Celia's Puppies by Claudia Hall Christian

“Listen, when I open this door
the Secret Service is going to whisk me to the White
House.”
    He blushed, stammered a little bit.
    “ Here’s my phone number,”
the reporter said. She put her card into his hand. “I love dinner,
but breakfast is my favorite meal.”
    He nodded.
    “ Do you have what you
need?” he asked.
    “ I think so,” she said. “I
assume dinner is off the record.”
    “ Yes, off the
record.”
    “ Then is there anything
you’d like to add?” she asked.
    “ I would not be standing
here if it wasn’t for Mike Roper. The doctor’s cured my body. But
Mike cured my mind.”
    He ran a hand through his short dark
hair.
    “ I mean, I had therapy. A
lot of therapy. But knowing there were others and they were doing
well? I… I owe my sanity to Mike Roper. He’s a great
guy.”
    He moved to push the door open.
    “ I’ll be done by 8, maybe
9? Would you like to…?”
    “ I like a late dinner,”
she said.
    “ Great! I’m… I’m excited.
Mike saved me again.”
    The Undersecretary pushed the door open and,
as predicted, was whisked away by the Secret Service. Just before
leaving the building, he turned and waved to her.
    Smiling, she went home to finish the piece,
and get ready for dinner.
    ~~~~~~~~
    Wednesday evening — 6:25 P.M.
Denver, CO
     
    “ Merde,” Frederec
said.
    A woman’s angry voice echoed down the
hall.
    “ What?” Mike
asked.
    Wearing a tux shirt and his boxer shorts,
Mike stood with his arms out so Frederec could make the final
adjustments to his new wardrobe. Mike was afraid to move in case he
was pricked by a pin or tore something or whatever he might do to
such finery.
    “ Maman has seen Jill’s
hair,” Frederec said.
    “ Listen, it’s not Jill’s
fault. It’s not like she...”
    “ No, no,” Frederec said.
“No one blames Jill.”
    “ Is your Mom going to
terminate the contract? I know Jill’s been really
excited...”
    The woman’s angry voice came down the hall
and past the door of the small room they were in. Frederec
laughed.
    “ No, Maman is yelling at
my father,” Frederec said. “She wants him to...”
    Frederec paused trying to come up with the
word in English.
    “ Castrate is probably the
closest word… the person who did this to Jill.”
    “ Jill keeps her contract,”
Mike said.
    “ Take that off,” Frederec
said. “Here are your garments for Oprah tomorrow.”
    Mike began to pull on a pair of Levi’s
jeans.
    “ Undergarments?”
    “ Oh right,” Mike said. He
pulled off his boxers and took a pair of designer briefs from
Frederec. “Jill?”
    “ Oui. Jill, her Katherine,
they are part of the family now.” Frederec smirked. “I almost feel
sorry for this Trevor.”
    ~~~~~~~~
    Wednesday night — 8:10 P.M.
     
    “ Would you like to cut the
cake?” Sandy asked Noelle.
    “ Daddy should cut it! It’s
his ‘Happy Day’ cake!” Noelle said. Noelle sat on her knees on a
chair at Sandy’s round dining room table. “Don’t you think,
Nash?”
    “ Sure.” Nash mumbled from
Sandy’s computer table.
    Sandy had baked a delicate white cake with
toasted coconut cream layers to celebrate the public announcement
of Aden taking over Lipson Construction. Standing with her hand in
Aden’s, she had felt Aden shake with anxiety. But when Jacob
invited Aden to answer questions, Aden had been every bit the
charming, professional leader. She, Noelle and Nash screamed and
cheered for him. To avoid the press, the family retreated to
Sandy’s condo for a sleep over and cake.
    “ Daddy has to get out of
the bathroom,” Sandy said.
    “ Hey!” Aden came out of
the bathroom in a bathrobe. “You’re the one who told me to wash off
my nervous stink.”
    Sandy laughed. Aden kissed her.
    “ Let me get dressed.” Aden
scooted into Sandy’s bedroom to change into jeans.
    “ This week has been really
fun,” Noelle said. “I’m glad we didn’t have to stay at Nuala’s
house.”
    “ Milk?” Sandy
asked.
    “ Yes please,”