The Nuclear Family, Chapter 12, Part II

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[:::: The Nuclear Family, Part II – Chapter 12 ::::]

As was my norm, I woke up around six.  The sun was already climbing into the sky, yet a golden hue still permeated the world, letting everyone know that the day was going to be bright and clear.

Amy and I were still entwined, my morning hardness still teasing both of us with the promise of things to come. At some point, as well, we had shifted, and my hand was firmly holding one of Amy’s assets. Even though my hand was still outside her shirt, I could feel the rather large bump pressing into the palm of my hand.

It was a perfect way to wake up.

For a couple of moments, I contemplated the right way to extricate myself without waking Amy, but the moment I tried to remove my hand, one of her hands shot up and pulled it back down.

“No,” she said, and she snuggled in tighter.

I stifled a laugh, “I need to get up, Hun,” I told her, and she muffled a laugh into the sheets at my use of the word.

“But I like it,” she said, still holding my hand. “It's not my bed and I have never slept better.”

Her voice was sleepy, yet it had notes of happiness that lifted my spirit. Perhaps my time in the dark was coming to an end. I turned towards her, pulling her into a lover's embrace and kissed her deeply.

Her eyes were still closed, but she was smiling when I shifted and got out of bed.

“Just so you know, I’m not a morning person,” she said, her eyes cracking open just a bit.  “I will get up at what time I need to, but unless you bring me coffee, don’t expect much.”

I was pulling on my shorts and a shirt before heading to the bathroom. 

“I slept in this morning. I am usually up right before sunup, and by this time, I am generally on my third coffee.”

“In the future, wake me by bringing me one on your fourth…” she said, giggling slightly and starting to move a little.

I climbed on the bed and once more kissed her after pulling her dark hair away from her face. She turned to meet my lips, and I once more felt that the world was growing brighter, not just that the day was beginning.

I inhaled her scent.  It was similar to Georgia, but also very different.  If I had to explain it, I had always thought that Georgias smelled sweet like honeycomb.  Amy was lovely too, but also more earthy, much like that smell you have to breathe in after a big rainstorm.

I walked out of the room to her giggling, as when I stood after kissing her, I stumbled off the bed, my foot catching in the bottom corner of the sheet.

When I walked into the kitchen, Darren was already there and looked down at his wrist to a pretend watch.

“I know, I know,” I told him, as I went to the Nespresso machine and started making myself a coffee. “Cut me some slack, my girlfriend kept me up half the night.”

“Girlfriend,” Darren said, choking back a laugh. “Is that what those noises were?”

I gave him the finger and then started making one for Amy. I had picked up that she enjoyed a half-strength Latte, so I made her one, hoping she would make it out here before it went cold.

Amy did indeed come out a few minutes later while Darren and I were watching an MMA fight that had aired over in Europe overnight.  She joined us in watching the fight and smiled at me when I passed her, her coffee, then held my hand as Darren and I continued to chat.

After breakfast, Amy and I helped Darren clean up, and then I went upstairs and stripped the bed putting the sheets in the machine before remaking the bed. 

I found Amy downstairs putting away dishes and talking with Toni, who had arrived back from the farmers' markets not long ago.

I loaded up the last couple of bags, my pillow and the four of us spent the next half hour saying goodbye.

I handed Darren an envelope, and when he looked at me, I told him it wasn’t cash, just a thank you. 

Darren made Amy promise to keep me on the straight and narrow for my training, as he had been working me towards a big fight.  My biggest fight, truth be told.

She had a gleam in her eye as she told him she would ride me had day and night, and all of us laughed.

With our final farewells, both Amy and I climbed into my car, fired up the engine and got on the road.

My Toyota Camry was not the most stunning car on the road.  In fact, if you looked at it, you would think I was entering my sixties.  It just had that kind of vibe.  But I bought it for a run-around simply because it was reliable.  The jokes about pouring sand in the gas tank, then submerging the car underwater for a year, and then just going for a drive were almost true.

Sure, the car didn’t have the luxuries like Satnav, Bluetooth for Spotify, but it was economical, I’d never had a mechanical problem with it, and I also didn’t mind if it had a little dent here and there.

As we got out onto the highway, Amy found a rock station that we both liked, so we spent almost an hour singing rock ballads, ’80s classics, and just having a good time.  We talked about construction along the road and how the government was always doing something, though most of the time no one knew why.  We were not picking on any particular political party; they were all as bad as one another. But it kept us talking.

That got us onto the topics of religion and politics. I discovered, surprisingly, that Amy was a little more right-leaning than I was, though we both saw ourselves as middle-of-the-road in our views.  When it came to religion, we were also on the same wavelength.  Neither of us had grown up around a church or any other religious stronghold.  But neither were we so inflexible as not to believe there could be something there; we didn’t know what or who, and agreed we were open to things.

I had always known that Amy was clever, but as we drove, she showed me insights into things I hadn't considered. In some ways, it was like she was a walking calculator, instantly assessing various fuel prices against the various fuel station brands we followed. It explained a lot about multiple cars and transport logistics that I never knew, as large B-Double semi-trucks drove by us.

I also liked that as we drove, her hand would often brush my thigh, and then she would give me a little coy smile when I glanced at her.

In terms of distance, Amy told me we had a little under three hours of driving if the conditions were good.  I had lived on the southern end of the Gold Coast most of my life, which was around 90 Minutes from Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland. That we were around three hours away meant that Amy lived somewhere on the Sunshine Coast or its surrounding hinterlands.

Once we got up past a town called Caboolture, the town where Keith Urban grew up. The highway opened up, and I noticed that Amy started fidgeting a lot more.  She was stealing more and more glances out the windows at the Pine Forests that ran for kilometres on end along the highway.

I didn’t say anything for a while, letting her sort through whatever was happening as we passed the Caloundra exit. Then, suddenly, as we came up to Caloundra,  Amy told me to take the next exit for the Banana Bender Pub. 

She pointed me to the fuel station, and as I got out to refuel, Amy had the most serious expression I had ever seen on her face.

“Robbie,” she began as she shouldered her backpack.  “Once you have topped off the tank.  Can you meet me on the second level?” she told me, pointing to the pub just up the hill.

I nodded, and if she noted the concern on my face, she didn’t say anything. She again made sure I knew where to meet her and then walked up the hill, leaving me with some serious concerns.

While paying the attendant and then moving the car up the hill to park outside the pub, I took stock of things.

Here I was, ‘running away’, with the little sister of my ex-wife to get away from my family.  I had been hiding out with my Muay Thai instructor for almost a year, while Georgia had another man’s child, and my family betrayed me.

And if I were honest, I was falling pretty hard for Amy.  I mean, in the past couple of weeks, she had brought nothing but joy into my life, after our dates and how hot and heavy we got into things last night. Her going stone cold on me all of a sudden had me worried.

I knew she wanted to be with me; there was no way you could fake that reaction.  Did she have some big, nasty secret that I wouldn’t like?  As I locked the car, I let my suspicions fall away, as I wouldn’t know till we talked.

I looked up at the pub. It was an odd construction, with walls that bulged outwards, sloped roofs and odd-shaped windows.  It was built to be like an old Australian Cartoon, even had the same name as it for a while, but licensing the name became an issue.  So the owner renamed it the Banana Bender.

Inside it was a typical Aussie pub with a bar, food and drink, and usually one or two old guys sitting and watching sport or placing bets on the horses.

I climbed the stairs to the second floor, and Amy was sitting in the corner away from the few people enjoying a late lunch before they got back on the highway to wherever they were going.

Sitting in front of her was an iced tea that she liked, and there was also a sports drink for me.  As I sat, she fiddled with her backpack like she was about to grab it and run.

I waited.

For a few moments, she looked out the window and then back at me, her face stoic.

“Robbie,” Amy said, and she reached a hand out to cover mine.  “I hope you know how much it means to me that you're doing this, taking the chance and coming with me.”

I nodded, but said nothing, also putting my business face on.  She gave me a tight smile that shone from her eyes, but her nerves played at her lips.

“This last month, our dates, have been straight out of my greatest fantasies.”

I nodded, “I sense a but?” I told her, not having much idea of where this was going.

She bit her lip, a telltale sign that she was nervous, and unzipped her backpack.  From it, she pulled out a mania folder that was thick with documents and placed them on the table between us.

I looked at her and the documents.  Amy gave me a nervous laugh.

“There is a but,” she told me, almost shaking with nerves. “But…” Amy stopped then laughed quite dryly. “It's also not likely any of the scenarios that are going through your head right now.”

“Scenarios are going through my head? “I asked her, raising an eyebrow.  She nodded slowly.

“Bad ones too, I expect.  Georgia and your family did some serious mind-fucking with you, Robbie. I can only guess at some of the things you're thinking right now.”

“Amy, you’re right, it’s just…”

She shook her head.

“I get it, and for the last hour I have been trying to figure out the right way to get through this conversation,” she said while looking at me and then looking away.  “This is most likely one of the most important moments of my life.”

“You’re not really a man, are you?” I said, trying to break the tension.

She barked a laugh, “No, not a man. And this is very different from anything you might be thinking. However, before we go through what I am about to show you, I also need to let you know that what I am going to tell you is protected in several different ways.”

“You’re a spy?” I asked.

She laughed again, but got serious.

“No, but there is security involved, and if we proceed, then what you are going to learn are things that very few people outside of certain circles know.  Even my parents and Ruth…” she didn’t need to tell me Georgia. “None of them know.”

I looked at the woman that I spent the night with and now thought of as my girlfriend.  With a look, I nodded, and she pushed the folder across the table and asked me to take some time to read it.

While I read, Amy looked at her phone, which she had only checked to tell the time during the trip.

She also looked at me every few moments.

The documents themselves were pretty detailed.  They were a series of legal disclaimers, privacy statements, non-disclosure agreements and signing schedules that told me there was a lot of money tied up in this.  The documents were similar to many privacy agreements I had signed for Total Build over the years, so I knew that I could be in quite a bit of legal trouble if I said the wrong thing to the wrong people.

I knew the wrong people were family, specifically my family and with whatever these documents were protecting, there wasn’t a hope in hell that I would let them know.

It took me about fifteen minutes, and I had to read a couple of sections twice to ensure I understood the material.  When I put the folder down, Amy was holding out an arm with a pen in her hand.

“Do you trust me?” she asked nervously.

I had known this woman since she was a girl of fifteen, fighting teenage acne and the desire to grow boobs like her older sisters.  Back then, she was as skinny as a rake and flat as a board.  However, one thing that has remained the same from then until now is that Amy was always a straight shooter.

I looked into her pale blue eyes framed by very dark, almost black hair with flecks of brown through it.  I could see that she had a pretty good business face; it would take a lot to rattle her, and even more to get her to quit.

I knew that from seeing her a few years ago.  One time, she wanted one of her girlfriends that she gamed with to go to ComiCon when it came to Queensland.  Amy had hounded the girl day and night until she put in a call to Georgia, who told her to just give in because Amy, while not needy, would not give up until her goal was met.

The girl and Amy went, from what I understand, they both still go together every couple of years.

I saw the same determination on the woman in front of me, holding the pen. But she was desperate for me to sign the documents; I knew she wanted me involved.

Amy hadn’t told me anything about the documents before we had left, but then again, neither had she waited until we were at wherever it was she was taking me. 

I picked the pen from her hands and began signing the documents.

There was nothing in the documents saying that I needed to donate blood, semen, an arm or a body part.  I wasn’t going to give my life in eternal servitude to some dark entity.  It was a business document, and while more detailed than most, I had no issues signing it.

As I moved onto the final document, I briefly looked at Amy and could see the relief on her face. I thought back to last night and the caresses that we had shared, and I didn’t think Amy would betray me like Georgia had.  Looking back on things, there has always been something about Georgia. Sure, she loved me in her way, but there was always an aloofness, and I now wondered how long she had actually been cheating on me.  Was my brother the only one?  Georgia had always held something back, whereas in Amy, I could see that every emotion was written on her face; she was all in.

I finished signing and handed her back the pen and the documents. Amy pulled a second folder out and gave me a copy of my signed records. She then put the signed documents back into the backpack. Then leaned on the table, grabbing one of my hands between hers and smiled

“I love you, Robbie Other,” she told me with unfettered emotion. “I hope you know that.”

I laughed, “Amy, I just signed some privacy and nondisclosure agreements.  I’m not agreeing to marry you.”

For a moment, I stopped, realising what I just said, but Amy had a big grin on her face. She picked up her drink and casually took a sip.

“Yet,” she spoke softly into the lemonade.

“What was that?” I asked, giving her a double take.

“You haven’t agreed to marry me… yet,” she told me, her eyes boring into mine as she affected a coy smile.

It took a second, but I burst out laughing and Amy joined me.

“Well,” I told her a moment later. “The day is still young.”

We spent the next few minutes joking about dating, marriage, kids, and a house with a white picket fence, and I could feel myself relaxing.  Amy was having fun with it, and I knew she was trying to distract herself before moving on to a serious conversation that I knew was covered by the documents I had just signed.

With a purposeful flair, Amy finished her drink and placed her hands on the table.

“Robbie, I just want to thank you for signing those documents.  After everything that your family has put you through, you had enough trust in me to sign documents that cover things that you know nothing about.”

I crossed my arms and nodded; the floor was hers.

Amy looked around a moment, and I noticed that she took notice of the other people sitting on this floor, she looked at the security cameras, and she even tilted her head to the side, listening to the background music.

“So let's start at the beginning,” she told me. “I need you to understand why we had to do this, why these documents are important.”

I nodded, “Of course.”

“Do you recall when we met? I was a bit of a nerd, right?”

I laughed, “Amy, without insulting you, you were a mega nerd.  You were doing things with computers and the internet that I never got, and I am in no way incompetent when it comes to technology.”

Amy smiled at me, reached over and extended her hand to me.  I put my hand in hers, and she bent over and kissed it.

“No, you are pretty clued in for a non-IT person.  You know spreadsheets, cloud tech like Microsoft.  I think you may know a little bit about the relationships between Web3 and the blockchain.”

I nodded and squeezed her hand before she let go and pulled out her phone.  She opened an app and a moment later briefly turned to show me the screen, and what it showed me just about had my jaw hitting the floor.  A moment later, she closed her phone and put it away.

“And you’re right, Robbie.  I was a huge nerd back then.  I would rather have been holed up in my room writing code, playing games, watching Twitch, than being outside.

“Well, that is, except when my half-sister brought her cute boyfriend around…”

She blushed, and then we both laughed a little nervously. Amy from the admissions, Me, from still trying to digest what she just showed me. 

I did recall that Amy would always sneak into the room when Georgia and I were at their parents' place.  I didn’t mind; at that time, I was totally besotted with Georgia, and while Amy was cute and I admired the crush, nothing ever would have happened back then.

“In many ways, I am still that mega-nerd,” she admitted. “I still spend too many hours in front of my computers.  I’m always connected in some way, and I have to force myself to go outside.”

She then tapped her pocket that held her phone.

“But one of the things I was doing back then was playing with Blockchain technology and Crypto-currency when it was nothing but an idle curiosity.   I got into Bitcoin when it was in its infancy, I got into Bitcoin mining, and I did well.”

Looking at the shadow of her phone in her pocket, I thought of the contents of the app that she just showed me. the numbers it showed.  This time, it was Amy’s turn to nod.

“In what we call the retail market for crypto, that is, the non-banking and mega investment communities, there are three types of people.  First, you have the influencers, they have made decent coin.  They're either wealthy or well on their way, and they have a mission to tell people about their success and get them to follow the same actions.”

“The second are the retail investors, the regular people that have an investment portfolio and are looking to diversify from the regular stock market or have a little bit of money to invest and like the crypto market.”

I nodded, “That’s me, I’ve got a little money in BitCon, Etherium, Sollana, XRP and XLM.”

Amy beamed proudly at me.

“That’s it, babe,” she said, then blushed, using the term of endearment. “And you have done pretty well, your main wallet is secure and correctly positioned for the upcoming bull run.”

I tilted my head and raised an eyebrow. Amy smirked.

“One thing about crypto and digital assets is that everyone’s ‘wallet’ is what we call ‘on-chain’; if you know what you're doing, you can find out the value of the coin in anyone’s wallet.  You just need to know what you're looking for.”

I nodded, then again looked at the outline of her phone.

“So,” she said, bringing us back to her story. “I’m a nerd, mining Bitcoins when they were almost nothing.  I literally had thousands of them when the price started rising...”

“I take it that means you're in the third group?” I asked her.

“Yes,” she admitted. “I made a lot in the early days, and before I was even twenty years old, I was what we would call a Crypto Millionaire.”

Amy took in a breath and continued.

“There are fewer than two hundred and fifty of us around the world in what I would call the third group.  We are wealthy and, in many ways, possess generational wealth.  The entire economy could go belly up, and our asset bases would still have us fine, but you would never know that to look at us.”

“See, one of the benefits to being such a nerd was that I researched a lot.  Additionally, being somewhat introverted by nature, I tend to think things through before speaking.  When I made my first million, I almost went out and told everyone. I was so proud of myself, but when I joined a small group of my fellow crypto nerds, a couple of them convinced me to keep it quiet.

Instead, I divested a portion of my growing wealth into establishing an investment company. I found smart people in law, finance, operations, programming and created a company I call ALRO.  Once that was solid, I moved ninety per cent of my wealth into the company, and now I spend a large amount of my time as what you would call a venture capitalist.”

I blew out a breath. I was learning that this woman I had known as a teen was not only wealthy beyond what most of us could imagine, but she also spent her time investing in companies to generate more wealth.

“So you’re like Blackrock?” I asked, trying to show I knew at least a little about the industry, thanks to YouTube.

Amy smirked.

“In a way,” she admitted. “Blackrock is the ultimate investment firm, ALRO has nothing on them, and while our pockets are deep, we are a drop in the ocean compared to them.  But then again, while ALRO exists to make money, our primary purpose is to seek out interesting startups and invest in them to help them meet their own mission statements.”

I looked at the woman in front of me, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, wearing ratty sneakers and someone I knew preferred still over sparkling, and I was impressed.

“But it also means I have to travel a lot,” Amy admitted. “I fulfil the role of managing director in ARLO.  I own just over 75% of the organisation, with the remainder held in funds from other investors and a staff trust. I also have a C-Level team, including CEO, CFO, CTO and COO, that handles most of the operational work.  I spend time reading and meeting with various firms, assessing them and determining how ALRO can help them reach the next stage of revenue generation.

“In the last year, we’ve managed to put together some great deals in the US, so I’ve had to spend quite a bit of time over there with my team.  That’s why I wasn’t here when everything went to shit.”

Glancing around the room, no one was paying us any attention.  And I used the time to strengthen a few thoughts together.

“Okay,” I told her. “So if I have this right, my new girlfriend is not only well off, but likely is in the top fifty rich people in Australia, the real rich, not the Forbes rich list.”

Amy nodded tentatively.

“You were smart, invested wisely, and have turned a good amount of money into a set of generational wealth.  You have a company called ‘ALRO’ which is like a minute version of BlackRock.  You travel, and then to top it all off, you are bringing me into all of this because you're madly in love with me and want me to run away with you?”

Amy laughed and blushed.

“Despite it all, Robbie,” she told me. “I am just a girl who has had a crush on a boy from almost the moment I figured out I like boys.  When the boy I like became available on the market, I just thought I would take my shot at him.”

“What if I don’t want the money, I mean, root of all evil and all that stuff?” I asked her seriously.

Amy never even hesitated.

“Then tomorrow we figure out how much we need and I’ll figure out how to give the rest away,” she told me, looking directly into my eyes, letting me know she was serious. “I’m serious about you, Robbie.  To have money, yet have no opportunity to give you and me a chance.  I would miss it, but I believe that you will be more important to me than any amount of money.”

I think I was standing, the chair pushed backwards suddenly, and the sound of scratching caught her off guard. She started to question me, and I briefly shook my head.  She got the meaning and just sat, suddenly uncertain.

Turning, I walked to the door of the veranda on the second level we were sitting on, and I passed through the door and immediately leaned on the railing, making sure that Amy could see me.

I looked out over the car park and then out to the highway that was full of cars heading north to the Sunshine Coast or south back towards Brisbane, the direction by which Amy and I had travelled.  Looking down, I saw the roof of my old Carolla and thought of the trip we had just shared together and the information she had just dropped on me.

Was I interested in Amy? Absolutely.

Motivated?  Yep – She knew what she wanted and went after it.

Rich? From what she had shown me, her great-grandkids would never have to work a day in their lives, and they could live in the lap of luxury.

Good looking?  I had always thought Amy was cute, even when I had eyes only for Georgia. In a lot of ways, Amy’s curves were even more alluring than what I once desired in Georgia’s figure.

She wanted me… Motivated, rich, and good-looking.  Amy could have almost any man that she wanted, and most likely a few that were not on the market.  She could be together with another millionaire, a wealthy playboy, or another nerd crypto guy.  But, by her own admission, I was the one she wanted, her first crush. I could see the conviction; she would walk away from it all just for me. She wanted me.

I turned and leaned on the railing, looking back at Amy. I could see uncertainty playing across her face, and there was a vulnerability evident that I don’t think many people ever got to see.  Our eyes met, and I indicated for her to join me.  As she approached me, I opened my arms, and she melted into me as I felt her let out a shuddering breath.

“Are you okay, Robbie?” she asked me.

I smiled, tilted my head, and drew her into a soft kiss.  I luxuriated in the tenderness and the feeling of her lips on mine, and I felt her lean into the kiss more.  It wasn’t a long kiss, but its meaning held even more promise than our intimate embrace last night.

When I looked into her eyes, she was searching my face as much as I was searching hers. But the hesitation and concern that she had moments ago were gone.

I led her back to the table, and we sat down.

“Sorry,” I told her. “It was a lot to process, and I just needed a few moments to find my bearings.  It’s been an adjustment to agree that we could have a future when not twelve months ago, I was happily married to your sister.  To now understand that you have money, this company… ALRO?”

She nodded.

“It’s mind-numbing.  So with me running away with you, did you want me to come work for you?”

Amy thought for a moment. Then shook her head.

“No. Don’t get me wrong, Robbie.  You are very clever and have a head for organisation and project management. But ALRO has a way of doing things that is fairly mature, and I have the right people in the right places.”

“Well then, am I your trophy husband?” I asked playfully.

She laughed and placed a hand on my arm, then batted her eyelids at me.  “Would that be so bad?”

Before I could snort a reply, she took the hand away.

“No, you are not, nor will you ever be a trophy,” she stated. “I know, given time you will find the right thing, you're not the type of guy to stay down for too long, and quite frankly, I was surprised you haven’t picked up something yet.”

I shrugged. “It’s been a journey; if I hadn’t been fighting and training with Darren so much, then I would likely have just gotten a job.”

She picked up her backpack.

“Let's head back to the car, I’ll direct you home, and we can keep talking.”

Once we got back on the road, Amy told me about some of her clients.  She told me how she had staff in several countries, including the US, Europe, Israel and Africa, in addition to Australia and New Zealand.

She explained that she doesn’t take a wage; her pay from ALRO is in terms of ten per cent of the quarterly profits.  With that alone, she makes more in a quarter than I did in my best year at Total Build. 

“What do you do with it all?” I asked as she directed me along the Sunshine Coast motorway, continuing northward.

“While I do have a few expenses, I don’t need lots, so most of it goes back into my personal investment portfolio.  I also give a lot away to various charities and not-for-profits that I believe help our communities.”

I nodded.

“So this is why all the legal documents,” Amy told me as we passed the Maroochydore exit and continued up the David Low Way, passing beautiful beaches and the gorgeous Maroochy River. “Everyone who does business with ALRO has to sign these documents, and there are huge penalties involved for people who violate the agreements.  Most big investment firms have something similar, however, as I am relatively young, my legal team wanted to protect me while ALRO established itself.  Believe it or not, I signed the same documents that you just did.”

“What about your parents?” I asked as she continued to point that way as I drove.

“I’ve almost told them a number of times,” she admitted. “Last year, when they were doing it hard when Dad got laid off, I arranged a job for him through a contact with a signing bonus that I paid for. I almost told them then.”

“Gold diggers?” I asked.

“Not Mum and Dad, no,” she admitted, shaking her head.  “I don’t think Dad’s pride would allow him to accept anything without him doing something to earn it. 

“But Mum and Dad come from an older school way of thinking and despite the legal protections, I believe they would let slip the wrong thing to someone in pride of what I have done.”

I nodded, I could see that.  Peter loved all three of his daughters, but Amy was his only biological child, and he took particular pride in her accomplishments, surpassing those of Ruth and Georgia. 

“I have a plan over the next five years to introduce them to ALRO slowly, and what I do.  But by that stage, I’ll be older and more established, the publicity will be that of a mature director, not a young, wet behind the ears girl.”

I snorted.

“Amy, I don’t think anyone who has spent five minutes with you would think that.”

She placed a hand on my left arm as I drove.

“Thanks, Robbie,” she told me. “But it's more about the critics that have never met me.  Right now, though, everyone thinks I work for some important firm up here on the coast, not own it. It's easier to avoid unwanted attention.”

I glanced at her briefly, and she flashed me a smile. My girlfriend was articulate, a woman of means and had a plan.

“So what now then?” I asked

“Well,” she said. “I am thinking I take you home, love you, and we live happily ever after.”

At that, we both laughed and got off the more serious topics and moved into more fun and flirty conversations.

[:::: End of Chapter 12 ::::]

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