The Brass Ring

"It's as good as done!"

"What else will you need?" Adele asked.

"You will be babysitting, Adele. Marie, I recall that you told me during our tour that you want four kids. That sounds like a good number to me."

"Will can call Bernie and I will need a ride to the bus depot on Sunday. Jane will have to make some wedding plans and Jim should help us get a house ready to live in if we need it. I have some money from my Dad's estate if we need it."

"Anything else?"

"That should do for starters. Marie, I think you need to do something now," Clark said.

"What's that?"

"You should call your parents."

"Oh, yeah!"

"Hi Mom. Put Dad on the other phone. I have some news."

"What is it? You sound excited and out of breath."

"Hello?" Jim said. "What's the news?"

"Clark is moving here and we are getting married and having four kids!"

"Wow!" Jim said "That's a lot of news in one sentence!"

"Terrific!" Jane added.

"I'll be home Sunday afternoon. Can we start making plans then, Mom?"

"Sure! Why Sunday?"

"I want to spend a lot of time with Clark this weekend. Dad, I remember how you chase Mom around the house sometimes?"

"Yes, I remember."

"Well I like it when Clark chases me."

"Honey, don't run away too fast or too long. It can cool me down when your mom does but she usually lets me catch her."

"That's why I want to be here until Sunday. I want Clark to catch me! We'll be taking him to the bus station then."

"Have fun, Honey!"

"Thanks Mom. Thanks Dad. I'll see you Sunday."

About eight that evening, they were all sitting on the sofa and making out. Clark and Marie had quite a few buttons undone.

Will said to Adele "It seems Clark and Marie are taking over the house. They seem to be telling us it is our bedtime."

He pretended to clear his throat. "Do you two want to be alone?"

Adele started to say something. "Shut up, both of you and yes we do!' Marie said. "I want to get dressed for bed. I'll let you know when I am ready, Honey."

She went into the bedroom and took off her clothes like they were on fire. She quickly put on her baby doll nightgown and called to Clark.

"I guess we have to go to bed now, Adele," Will said as he and Adele started off to their bedroom. "It is awful that we are being sent to bed so early in our own house! We'll just have to make the most of a bad situation."

Clark was right behind them and said "Shut up like Marie said!"

He got to his room. Marie stood there bathed in the light of four identical candles.

"You look beautiful!" He took her in his arms and gave her a deep meaningful kiss. The sat on the bed in unison. He lifted her nightie off. He began to pull at her panties and she laid on the bed and allowed him to slip them off. He leaned down and kissed her. They jointly took off his clothes. They laid down face to face and kissed and held each other close. They kissed, caressed and fondled until he eased himself on top of her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him. They unleashed their collective desire but wanted more. They held each other close and enjoyed the feel of their skins touching. He whispered "Do you know I really love you?"

"Yes. Tell me more."

"The time for talk is over. Let me show you." Their lips met and they pressed their bodies together again. Their breathing quickened and deepened. They felt the other's breath and heard their breathing. It served to deepen their passion. He rubbed her back and sides. His hands firmly rubbed her legs, stomach and breasts. He again was on top of her. Their love was reaffirmed slowly and firmly a second time.

They collapsed in each others arms. Clark said "Wow! If I had known it would be this good, I would have made a pass on the bus!"

"No you wouldn't but make another one now." They stopped when their satisfaction was complete.

They kissed and she said "Goodnight. I love you."

He whispered in her ear 'I love you' and kissed her on the side of the face.

The next morning, Marie awoke early needing to use the bathroom. She put her nightgown and robe on and sleepily wandered to the bathroom. On her way back to the bedroom, she noticed a light on in the kitchen. She looked in and saw Adele cooking breakfast.

"What are you doing up so early, Adele?"

"I always get up about this time. I like mornings."

"But it is Saturday and we were going to make it a casual day. Up when we wanted. Do whatever we wanted. No cares, no responsibilities."

"I Remember. It felt good to be awake so I decided to make breakfast for me and the rest of the Four Musketeers. Want some coffee?"

"Love it!"

"Sit down. Want anything else?"

"Those eggs look good."

"Here's a plate. You have to help yourself. I'm only the cook this morning not the waitress."

"My side hurts from laughing last night."

"Tell me more about you and Will and Clark"

"What do you want to know?"

"Anything about Clark that you think I need to know."

"More coffee?"

"Any way, Clark is a good guy who hasn't found someone who appreciates him for him. His girlfriends who I knew were interested in men who would become rich. Clark is devoted to his work and is happier than if he was doing something that paid a lot more. I have always known both of them to be gentle, loyal, faithful, and thoughtful. Like I said before, if you have a positive impression of Clark in any way, you're probably right. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for Will or Clark. I consider myself to be a very fortunate woman who has such a good man and friend as Will and Clark. If Will wasn't in the picture and I was available, I'd grab Clark without hesitation!"

"And I'd grab her back!" Clark said as he entered the kitchen.

"How much did you hear, Clark?" Adele insisted.

"Just the last sentence." He kissed Marie. "What sort of lies have you told this pretty lady about me?"

"All of them."

"Oh damn! I'll never recover from your falsehoods, Woman!" Clark took a bit of Marie's ham and eggs and said "I'm going back to bed. Don't wake me until Tuesday." He kissed Marie on the way back to bed and added "I love you."

"Marie, let's serve the guys breakfast in bed. I think they deserve it. Their silliness certainly entertained us last night."

"OK. Sounds like fun."

"Good morning, Honey," Marie said as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"What's so good about it?"

"It is our first morning together and we're with good friends."

"You may have a point."

"And I brought my husband-to-be breakfast."

He rolled over and sat up and took the plate and began eating. "Are you a morning person? One of those awful people who are bright and cheery in the morning?"

"Yes."

"Oh my God! I'm marrying a morning person! My life is over!"

She kissed him. "Good morning, Honey."

"I may be able to tolerate mornings waking up with you!"

"Yes and you will need to get up early to support me and our babies in luxury."

"You'll have to find another man for that!"

"OK. I'll have a husband and a boyfriend."

"Hold it! That's not allowed! You're in this for the duration. Your husband-to-be has spoken." He kissed her and said "I love you."

Clark finished his breakfast. "Thank you for breakfast. It was quite good."

"You should thank Adele too. She cooked it. They met Will and Adele in the kitchen. "Thanks for breakfast, Adele."

"What do you two want to do today?" Will asked.

Clark said "I'd like to have lunch at the restaurant I saw on Main Street."

"How about a matinee movie?" Marie suggested.

"Then we can show Marie around the town." Will said.

"We have a plan!" Adele summarized. Let's go!"

They had their day as planned. Clark and Will got separated from the ladies after the movie and lunch.

Clark bought a small multicolored bouquet of flowers for Marie. He held it behind his back when he saw the ladies approach.

They kissed and he brought the bouquet from behind his back. "Some pretty flowers for a pretty lady."

They held hands as they strolled along and looked in the store windows.

They leisurely passed their day.

They decided to order a pizza to be delivered. The bought a six pack of the beer they drank in college.

Clark was doing the few dishes from dinner and Adele was helping. They laughed about one of their college escapades. "What are you two doing in there?" Will called to them.

"I'm making mad passionate love to your woman!"

"No wonder she's laughing!" Will retorted.

"Remember, Clark, turnabout is fair play!"

Marie and Will made sounds like the were hot for each other.

"Kiss me, Will!" Marie called out.

"I WANT YOU!, Marie!" Will said.

Clark and Adele came out. They joined Marie and Will on the couch.

Clark picked up a square throw pillow by the corner and pointed it at Will. "You, Sir, are a fiend! I will defend the honor of this fair maiden if it takes every pillow in the land!"

"Marie joined in "Why, Sir Clark, I shall marry you! You have saved my honor and me from this fiend!" Marie was indeed the fourth Musketeer. She fit in very well with them and she and Adele were beginning to talk with each other like good friends.

"Clark, do you remember when we three sat up all night and drank boilermakers?"

"YES! My head still hurts!"

"You don't still drink that much, do you?" Marie uneasily asked.

"No. We only did it because we were away from our parents. None of us has any deep need of heavy drinking. Nothing to worry about," Adele calmly said.

"Good! I can't have my husband drinking when he is supposed to be supporting me and our babies in luxury. How well did you all do in school? What were your GPA's?"

Will started, "Miss Smarty pants here had a 3.36, I had a 3.35 and dummy over there had a 3.33."

Marie started laughing heartily. "What is it, Marie?" "Adele, you said I fit in with this crowd. I think I do fit in. My GPA was 3.34!"

"Marie, you are very welcome and very much a part of us," Adele said.

The four of them took Clark to the bus depot the next day. They arrived early and talked over Clark's tasks he needed to do in California. The bus departed and once Clark was settled into his seat, he took out his book. He finished it easily before the bus left Iowa. He took out his notepad and started to think about the things that needed to be done in California. Besides the list of tasks he already made, he decided to talk to Pete, his mechanic and find a jewelry store to buy a ring for Marie.

The ride seemed longer than the ride to Iowa without his former traveling companion. At times it seemed interminable. He wondered if his impatience with the

He had a layover in Denver in the evening and used the time to buy another book and call Marie.

"Hi, Pretty Lady."

"Hi, Honey! How are you?"

"Good except I miss my favorite traveling companion."

"I would be missing you too except I'm excited and busy with our wedding plans. Mom and I have started to plan it. Two of their friends have offered us their cabin for our honeymoon. It's near a lake and there's boating, swimming and fishing.

"Sounds great! I'll bring my fishing poles and we can try our luck. Some of the best times with my dad were our fishing trips."

"I went fishing a few times with my dad too. That sounds like fun."

"It's a date then. Honey, I've been thinking about a few things and I want to talk to you about them. I have some oak bedroom furniture that belonged to my parents I'd like to bring. It needs some minor repair and a refinishing. If you don't like it, we can give it away. I'll take some pictures of it and send them to you when I get there."

"That sounds fine. I think we can use the furniture somehow. It sounds like it has some sentimental value for you."

"Yes. It does. And what kind of ring do you want?"

"I want a huge diamond bigger than the Hope diamond! But if you can't find one anything you pick out will be fine. My mom is giving me her mother's ring too. It's a small sapphire ring."

"I'm thinking of having something made. Sam has said Irene has jewelry made from time to time and I'll ask her about a jeweler."

"That sounds fine. As long as it is from you, Honey, it will be fine."

"Oh, One other thing, Marie. Will you grant your future husband a small fantasy?"

"Yes. What is it?"

"At some time during our honeymoon, will you wear the sweater you wore on the bus?"

"Yes of course. May I ask why?"

"So I can slowly take it off you!"

"I see. Your wish will be granted, Husband-to-be. That sounds like a good idea to me too. Mom and Dad say hello. Call soon and let me know how things are going."

After what seemed like an eternity on the bus, Clark finally arrived home. Sam and Irene were there to meet him. After their greetings, Clark asked Irene the name of her jeweler.

"We can stop there on the way to your apartment. It's only a few blocks from here," Sam said.

"I will need to get to my apartment first. I have a stone there I want used for Marie's ring."

When they got to his apartment, he tossed his things inside and got the stone.

They all went in the jeweler's shop and Clark explained what he wanted. "I want to look for a setting and I want this stone used in it."

"Where did you get that?" Sam asked.

"I found it on one of our digs, Sam. I kept it because it is red and that is unusual for California chert."

Clark finally found a cameo style setting he liked and asked for earrings, and a pendant and rings for him and Marie. Satisfied with the arrangement, Clark asked when they would be ready.

Irene interjected "Tony, as a favor to me, can you have them ready by Saturday?"

"I'm sure I can. Come back anytime Saturday, Clark," Tony said "Call Friday about 11 AM. I might have them ready then. Here's my card."

"Great! I want to get back to Iowa as soon as I can."

They took Clark back to his apartment and he immediately went to see Pete, his auto mechanic. He told Pete of his plans.

"Pete, I'm going to drive back to Iowa and I want you to fix this wreck so it will make it there."

"Pete frowned and said "I've told you before to get something in better shape. This car probably won't make it there. If it does, you will have to replace it soon anyway."

"I see. Can you tell me where can I get a solid used car?"

"Yes. In fact I'll call him now for you. Can you come back in an hour?"

"Yes. How about lunch on me today, Pete? I'll get it while you are on the phone."

"Great!" Go to the diner and ask Rose for my usual."

Clark returned in about 20 minutes with their lunches. Pete had some good news.

"Clark, I called Ralph about something for you. He says he has a small pickup with a camper shell he just got As a wedding gift to you I made him promise to give you his best price. He's expecting you this afternoon. The truck should fit the bill for you."

After lunch, Clark said goodbye to Pete and told him he would have Marie send him an invitation to the wedding. At the used car lot, Clark spotted a sharp pickup near the entrance to the lot. It was a metallic red Ford with a camper shell.

Ralph came out to greet him.

"You must be Clark, " he said.

"Yes, I am."

"I'm Ralph."

"Pete said you have a small pickup for me. I may not want it. I really like the red Ford I saw on the way in."

"That's the one. Let's take it for a drive."

After a short drive, they returned to the office. Ralph already had the paperwork ready. Clark was pleasantly surprised at the price. He quickly signed everything.

Ralph added "I'll take care of sending in the registration."

"Thank you, Ralph. I'll come back in about two hours with the check."

Clark closed his accounts at the bank and got a check for the truck and cash for the rings and the gas for the trip to Iowa.

He closed the deal with Ralph and proceeded to get packed. He took pictures of the bedroom furniture for Marie as promised and e-mailed them with a message that read 'Things are going well here. Sam and Irene send their love. I'll call tonight about 7.'

The bedroom furniture was loaded first. He packed most of his things in boxes and called Marie about 7.

"Hi Honey."

"Hi, Honey. You sound a bit hoarse."

"I'm tired but happy. I'll be leaving Saturday morning at the latest. Irene asked the jeweler to have everything ready by Saturday and I bought a small pickup for us. Everything has gone smoothly so far. It is like the universe has rained down good fortune on us to get me back to you soon and with a minimum of effort."

"That's great. Tell me about the pickup."

"It is metallic red with a matching camper shell and mag wheels. It is sharp! I really like it! It will be good for getting me and my things there and it will be useful for moving us into our home. How are things going there?"

"Sounds like a good idea to me too and I like red. Things are going well. Like the universe is helping out like you said! All our friends have offered to help. So many people have offered to cook that we may have an old fashioned potluck for our reception instead of a catered one. We are going to be married a week from Sunday at Mom and Dad's house at 1:00 PM."

"I'll be there! What do you want me to wear?"

"A tux. Dad will take you and Will to be fitted when you get here. I'll be taking a very small suitcase with my clothes! I don't expect we will need many clothes, do you?"

"I hope not! Have you gotten your sweater packed yet?"

She laughed. "Not yet, but it is out and ready to go and I have three skimpy nighties!"

"Sounds like my kind of honeymoon! And all I'm bringing are two fishing poles and tackle and a change of clothes! I feel so inadequate and unprepared by comparison!"

"You'll get the chance to be adequate on our honeymoon."

"Thank you, Dear, for a chance at redemption."

"Adele called and Will is throwing you a bachelor party for you Saturday night."

"Thanks for the warning! Who knows what that pervert has in mind."

"Honey, I think it is time to say goodnight."

"Goodnight then. I'll talk to you tomorrow night. Bye for now."

Clark called as promised the next night.

"Hi, Honey. Everything is going about the same here. How about you?"

"It's fine here. Adele called and said they have decided on a wedding present for us but won't be telling us what it is until our reception. She said that we would be using it for many years. She sounded very mysterious. There isn't much new going on here. The wedding plans are going fine. We are keeping it simple. We've decided not to have the reception catered."

"There seem to be many people there who care about you to go so eagerly to the trouble of helping with the reception."

"I think so. . .or maybe they just like to cook!"

The wedding day came and naturally Will stood up for Clark and Adele was the matron of honor. The wedding ceremony was simple but everyone there was happier than if they had been at an expensive affair. Adele and Will presented their gift early. "Adele said "I inherited a small piece of property a few miles from us and Will and I want you to have it."

"That's terrific!" Marie exclaimed. "We can build our own house with a big fireplace!"

"I've got some money left in my inheritance, Honey," Clark added. "You will have your fireplace!"

"Maybe Dad will help us get it done."

Jim said "Sure. I can arrange for the materials and refer you to a good architect. You'll have a terrific house and Clark and I can do some of the work."

After the reception, Marie changed into a jacket and denim skirt with nylons and the sweater she wore on the bus.

Clark smiled broadly when he saw her. "You wore that sweater. Thank you, Honey."

They drove off for their honeymoon in their new pickup. On the way, Clark asked Marie "What do you want our house to be like, Honey?"

"I want a big fireplace and five bedrooms. I want the fireplace made of gold bricks encrusted with rubies, emeralds, and sapphires!"