've got my 'sea legs' yet," I grinned sheepishly.
"You will. Just be careful while the train's in motion," he said with a weary smile.
Then turning to Nicky, he asked, "Are you okay?"
She couldn't speak, so she just nodded.
He smiled at her teenaged angst. He knew his looks attracted women of all ages, and he was used to it. He was about the same height as me, but more chiseled. His strength was obvious in his bearing, the confident way in which he carried himself. But his single biggest attribute, at least as far as I could tell from Nicky, were his eyes. They seemed to see into her, in a friendly, noninvasive way.
I stuck out my hand and said, "Thanks for the help. I'm Michael."
He took my hand. It was a firm grip.
"You're welcome," he replied.
"And this is my twin sister Nicole," I nodded to Nicky.
Then turning to Nicky, he said, "It's a pleasure to meet you both. My name is Kip."
I noted that he shook her hand lightly, careful not to hurt her. I also sensed a flicker of desire as he looked at her, before he quickly squashed it.
"It's ... it's ... Nicky," she stammered.
He tilted his head slightly to the side, a questioning look in his eyes.
"Not Nicole," she stated quickly, still holding his hand. "It's Nicky."
"It's a pleasure to meet you ... Nicky," he said with a warm smile. I could sense his confidence and charm flowing to Nicky as she continued to hold his hand, looking into his eyes.
Finally realizing she was still holding onto his hand, she let it go quickly. Lowering her head, she murmured something, as she quickly squeezed by me, headed for the last car.
Kip looked at me.
I just smiled and shrugged my shoulders.
Kip was hard to read, because he kept his emotions in such tight check; but, I had found enough to let me know he was there for the general, or because of him. Either way, he wasn't a threat to us.
Most everyone was in the parlor, which is what Liz and Catherine called the lounge part of the last railcar. Someone had set out some snacks and fruit on the table, so I grabbed a banana as I went by. Even though it was getting late, no one seemed ready for bed as we sat on the siding, waiting to be coupled to the rear of the eastbound freight train that would take us to St. Louis.
"How long will it take to get home?" someone asked.
"We should reach Newark sometime early Friday morning, then into Bridgeport a couple of hours later. We'll still have to take the ferry to Long Island. That usually takes a little more than an hour, and then another fifteen minutes or so to Seven Oaks. We should be home by noon, Friday, if everything goes according to plan," Catherine explained.
As she took a seat next to me, bringing Penny with her.
Penny looked to Catherine for permission before she started to speak. Catherine nodded slightly.
"Michael. You, Catherine, and I, along with John, Sarah, and Debbie will disembark in Newark. I understand that Liz has agreed to skip the board meeting to take Helen, Kalani, and the girls on to the house. Is that right?"
Catherine nodded.
"She didn't feel that we would be making any other major decisions. If we do, I can call her," Catherine added.
"Okay. There will be a car waiting at the railroad yard to take us to Manhattan. If the train is on time, we should arrive at the office before ten o'clock, Friday morning," Penny informed her.
"Good," Catherine said, directing her next comments to me. "That will give me time to show you around and get you settled in Greg's office..."
"Office?" I interrupted.
"Of course. You can't expect to be the head of a large corporation without an office," Catherine replied with a knowing smile. "It's too late to start tonight, but David brought some files on how the company is structured, and what's been happening the last two quarters. You need to get up to speed, quickly, on a whole host of issues and pending contracts."
"I thought this was just about the deal with the Russians?" I stated it as a question.
"It is, partly; but once you are approved to take over, the company will be able to do other business that has been piling up, waiting on you to turn eighteen. With your emancipation, we can proceed to deal with it, without waiting," Catherine explained.
"So there are other deals? Besides the one with the Russians, I mean?" I questioned her.
"While I understand what your grandfather intended, and I respect it, I don't think Greg foresaw how much it would stymie the company, not being able to make necessary decisions. I honestly believe it has grown larger than even he anticipated. Because I want to respect his wishes, I plan on keeping you involved in all of the company's major decisions. Technically, you'll be in charge, once your petition for emancipation is approved. The board's approval will be with the stipulation for oversight, but we cannot legally take away your authority. What we hope, is that you will not fight the decisions we make. So I will make it my job to make sure you are well informed on every one. Also, whether you are making the day to day decisions or not, you will still be the figurehead and spokesman for the company."
"Spokesman?" I asked.
Right at that moment, the railcar lurched, as we were coupled to the east bound freight. Moments later, we began to move, slowly gaining speed.
Catherine, on feeling us moving forward, resumed what she was saying to me.
"Yes, Michael, you are the spokesman. That's why I leaked a little about your plan to buy the stocks you discussed with Jeff and John, last week. They have already proven profitable and Wall Street is beginning to notice. Harrison told me he's already had over a hundred requests for invitations to his party. And almost all of them are from people who want to meet the new 'boy wonder'."
"Boy wonder?" I asked.
"That's how the Wall Street Journal referred to you, in a small article, yesterday," she explained.
"You shouldn't have to deal with them Friday, as they don't know when we are coming back. But you'll have to face them sooner or later, and then keep it up for most of the rest of your life. I'll arrange for Jeannie to go over it with you, later."
"Jeannie?" I asked. I seemed to be stuck in a one-word-question rut.
"Jeannie is the Executive Secretary," Catherine explained with a frown on her face. "She started with Greg, over twenty-five years ago. When Greg passed away, she was going to retire, but Wally and Harry convinced her to stay on with the company. She's sharp, intelligent, and nothing gets by her. Next to Vivian, she's the one I fear the most, of finding out your secret."
There was more to this story, but since I had promised not to scan her, it would have to wait. But even without empathic abilities, I could tell there was no love lost, between Catherine, and my grandfathers' assistant.
"Catherine, I think we need to discuss security," Penny said.
Catherine just nodded to her.
"There will be a car at the Newark station to take us downtown. Once we leave the train, I will be at Michael's side constantly," Penny told us. "That includes his office and the boardroom. Do you think it best to use bodyguard as a cover, or is there something else that might work better?" Penny asked.
I looked to Catherine. She would have to answer this one.
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