The Reunion (7 page)

"I wasn't drinking you idiot."  Em held up her coffee cup.  "Hold the table we'll be right back."

"NO FAIR."  Ty was having problems with his feet.  "TONI?"

"I could always drink you whimps under the table."  Toni kept her glass full of ice and drank less than half the quantity they had.  She smiled at Ty.  "Have a seat handsome I'll be back for you.  Come show me your suite Charles."  She led him out of the hotel.  After several fits and starts she finally knocked on the door and Marshall opened it.  He saw Toni trying to balance Brockton against the door jam.  "He almost didn't make it.  Can I leave him with you?"

"Sure.  You coming back?"

"No but I appreciate it, sweetie."  Toni kissed Marshall, patted his cheek and left.

"She's wonderful Marshall.  Did you see her eyes?  They're the prettiest amber eye's I've ever seen."

"Yes sir, they are."  He dragged/carried Brockton to his room and dumped him on the bed.  After they removed his shoes and pulled his jacket over his head. 

"And those legs.  How can she walk in those heels?  She has terrific legs."

"Yes she does.  I think I'll marry her." Marshall joked.  Shaw stood in the doorway dumbfounded.  He guessed those people knew how to party.

"Me too."  Brockton tried getting his shirt off but just passed out.

"Here you go Ty."  Toni and Em dragged Ty into his suite.  The suite was at least five times larger than her room was.  It was in fact larger than the apartment she lived in before moving into one of the family's houses in Irvine.  The suite had two bedrooms, full kitchen with breakfast nook, a living room with a view of the strip.  Entertainment center, living room, and two bathrooms to die for.  The one next to the entry had a five-foot square glass shower with corner sprays, two showerheads and a raised seat inside.  The master suite's bath had a sunken tub, more extravagant shower including misters and steam room.  Both bathrooms had the toilet and sink sectioned off in a w/c [water closet].  There were walk in closets, two sofas and chairs with ottomans.  Top drawer, it was awesome.

"He's got all this to himself?"  Toni took Ty's weight and tried leaning him against the wall at the entry.

"Made his own arrangements, I guess."  Em told her.  "...said he comes here a lot."

"Shit we could house half of us here and he'd never even notice."  Toni looked around in awe.

"Want to dump him in my room and take the suite?" Toni recognized that look that was in Em's eyes.

"Damn right!"  Toni laughed. They turned and dragged Ty back to the elevator and down two floors to Em's room.  "Get him in bed and I'll meet you back there in 10 minutes."

"Sure."  Em got the door open and found Mike on the bed watching TV.  "Mike.  Help me out here."

"What's he doing here?"

"We're switching rooms.  Take our stuff up to 1741."  She looked at the card.  "Two floors up and three to the right of the elevators."

"Does he know we're switching rooms?"

"No."

"Cool."  Mike had their stuff out of the room in three minutes. 

"Ty, baby."  Em got his shoes and socks off and was trying to pull his shirt over his head when he fell sideways against the pillows.  She had to unbutton the shirt to get it off and she threw the bed spread over him and kissed his cheek.  "g'night baby."

"Night mom."  He whispered.  Em turned off the lights and left. 

Three hours later when Ty tried to find the light switch.  He hit his knee on the nightstand and tripped over his shoes falling onto his clothes on the second bed.  He immediately realized he'd been dumped in someone else's room but wasn't sure whose.  He was disoriented and, at least, was in bed alone.  His mouth tasted like the floor of an East Coast taxi and head was pounding like the drum solo in In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.  He stripped and stepped into the shower and let the water pound his body for 15 minutes before moving.  He stepped out and wrapped a towel around his waist. 

He saw Mike's baseball cap on the bathroom counter.  Em!  He dressed, found his reservation receipt from check in and decided to spin a tale.  He found the security guy and showed him the paperwork and said he went for something to eat and got locked out.  He was let into his suite and went to the first bedroom and found Mike asleep with a game controller still in his hands.  He looked just like a kid when he was asleep. It was hard to remember he was 12 most of the time.  The kid was so mature, compared to his mother.  His mother was dead though.  He'd have to make sure Mike went to a good home, maybe even adopt him himself.  He went into his bedroom and found Toni in the middle of the king-sized bed with the sheet barely covering her nude body.  All 5'7 130 pounds of amber eyes, beautiful olive skin, firm muscles and gorgeous long straight dark brown hair.  She'd be next.  What a waste though.  Where was Em?  He went back out and found her curled up on the window seat wrapped in a blanket. 

His plan was simple.  He removed their luggage and effects.  He filled the tub with cold water and bubbles.  He made sure the TV was on where Mike was and closed the door.  He took a number of pictures of Em and Toni making sure nothing was peaking.  He then carried Em in the blanket and dumped her into the tub.  The scream should have broken every window in the pyramid.  Toni jumped up grabbing the only thing available, the bed sheet, and ran into the bathroom.  Ty snapped pictures of her in the doorway and Em standing in the tub partially covered in a wet blanket and bubbles looking furious.  Mike stumbled in a minute later looked around said morning to Ty and went back to bed.  The profanities hadn't stopped streaming from Em's blue lips when Ty went to the living room and hit send.  She was trembling with rage and cold.  She got a towel and went into the shower to warm up.

"You two should sleep in PJs if you're going to be pulling this kind of shit."  Ty had ordered breakfast for all of them.

"Ty. Where are our suitcases?"  Cooed Toni.

"In your rooms."  He smiled.

"Our rooms?"  Toni said slowly and started laughing.  She pulled on one of Ty's shirts and dropped the sheet.

"That isn't much better, sweetheart."  Ty kissed her and handed her a coffee, with cream no sugar.  There was a knock on the door and he answered it.  Tommy stumbled in holding his head and still in the clothes from the previous night.

"You got both of them?"  Tommy was seeing double and grabbed the closest cup of coffee.  He almost knocked it off the tray before downing his first dose of caffeine.  "You know I have to kill you since Toni's my sister."

"Take a number."  Em came out wrapped in courtesy robe drying her hair with the towel.  "It's going to look like a suicide, jumped from the roof."

"It's a pyramid, I'd slide down the side."

"Shit I forgot.  Where's the hotel with the roller coaster on the roof?"  They were all laughing.

"YOU got more pictures naturally."

"Of course."  Ty pulled out his cell and showed Tommy the series.  Em was making a grab for the phone and he was keeping it just out of her reach by holding her tight against his side.

"Dropped her in a tub of cold water."  Toni put her arm around Ty.  "You realize it was my idea to dump you in her room.  You got the wrong one."

"No honey, you've never been that crafty.  This is
Emily
three hundred percent."  He kissed Em before releasing her.  "Morning Em."

"You're a dead man Ty."  Em was still shivering.  There was another knock at the door.  Ryan stumbled in with Josh and Carole at his heels.

"Got your message dude."  Ryan poured coffee for the three of them and indicated the pot was almost empty.  Ty dialed room service again and ordered two more pots.

"Good one Em."  Josh kissed his sister's forehead and sat down with his coffee.  "Did everyone get it?"

"Just the one's I had in my address book.  Not everyone's got picture cells or computer access.  We'll have copies printed up for the brunch."

"I helped."

"Forget it Toni.  You're beautiful no matter what you're wearing and having you naked in my bedroom was more than I could stand."

"Tommy, you and Pete have to kill this guy, he's messing with your baby sister."  Ryan was starting to feel human, he'd done a bit of partying the night before with some of the Texas cousins and hoped he looked better than Tommy.

"He's been notified.  Is anyone eating that bread thing whatever it is?"  Tommy's senses were coming together, finally.  He grabbed a plate and cut off a slice of cinnamon apple something that was steaming hot.

"So where's Mike?"

"Right here."  He yawned from the doorway.  "I'm kicking ass on Vegas Strip.  Anyone want to play?"

"Sure.  You have another controller?" Tommy grabbed his bread and coffee.  He jumped over the back of the sofa and went to the first bedroom.

"What happened to the Vegas catch line that what happens here stays here?  Where are our clothes?"  Em had missed that part. 

"Your rooms."  Ty smiled at her.  "And that's never applied to this family."

"I'm down two floors. I don't have my key!  How the hell am I supposed to meet the aunts at brunch naked?"

"They'll be so many people there they'll never notice."  Ty handed Em a cup of coffee black, no cream no sugar.  She sat down on the coffee table and started drinking her coffee.

"Mike, baby, toss me your shorts and T-shirt."

"I didn't think of that."  Ty smiled.  "You do Mike and your clothes will end up in the pool." 

"Sorry Mom."  Mike yelled from the other room.

"That's ok baby.  I'll take it out on you once I have you home."  There was another knock on the door and Marshall and Cummins walked in.

"Is this for real?"  He saw Toni dressed in a shirt and Em in a bathrobe.

"Afraid so.  And when did you two get added to his address book?  Shit Ty!"  Em drank her coffee.  "Your second key is still in your wallet.  There was no reason for you to lock
our
keys in
our
rooms."  He pulled his wallet out.  All the money was there and the second key card.

"Oops."  He didn't look the least bit sorry. 

"No remorse in this group."  Carole said with her mouth full of baked apple pancake dripping in apple and cinnamon.

"I'll give you my clothes if we can have another picture of you in the bathtub."  Marshall joked.

"No deal."  Em stood up, handed her coffee cup to Ty, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and left the suite.

"I should have spotted the robe and hidden that too."  Ty smiled and added sugar to her coffee then finished it. 

Ryan followed her to the lobby on the main floor standing in the line at the check in area.  He snapped off a picture of her standing in the middle of the milling people in a bathrobe.  She looked like a smudge of white in a black and gray painting.  She was leaning on the counter and standing on her toes when Brockton spotted her.  He stood to one side watching it unfold. 

A security guard escorted her to her room.  She got to her purse, showed him her ID and room registration papers.  Ryan snapped off another picture of her standing in her robe handing her information to the uniformed guard.  He'd go back in Ty's suite and add his pictures to the collection.  Em looked up and saw Brockton leaning on the door jam watching her.

"Anything I can do for you Brockton?"  She snapped.

"No."  He smiled.  "Nothing whatsoever."  He walked inside and closed the door behind him.  "Interesting family you have there."

"Some are more interesting than others.  You haven't seen these guys in fourth gear yet."

"Can't wait."  He watched her get her clothes together.  "Can I buy you a coffee?"

"Sure give me five minutes."  She held up a keycard.  "We'll charge it to Ty's room."

"I had the thing not five minutes ago."  Ty checked his pants and wallet again.  "EMILY!"  He shouted.

"Poor loser."  Tommy said to Mike in the other room.  They were sitting on the floor leaning against the beds.  Their eyes never leaving the car chase portion of the game they were playing as they laughed.

"Who does he think taught me to lift keys?"  Mike and Tommy ate popcorn while playing the computer game.  "What time do we go to the brunch?"

"Two hours."

"Cool."

Toni kissed Ty and left the room.  "I think we're still close enough to the same size I'll borrow some jeans from Em."

"Tell her this isn't over!"  Ty laughed.

There was a knock and Brockton opened the door to Em's room.

"Well hello, handsome.  When did you arrive?"  Toni patted his cheek and waltzed in wearing a smile and obviously Ty's shirt as it was monstrously large on her.

"Couple minutes ago."  He closed the door and leaned on the wall.

"Fine thing.  She could use someone looking out for her at the moment."  She tapped on the bathroom door.  "Em.  I'm borrowing some jeans."  Toni signed for Brockton to turn around and went to the suitcase and pulled out some clothes.  "No peaking."  She laughed and tossed Ty's shirt over his head.  "Damn Em don't you have any smaller bras?"

"No."  She yelled from the bathroom.  The chill finally leaving her skin.  She'd never felt that cold even jumping in the ocean.  Ty must have put ice in the water.

"Where's your bathing suit?  Got it.  When did you start wearing bikinis again?"

"That's my first since I had Mike."

"You're joking."  Toni pulled the shirt off Brockton's head.  "Thanks love.  See you later."  She smiled, and kissed him on the cheek. "Em!  I'm heading for my room."

"Your key is on the night stand."

"He left it here?"

"No it was in his wallet with his."  Em came out of the bathroom dressed and looked at Toni in her clothes and sighed.  "I wish I filled those jeans out that well."

"You do fine."  Brockton smiled and the two women looked at him.

"Thank you."  Em pocketed two card keys; hers and Ty's.

"Twenty minutes later a bottle of Dom and his card key arrived with a note saying they were tied at two a piece.  Game over."  Bea informed her sisters.

"And the Rizzolis and O'Bryans haven't jumped in yet?"  Hanna asked.

"Not yet."  Bea liked nothing better than hearing her daughter had pulled one on Ty.  Hannah smiled.  Martha scowled.

"The last time they got these practical jokes escalating like this we ended up driving a couple of them to the emergency room."

"Scrapes and bruises, no permanent damage.  Hi Mom."  Ty kissed Martha. "Aunties."

"Tyler, I don't want you putting anyone in the hospital.  I want you to show some restraint."  Hannah scolded in her best teacher's voice.

"Too late.  Did you see the bathtub and lobby pictures?"  He pointed to a table with a cork board which displayed several pictures of people arriving, memorable shots from previous reunions, group shots as well as pictures of Em and Toni.

"I think you did a very nice job with Toni's you could tell she was naked but in only an evocative way."  Hannah sipped her tea.  "Printing them in black and white was a nice touch."

"The Rizzolis have a contract out on me."  Ty joked and kissed Hannah on the cheek.  "I've got a shipment of date rape drugs coming in and I should get some really graphic stuff for the Internet later."

"Don't even joke."  Bea slapped him in the arm.  "Don't you have boundaries or rules?"

"Yes we have boundaries."  He smiled charmingly.  "No rules and only our personal moral code of conduct."

"You have no morals."  Toni put her arm around his waist.  "Nice lighting darling. I like that they’re in black and white, makes it real artistic."  She looked up at him.  "You got Em's note?"

"And my key back."

"I got mine too." Toni smiled broadly.  Ty blushed slightly.

"I wasn't going to keep it."

"It just wouldn't have been in my room.  Naughty boy."  She kissed his cheek and wandered over to another group.  "Auntie Beatrice, Josh is looking for you."

"Where is he?"

"I saw them over by the desserts a few minutes ago.  Does anyone have a count yet?"

"We're pushing 350 I think I heard."  Lou was still scanning the faces throughout the room.  She couldn't be prouder of the way the "kids" had handled the reunion.  They'd hired a photographer who was taking individual pictures as well as family group shots for the reunion yearbook.  Everything was beautifully done.

"That's more than the Fort Worth one in 1994.  This is wonderful."  Aunt Louise observed as she joined their conversation.  She was the oldest of the four remaining sisters.

"Aunt Lou."  Ty hugged his aunt.  "I didn't see you at the casino last night."

"I was downtown watching that Laser show."

"Ah, we have to do that too."  Bea smiled.  "I've been to six shows so far."

"Whose ahead of you?"  This was yet another competition.  Bea didn't gamble and kept score of the number of shows she went to.  She'd also keep track of who else was going to shows.

"Sarah.  She's ahead by one.  She's counting the piano player with the singer at the Aladdin."

"It counts." 

"Poor Parker looks so overwhelmed.  He was at the funeral and thought it would be only a hundred or so."

"Stacy caught herself a good one there.  He's charming."

The four sisters didn't look much alike except they were close to the same height.  Right around five foot five.  Louise Mathers-Harris-Black-Adams was in the upper seventies and stood as straight as a pencil.  She'd outlived two husbands and was divorced once.  She had four children, eight stepchildren, twelve grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.  She looked elegant in her navy pantsuit and her red hair swept up in a smooth French bun. 

Her half-sister, Hannah Williams-Bradley-MacMillan was in her early seventies had a sea green tunic sweater over a flowery flowing skirt and her gray, brown hair in a single waist length braid down her back.  She was more ethereal. There had been a sister and brother between her and Louise.  They'd lost several in recent years.  She'd been blessed with seven children, raised an additional four stepchildren, had twenty grandchildren and ten great grandchildren. 

Beatrice Williams-Jameson-Peters was in her upper sixties was busty, blond and brilliant.  She'd had the two children, raised two steps and a niece, had only had the three grandchildren and two step-grandchildren, she was a late bloomer like her daughter.  She had worked in aerospace and the computerization of the military.  She wore a gray sweater and faded jeans over cowboy boots.  Her blond hair was peppered with white more than gray and was cut in a shoulder length version of her daughter's cut, kind of a gypsy-ish curly mess. 

Then little Martha Williams-LeBeau.  She was in her early sixties and had Tyler.  Her and Frank LeBeau had only been married two years when she had Tyler.  The same year Frank had been killed in a car accident.  She never remarried.  She found a nitch in music and after she stopped performing produced.  She'd done an amazing job as a producer and had only recently retired.  She was chic, sophisticated and polish.  Her hair was in a beautifully weaved brown and gold layered around a face several years younger than her chronological age.  She wore a designer suit of forest green that matched her eyes and cream silk blouse. 

Of their six brothers only one was still living and he was too ill to attend.  There had been fourteen of them between the two marriages their parents had.  Six were steps, and eight were halves.  CaroleJane Connally-Mathers-Williams had died in her early sixties.  Just plain worn out.  She looked older than any of her daughters by the time she was forty-five and stopped having children.  Bea was the spitting image of their mother in her twenties and didn't appear to have aged much past that.  Several of their mother's sisters' and brothers' children, grandchildren and great grandchildren were present.

"You heard Charles Brockton is here didn't you?”

"Really?"  Lou looked at Martha.

"Came in with Curtis and Ham."

"We were rivals in the hay day of Texas Oil."

"Interesting huh?"

"Grab Sarah, Monica and Ham and let's try and get to the du Soleil shows and the one with the tigers before we go back to the Excaliber." Bea suggested.  "I think we can get our count up before dinner."

"I heard you were minding Connor."  Martha stated.

"O'Bryan was never the drunk he pretends to be.  He wouldn't have those terrific kids if he was."  Bea defended.

"He's picking on Em again."  Lou sounded concerned.  She was such a worrier.

"She doesn't listen to him."

"He's being a
bastard
to Mike." Lou added heavy hinting.

"That's why I'm keeping him close."  Bea looked serious. "He still thinks Mike could be Ryan's."

"He's not Ryan's.  Everyone knows that."  Lou smiled.  "Maybe one of the reasons
our
Ryan never married though."  Lou believed all steps, halves and wholes were family.  Toni, Ryan and Stacy weren't technically related to them through blood but were steps by marriage, but they were family all the same.  Their brother took them along with all of Mae's kids and stepchildren.  Those kids were terrific.  Every single one of them.

"He'd
like
Mike to be Ryan's is more the issue."  Martha smiled.  "Mike is so charming and looks so much like you and Em."

"Em and Ryan weren't intimate."  Bea sighed in exasperation; she said the same thing a hundred times before.  "She's not saying and I've given up asking."

"Josh knows."  Hannah stated as if it were fact.

"I doubt it."  Bea decided to change the subject.  "I still can't believe Deidra fell for the old gigolo routine?"

They had gotten Brockton's attention when he entered and when he heard his name he couldn't resist.  There was a certain amount of respect and homage paid to the four ladies who stood to one side and appeared to be holding court.  They'd greeted almost everyone by name and seemed to be the matriarchal figures to this group.  Connally Chemical.  He'd never thought about it.  Em'd changed her name from Jameson to Connally before Mike was born.  He recognized Martha LeBeau from LB Records, a division of LB&R Enterprises.  Ty, Tyler…he was head of LB&R?  Brockton realized he'd never seen a picture or read an interview.  Ty looked nothing like he'd expect the majority stock holder and corporate head of a conglomerate like LB&R to look.  He stepped forward and approached the ladies.

"Mrs. LeBeau."  He shook her hand; they had met at previous business and philanthropic oriented affairs.  "I was looking for Em and thought I should introduce myself."  Hannah looked around guiltily.

"Martha, please.  Charles Brockton."  Martha smiled very much like her son.  "These are my sisters Louise, Hanna and Beatrice.  Welcome to the reunion."

"Quite something.  I'm sorry my project interfered."

"Not a worry, twenty or thirty either way wouldn't be noticed."  Louise joked.

“We’d hoped it would keep Em out of trouble.”  Bea added.

"We're just finishing and I needed Em and Ham for a few minutes."

"Last I saw Ham and Sarah were near salads and Em was hiding somewhere around the champagne fountain."  Bea stood on her toes and spotted her daughter.  "Yes there she is."  She placed a hand on his arm and pointed her out.

"Thank you.  I promise to return her."

"Thank you Mr. Brockton."

"Charles please."

"Charles."  Martha smiled and stated after he had walked way.  "He looks just like his mother."