Chapter III (The Resurrected - A love story by Billy Shaw)

"Hey, Sarah." I looked at my therapist and saw she had the kind of tan you can only get on a tropical island, with three weeks worth of sun. She was even darker than me. But I was only tan on my face, and I'm sure Sarah's tan was, let's say, comprehensive.

She sat on a chair well away from her desk, next to the one I was sitting in. The blinds were all fully open as were the windows, and a light airy breeze blew through her office. On her walls were collections of native American art, mostly modern. There were rugs and tapestries on the walls as well.

"And. What's been going on with you, Billy. It's been awhile. Three, four weeks?" she asked and turned to me, exuding what I always perceived as her undivided professional attention.

"Yeah, about that, I'd say. I have an interesting story to relate to you. Really interesting. Incredible, in fact."

She nodded in anticipation and sat there looking at me contentedly.

"Good Gawd, Sarah. You look like you're still on the beach!"

"Vacation therapy. Tell me something interesting and incredible."

"It's about nine years ago and I'm living in south Florida. Fort Lauderdale or thereabouts. My roommate is dating an exotic dancer and I start hanging around her club with him. I meet a dancer who spends about a year with me, but only in the club. We get intimate and talk about every aspect of everything there is to talk about between friends. And she would do a buncha lap dancing just like she would a regular customer, but she wouldn't charge me. I think she just enjoyed seeing me get charged up. But we always had our best conversations when she got me like that. But she would never date me outside of work. I know why now, but that's jumping ahead of myself here." I paused to take a breath and Sarah beckoned me to continue.

"So I meet this ski instructor who really, really turns me on and I can't put my finger on it. Her name is Dawn. She works with me and it turns out she lived next door to me when I was in employee housing. We talk casually for weeks, even months, and I finally ask her out. I start getting drawn into her like getting sucked into a whirlpool. The woman is a bizarre combination of shy, sharp, and dangerous. Like maybe an undercover maneater. But I'm incredibly attracted to her. And I can't figure it out. So one night I have lucid hallucinogenic quality dreams about the dancer, and I end up calling my old roommate from Florida. He tells me what little he could remember about her but it's enough for me to put two and two together and I realize that these two people are the same woman."

I looked up at Sarah, and she was rapt. She didn't move a muscle except to say, "Go on." and nodded for me to continue.

"So the next time we get together, she absolves me for hitting on her and not knowing who she really was. In fact, she thought is was one of the funniest things she's ever seen. And that night, she introduces me to her seven year old daughter, Tamara. Tam's really, really special. I think you'd like her alot."

That was all I would have needed to say. Sarah knew right then where this was going. She looked at me with the depth of understanding that characterized my sessions with her. All she offered was, "I'm sure Tamara's very beautiful, isn't she?"

"Words wouldn't do her justice." I said.

"And she has haunting blue eyes?" Sarah inquired.

"More like piercing blue. The dangerous kind."

"So go on." and Sarah looked at me with the kind of anticipation that suggested she was really enjoying this.

"So Tamara arranges a date for the three of us and wants me to take her bowling. And in her own seven year old world of pushing balls around and toppling pins, in a place she feels at home, she tells me who I really am. Who she is. In a bowling alley!"

"Was she beating you, or did she let you win? Seven year old girls can be uniquely compassionate." Sarah observed.

"Oh, she won. She won my heart and my soul. She won a daddy."

"And you won a daughter. Are you both winners?"

"Well, we certainly were that night. And I haven't done anything to fuck it up yet."

Sarah raised an eyebrow. "And Dawn?"

"Dawn took me down to Denver. To a restaurant on top of a hotel. She had reservations for both establishments. We left glitter lotion all over the hotel room. Everywhere."

"And now you have a daughter and a partner, the mother of your daughter. Not bad for three weeks' work."

"Well, see, that's the thing. Dawn's been at this for eight years now. Out of choice. For wanting a baby and being willing to do the single mom trip. She didn't want a man around the house or in her life. She makes it sound like it was a simple choice."

"And now it's not so simple and she's back. And she found you again." Sarah paused a moment, no doubt to pace what she already knew she was going to say. "You first came to me when you were dealing with issues arising from a failed romance hanging over your head. The woman from Virginia. Remember?" It was a rhetorical question, so I waited for her to continue. "That was a romance thing, and a mostly nonexistent one at that. Am I right?"

I nodded in agreement and stared at her, waiting for her to continue.

"And you had thought she was the woman of your dreams. But one way or another, love just didn't materialize, and you learned to move on. That's what we call Dealing with Love. But now it appears you've met the woman of your dreams, literally, and she happens to be the mother of your little girl. That's what we call Dealing with Life. Welcome to Life, Billy. You're in the real world now!" And she got up and stepped over to me and gave me a big bearhug.

"First we deal with life. Then we deal with love. That's the order in which we do things around here. It's new for you, I know, so we can spend as much time on it as you want." She waited for me to do whatever it was I was going to do next. It was in my hands.

"I ..., uh, what I really want,... I... I can't do it!" I thought a moment. "Everything I can think of to say has to do with the love part. I can't think of anything about the life part that isn't completely saturated with the love part!"

"Here. Let me help you. How long is Dawn planning to stay here in Colorado? Has she said anything?"

"No. No she hasn't. She just finished up her PT degree and I know she's looking for a job, but I couldn't say where."

"OK, keep that in mind. Next. Is she looking to have more children?"

"I believe she is. Sarah, she's asked for my help raising Tamara. She says she wants me to. I told her I would. But we haven't nailed down what helping her raise Tamara really means. After all, she's pretty comfortable being a single mom. I don't know what her partnership role for me really entails."

"OK, keep that in mind as well. How do you know she's comfortable being a single mom? Has she told you that?"

"Not in as many words. I think this is as much about Tamara as about Dawn. Dawn and Tamara both say they want Tam's daddy around. I haven't the vaguest idea whether Dawn wants a husband or lover around. Or if it'd be me if she did. After all, she didn't for eight years, including the first seven of my daughter's life."

I sat for a second to catch up with myself. "You know, this dealing with life part is... incredibly rich... salient..."

"Important." Sarah chimed in.

"It makes the love part seem so much more..."

"Important." she chimed in again.

We talked further.

She turned to the clock and turned to me. It's a practiced professional gesture. Then she said in summation, "So I suggest that you keep the following things in mind. You don't know whether or not she's planning to stay in Colorado. You don't know your role as Tamara's father. You don't know your role as Dawn's partner. All three of these things can develop lives of their own within the context of your relationship. The role issues are not things you sit down and nail shut in the absence of a strong and growing relationship with Dawn. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"So I could write these issues down on pieces of paper and fill in the blanks as time provides. Like, don't force any issues."

"Well said, Billy." She paused a moment, hesitating. "If you could sum up your session in one word or phrase, what would that be, Billy."

"The Resurrected." I said casually, like I actually had some idea what I was talking about.

Sarah stared at me dumbstruck. Like an hour of her time was just flushed down the toilet. "What in the heck is that supposed to mean?! That takes me aback, Billy. It really does."

"It's the name of an archaic native American tapestry pattern." I walked over to an extensive bookshelf and sure enough, not that it surprised me much, I readily located the same seminal text I'd borrowed from Mom's friend in Sedona. I removed it from the shelf and opened it up to the one I liked so much. I set it down on Sarah's desk. "Here. Check this out. This is how I summarize my session. This is probably a good summary of my relationship with Dawn and Tamara."

"Say, how's your mom doing? Is she still in Sedona?" Sarah asked, as she studied the swirls and spirals that flowed together and met at the middle of each photograph.

"As ever. I visited her a coupla days ago. Scored the same book as that one there. She still doesn't know I'm seeing you. Uh, professionally. See ya next week?"

"You betcha. Take care, Billy."

I called Dawn and asked her if she and Tamara would like to sit in the hot tub for awhile. She said sure, and they both came over.

Tamara was wearing a little red bikini. There was a small silver and torquoise necklace dangling down to her chest tastefully. It almost looked like a cokespoon, but wrong decade, wrong generation. She carried her own towel draped casually over an arm. She was clearly intending some serious hot-tubbing. On her little feet were tiny high heeled plastic strap-ons, the straps coming halfway up to her knees.

Dawn wore a pink one-piece with a gold chain around her neck. She wasn't wearing contacts, and her eyes were piercing blue jewels set in a relaxed and comfortable face.

Mother and daughter were children of the water. They both loved to sit in it and smile at each other. And me. They both sat there in the tub looking like the goddesses they were. Not that they expected they were anything of the sort. But you could tell they expected you to see them as such. Ah, the mystery of woman. I just sat there and watched them as I worshipped them in silence.

And in my head, I played the tape over and over, "How long is she planning to stay in Colorado, role as father, role as partner. Don't force." and after a few dozen repetitions, I turned off the tape and simply enjoyed myself with my daughter and partner.

We splashed around in the water and took turns tickling each other. Every time it was Dawn's turn to tickle me, she managed to inject sensual massage to whatever part of me she touched. She smiled comfortably at me every time she caught my eye. A couple of times, she ran her tongue around her lips slowly and sensually when she thought Tamara wasn't looking, and smiled at me as if making fun of her own seductions.

Tamara was more than just in her element. She looked like she was metamorphing from a bubbling pool of ooze into a rising goddess. I couldn't help but wonder how many relationships it would cost her... to be treated like the goddess that she was but unwilling to date any of her followers.

I wondered about Dawn. Had she changed or just compromised? Was she dating one of her followers or had I been elevated to the status of guy worth dating? For all I know, she's sitting on the other side of the hot tub looking at me like I'm a god. Or maybe she doesn't see things that way at all. Maybe she's sitting over there looking at me as a friend. Maybe her best friend. Maybe her best lover. Oh man, I hope so!

"Hey you guys! Check this out." and I pulled a small packet of bubble bath from my pocket. I was wearing the same blue jean cutoffs that Dawn had worn her first night in the tub. I opened the packet with my nails, and emptied it right in the middle of the hot tub. It frothed for a couple of moments, and then the entire tub was bathed in luxurious white bubbles. Tamara splashed around and scooped up large handfuls. Dawn glided up casually and draped an arm and a leg around me. And laid her head on my shoulder. I put my arm around her shoulder gently and we sat there with each other watching Tamara play in the bubbles. Tamara looked up at us. Then purposefully at me. And you could tell in her eyes that as far as she was concerned, You're The Man, Daddy. And then at her mom. And they exchanged looks that even a guy could decipher. Straightforward happy glances. Tamara was saying thanks Mom and Dawn was acknowledging her child's happiness.

Tamara swam over to us and looked like she wanted to join in. She didn't reach out. She just floated there waiting for our invitation. And Dawn and I both reached an arm out and brought her into the fold. An arm from each of us held the other. The bubbles were beginning to subside, and we three sat together in the brilliant green water, like a halo surrounding me and my family.

I was awake, alone in my bed playing Sarah's tape a couple times in my head. Dawn and Tamara had gone home and left me with the anticipation of another tub date for tomorrow night. It was Dawn's idea. I didn't play the tape long, just long enough to review the contents. Then I slept. Peacefully and dreamlessly.

The phone rang right about dawn. I picked it up expectantly and shook myself awake.

"Hi Billy. It's Dawn."

"Hi Dawn. How are you this morning? How's Tamara?"

"She's playing in the kitchen. I told her to go eat breakfast before she goes to school, but she's in there fingerpainting with jelly and peanut butter. Listen..." and there was a low droning hum audible over the phone. "That's her humming. She's humming as she boogers up my kitchen. Should I tell her to stop?"

"Nah. Tell her to clean it up before she leaves. Come to think of it, lemme talk to her, if you don't mind."

"Sure. Hold on a second."

Then after a couple of moments, I heard Tamara's voice on the phone. "Hi Billy! ... Daddy."

"Hi Tam! Hey, do me a favor, OK?"

"Hip. Wad it be, pop?" Gawd it was like talking to another ski instructor!

"I want you to be extra nice to Mommy today, OK? The works. Help her clean up and stuff. Maybe you could do the kitchen for her. Wadda you think, sweetheart?"

"Iz cool, baby. Lak yew. Thah wat yew iz. Bye Daddy, I love you." and she handed the phone back to Dawn and I could hear her shuffle off back into the kitchen.

"So Dawn. Has Tamara been watching TV lately? Like last night?"

"Yeah. I let her stay up and watch Cotton Comes to Harlem. Bet you could tell, huh?"

"Jaz baby! Ah thanks she be stahlin' own da flipsahd! Dat be onna mah fay voe rite pikchaz uh awllll tahmmm!"

"Aw Jesus! Youse two be like da same kinna peeoples ya knows wadda means, amigo homeboy?"

"Boy?! Who you callin' boy? I ain't no boy! You musta seen me onna cold day skinnydippin'. I ain' no boy. Sheeeeit!"

"OK chill, cornbread. I'm going on a job interview at Steadman Clinic this morning. Just wanted to let you know so you can wish me luck."

"OhKay! That's terrific! That's the place everybody who moves out here wants to work. That would be fantastic, Dawn! Good luck! I really mean it! You go girl! You'll knock 'em dead!"

"So I'll talk to you later?"

"Unless it's sooner. Good luck, Dawn! I'll be telepathing you happy rays all day."

"Neat! Start now and don't stop until I tell you to. See ya!"

"Bye!"

Then I went out and hit the slopes. I was getting better at figuring out what to do with myself while I spent my life waiting for Dawn to come over. I rode up the lift with Kelly, the one Carl had got me talking about.

"Hey Kell!"

"Billy!" and she drew it out long. With a swaggering New Zealand accent she bathed everything she said in an exotic ointment that made the words slip freely into your ear. Like they were lubricated. "How've you been? I've seen you out skiing alot! Figured out how to do it yet? Boarding's quite a bit simpler, you know."

"I've been good, thank you! How 'bout yourself? Are you making turns, yet? I saw you nail a 720 in the halfpipe the other day. Pretty slick for a gaper. You gonna compete at Vail this year?"

"I've got to. I've a ranking to defend. If I do well enough, I can return to New Zealand in the top bracket. If I win, I can go to Hollywood and do sunglass commercials."

"Tell me something, Kelly. Since that's what you know you're gonna do anyway, why do you hang around here? How come you haven't already moved to California? Why bang yourself silly on a snowboard?"

"Modeling sucks, man. At least if I get groped on a snowboard set, I can deck the little shitheads and not lose my contract. Besides, I travel with Chris. And he hates California. He digs New Zealand, though. And I love competing in this sport. I really do."

"Well, how's it been going?"

"The sport's being good to me. That's more than I can say for these fucking photo contracts. These magazine dickheads just don't know their arses from a camera lense. Sorry, but it's been a disappointing year and I expected better things outa the season."

"Say, uh, Kelly. You know I'm a snowboard instructor, right?"

"Yeah. I've seen you ride, prettyboy."

"And you know I'm a guy. And we all sit around and look at photos of women in our abundant spare time, right?"

She looked at me cautiously, just as I knew she would.

"And you're one of the best competitive snowboarders in the world, right?"

"Git outa town, man."

"Kelly, you ride like a man. And that's just fine for the halfpipe. But if you added to your style, just the tiniest little adjustments here and there, you'd be the most photographed snowboarder in the world. You'd be doing sunglass commercials in Tavarua. You'd be on television so much you'd get sick of seeing yourself." I could see the wheels turning in her head already. Just give her the ball and watch her run!

"And you're gonna teach me? How to ride like a woman? Cool!" She was amused enough to temper her sarcasm.

"Kelly, you stagger into a roomful of comatose ski instructors at three thirty in the morning, drunker'n'shit and raise the dead just to toy with their afterlives. Teach you to ride like a woman?! Fuck, Kelly. I wanna coach you to ride like a goddess. And then we'll see if these magazine dickheads are as fucked up as you say they are. If what I'm saying makes any sense to you, go ask Chris to find you this kind of coach. And I'll be waiting. Because you know who he's gonna send you to."

"OK, give me an example. What would you change first?"

"Well, you've got at least three things that every guy, uh,... photographer wants to see in your pictures. Whether they know it or not. Your eyes. Your hair. And your butt. The first two are easy enough to accentuate. Just stop wearing anything on your head. The last one is easy for a woman. Just bend your knees alittle more than you do now, and the butt comes right up. You can even do it by rotating your pelvis toward the ground, say, fifteen degrees. But bending your knees makes it happen just as effectively. And it's more integral to your riding style."

She looked at me like those little wheels were gonna smoke their bearings. And right then, I was both frightened and excited for her. It's like the one thing standing between her and a yearful of magazine covers had just been proferred in the most casual of manners. But she knew she was in Colorado, and nobody here makes a big deal about anything much less stand on ceremony about it.

"Meet me at the Basin tomorrow morning at nine thirty. That's when the slopes photograph the best. I'll arrange something, and we'll see if I'm not right about this. About you and your riding. Bring Chris. He's gonna wanna see this."

She was still staring at me when we both got off the lift. Mostly her eyes said, why didn't I think of this?! and as she leaned over to put her free foot onto the snowboard, her butt stuck so high in the air a coupla dozen people stopped what they were doing just to watch her. Her short blonde hair hung elegantly over the sides of her face, and she pulled her sunglasses off and placed them over the top of her head. Still striking that leaning pose with her butt pointed toward heaven, she looked at me with serious green eyes and asked quite technically, "Yo Billy! Like this? Is this right? Am I doing it right?"

I walked up to her and stuck my mouth near to her ear and whispered, "Don't move a muscle. Just look around you and tell me what you see."

And as she looked up at the world, from her vantage point, two dozen people were frozen in time, just waiting for her to make her next move.

"Nine thirty at the Basin then, Coach. I'll see if Chris can come."

I skied right back down the mountain and was in my apartment within five minutes of leaving Kelly. I dialed up Carl's number, hoping he would be home and come to the phone.

"Yo!"

"Hey man, it's me. Gimme the name of a photographer. A ski photographer."

"Peter Barnes, man. He's the guy that shoots most of the freelance stuff here in the county. He's done me a buncha times. You want his number?"

"If you've got it. Hey man, check this out. Remember Kelly from the other day?"

"Man, I been dreaming about her and shit. Why? You bringing her over here?"

"Come up to the Basin tomorrow morning before nine thirty. I got something you gotta see, man. You gotta see it to believe it. Just be there. I gotta go. You got that number for me?"

And I got the number from Carl and gave ol' Peter a call.

"Peter Barnes here."

"Hey Pete, it's Billy Shannon. You wanna make five hundred dollars tomorrow morning?"

"Am I gonna need an attorney? You're not hustling a broad, are you?"

"I need a photo shoot at the Basin. On short order. I need the shots by tomorrow night."

"For five hundred dollars? What all do you need?"

"Everything you can fit in your van. I need a sound system, too. I'll bring the music myself. You got juice in your van for lighting?"

"Are we staging a shoot and actually shooting?"

"Pictures and all, buddy."

"I'll have juice. We're gonna need permission to pull my van up on the slopes, though. Is that going to be a problem?"

"No way. Be at the Basin at eight oclock tomorrow morning. Thanks, man!"

"Thank you, dude!"

"See ya."

So then I called the Basin and told them Kelly was doing a feature photo shoot for a magazine and we needed to drag an equipment van up the slope and cordon it off for a couple of hours. They told me to be there by seven thirty. I called Pete back and asked him to be there a half hour earlier. And not to forget the sound system.

Then I called the local daily and told them Kelly was doing a feature photo shoot up at the Basin and they might find it of local interest. Then I went down into the parking area of my condo complex and found my car. I rifled through all the crap I keep in there until I scored my trusty shovel. I had some backbreaking work planned for the both of us.

Dawn came through my door as ecstatically as I've ever seen her. She was radiating excitement. "Billy! How ya doin', sweetheart?!" and I could tell her interview at Steadman had been good.

I reached to her and held her in my arms. God she felt good to be around. My arms felt the same way. "Being on the olympic ski team makes scoring a job at Steadman just alittle easier, does it?"

"Shit baby, just alittle easier doesn't begin to cover it! They hired me, Billy! They hired me! Today! Right on the spot! Let's hit your hot tub. I'm wound up bigger'n'shit and I just wanna relax!"

And she kissed me a coupla times with a happiness that shot through my lips and filled up the rest of my body. Well, one down and two to go was all I was thinking. Don't force. Be there for her. And don't force.

As we were sitting in the hot tub together, I held her very gently to me and talked about absolutely nothing in particular. We were so casual and natural together that it felt like eons we'd been sitting there in enjoyment. But I had to ask, "So what's Tamara up to tonight? Is she going to learn a new dialect by tomorrow morning? I hope she watches something Jamaican!"

"She's at a friend's house. A little boy named Erik. Me and her mom are best friends. So are Tam and Erik."

"Oh man! I'm so incredibly jealous! Erik's one lucky little sucker."

"He seems to think so. He already treats Tamara like a goddess and she treats the little boy like shit. And he's all over it. He eats it up!"

"Like what? What does she do to him?"

"He came over one night and I swear to god, I walked into the bathroom and he was brushing her teeth for her! He looked just like a dentist! A dental love slave!"

"Did he floss for her, too? Or is that where he draws the line?"

"He ain't got no line. And we ain't got no floss. But shit, don't you feel sorry for him? I would."

"He worships a little goddess and becomes a primary initiate. He'll be at the top of her pyramid. Why should I feel sorry for him?"

"Good Gawd! Are all guys like that?"

"A disingenuous question at best coming from the little cultleader's mommy. Mortals don't give birth to a goddess. But then again, you did give birth to a woman..."

"Billy."

"Dawn, dear."

"I'm sorry I took seven years to show her to you. Would you forgive me that? And try not to hold it against me?"

These were code words for everything I ever wanted to hear from her. Everything. Or so I thought, if my mind could get too ahead of itself. Time to address some Roles. Gingerly. Without force. I took Dawn to me closely, and looked into her blue eyes. The ones without darkening color contacts. I was glad they were gone.

"Forgiven. And cut yourself a break now and then. You deserve it."

Dawn the goddess looked at me as if to wonder how a follower could talk to her like that.

"Billy, is it as easy as that for you, sweetheart? I know it's not." and she kissed me.

But I knew what I wanted from her. All I had to do was plant the notion and hope it would grow. With some water and kindness and encouragement. Well, here goes...

"Dawn." And I held her close. "It's a heavy issue. It's a life issue. I take my life issues to counseling and deal with them like they were friends that I want to know better. And I walk outa there holding hands with my issues and we're friends, they and I. We hafta go through life together anyway, so I've chosen to become friends with my issues and celebrate them as you would your best buddies. It's strange but it works."

"How often do you go?" Oh God I was getting closer!

"It's a weekly arrangement. I see a woman named Sarah."

"What's she like?"

"She's younger than we are and she studied under my mother, believe it or not. A disciple, even."

"Your mother?"

"My mom appears to have written modern man's reference guide to Love."

"Cool! What's her name? Dr. Shannon? Is she the one on TV with all the Navaho jewelry?"

I had to laugh.

"You know, Billy, she's not your typical mom."

"She's not any less typical than I am. Or Tamara. Or you. I mean, think about who we are and how we came to be here like we are now!"

Dawn started to blush. I mean, really blush. It didn't matter if she was doing it on purpose or not. It really didn't.

"Billy, can I meet her?"

"Who, Dawn? Sarah or Mom?" Then she surprised me.

"Whoever you think best. I'd like to meet them both. But I leave it in your hands, Billy. I'll bring Tamara if you say so."

"Sweetie, meeting my Mom isn't like meeting with Sarah. And meeting with Sarah isn't like meeting my Mom. Mom doesn't even know I'm in counseling. But Mom wants to meet her grandchild. Wanna meet my mom? Are you game to visit Arizona with Tamara?"

"Cool! I'm gonna meet yer mom! I'm gonna meet yer mom! I can't wait to tell Tamara!"

Dawn just held me close in a way that made her even more vulnerable than I was. And I loved her for it. I couldn't say why. I just did. We held each other for awhile without saying anything. We were just together.

"Dawn?"

"Yeah bro."

"There's this thing I'm working on and I'd like your advice."

"Sure man. What kinda thing?"

"It's like a dancing thing. But it's on a snowboard and gets frozen in time."

"You? Are you doing a photo spread?!"

"Kinda, but it's not for me. It's for a friend of mine named Kelly."

"Kelly the Snowboarder Kelly? You mean Chris' girlfriend?"

"You know her?"

"I'm a ski instructor. Of course I know her."

"Well, we're doing some photos up at the Basin tomorrow morning and I asked for a sound system. I wanna pump some, uh, encouraging music at her and see what she does with it. Any suggestions?"

"She's pretty young. I mean, I don't know if she's even heard of the kinda stuff I used to dance to. What kinda stuff were you thinking of? I mean, it's your shoot and you musta had something in mind."

"You feel like doing some dancing? Like tonight? Just to help me pick out some songs."

"Wow! I can't believe you're asking me that!"

"Why? If you don't wanna do it, then it's cool. No problem."

"Oh, I'm fine with it! I just can't believe you asked me! That's so cool!"

"Would you come up to the Basin with me tomorrow?"

"You sure seem to have alotta faith in my dancing. Am I that good?"

"The dance is the dancer. You've always been that good. Now if we can get Kelly to see it that way, then she can be that good. She's destined to be an international star and it's gonna start tomorrow morning. And you can teach her way more than I can."

Well, so much for a goddess. I had me an apprentice. And we both specialized in Dream Fulfillment. It's why the resort we call home even exists in the first place.

Upstairs in the dry warmth of my living room, Dawn danced to the choices I had laid out for Kelly. She danced to Rob Zombie. And Metallica. And Anthrax. And then she proferred her advice to me.

"None of this stuff is right for Kelly. It's right for me. About ten years ago. But we're not doing a video here, right?"

"All stills. I just want her to feel like a woman and stop riding her snowboard like another overhormoned guy."

"Got any Brian Ferry?"

"You mean fuck music? The kinda thing you make love to?"

"Sure. Think about it. You want her to spooge all over the photograph, don't you? Well let's just try it and see if it works. I'll tell you if it does or not. You wanted my advice, right?"

So I put on Avalon, and Dawn proceded to erase my mind. Wiped it clean completely. As if nothing else ever existed.

"Can you teach Kelly to do that? On a snowboard?" I was her novitiate all over again.

"I have a better idea. Play the album again and I'll teach you to do that, lover. And some things you don't do on a snowboard."

The next morning, Dawn and I arose together. At dawn.

"Listen, baby. I didn't know I was going out to play in the snow when I came over here last night. Can I borrow some of your clothes?"

"Have at it. I'll be back in a coupla minutes." and I went into the bathroom.

When I got back, Dawn was completely emersed in black leather. She musta been able to smell it in the drawers and in my closet. When I wore it, I felt stylishly apart. When she wore it, she looked positively dangerous. She looked open for business, ready to tear somebody's heart out. I was just happy it wasn't mine. She looked at me disarmingly and said, "You used to snowboard in this getup? I need a shoulder holster. You got one?" and started to laugh. As soon as she did, she bust the button on the waistband, which only made her laugh even harder.

"ByGoddammit I'm thinner than you!" I accused.

And she just laughed that much harder.

So we show up at the Basin with a copy of sensual fuck music for Kelly. And a leather-clad Dawn all ready to show her how to dance to it. Peter Barnes was about to launch into a pre-shoot industry standard bitchfest. One glance from Dawn and he was scurrying back to his van to get it the hell up the hill and ready the set.

Then Kelly appeared, at least an hour early, and Dawn and I took her to breakfast. I sat back and watched. Dawn dealt with Kelly in a manner that befit the one woman on earth who could put Kelly in her rightful place. Kelly was dressed like she was gonna walk out onto the snow and spend six hours there. Dawn was dressed to kill, as if she spent her whole life doing it.

Dawn excuses them both and they get up and leave. I start working the crossword puzzle in the local paper and I wonder if local interest could possibly compare to this. When I look up, I observe that these two women have gone to the locker room and switched clothing. Kelly is now standing there in my leathers and Dawn looks like she's ready to hit the halfpipe.

We got courtesy rides from Ski Patrol up to the part of the slope Peter had expropriated. Pete had laid lighting and shading equipment across half an entire slope and down fourty yards or so. I asked Dawn to excuse me, and I reached into my backpack and produced the shovel.

I walked over to Peter.

"Hey man, thanks for coming." I offered casually.

"Wadda you think? Look swank enough for Cosmo? You got my five hundred?"

I handed him five one hundred dollar bills and looked around us. "This is perfect, Pete! You're The Man, man."

"Listen. Dude. I know you called the Daily and asked for some coverage. As it happens, I'm their coverage. Pretty cool, huh?"

I handed him another two hundred dollars. "Put it on the front page. And save every fucking photo. You won't be sorry. Check this out, man."

We both looked to the top of the hill and watched Kelly get off the back of a snowmobile. Every last leather-clad inch of her. Then she reached out and grabbed her snowboard. Carl and Chris were on another snowmobile. For whatever reasons of their own, Ski Patrol had entrusted Carl with one of their snowcraft. Kelly's driver had let her off at the top of the slope. Carl pulled his snowmobile right across the slope and over to where Peter and I were standing. Carl and Chris both craned their necks toward Kelly and we all watched her bend over to put on her board. She was backlit by the morning sunlight, and most of her frontside was bathed in darkness. She looked like a blacklight poster... Peter was already starting to possess her with his camera. Anybody else there just gawked as best they could. Some of them might even have been praying.

I walked out about twenty feet and looked up at the horizon. I walked another ten feet or so and started digging out snow with the shovel. I dug for about three minutes and then started packing snow into a sharply angled mound pointed across the slope.

Dawn had by now started doing stretching exercises with Kelly. I got back to Peter and asked him about the sound system. We went back to his truck and I put a CD into his stereo. As the music started playing, Peter reached back into the van and threw a few switches on his mixer panel and the music came alive. Across the entire slope, sensual late-night do-me music was dripping over everything in its path.

I looked up at Dawn and Kelly and they were both doing stuff with their butts. And legs. And arms. I heard a whistle blow from near where I was standing. And I saw Dawn and Kelly hug each other for a moment.

Peter threw a switch and half the slope erupted into bright artificial light. He grabbed his camera and ran over to where I'd laid the shovel, about ten yards away from the jump I'd built for Kelly. There were a couple more cameras hanging across his chest. And now I noticed there were two more photographers nearby, friends of Peter's. He blew the whistle again, and Kelly looked down to us and waved. Then, as she started down the hill she danced. I swear to god she was dancing to the music as if she were in bed with Chris doing what Cassie would do. Her hands and her fingers and her eyes and her hair, they were all an exotic expression of feminine catlike motion. She aimed right for the jump and hit with forces even larger than all of her grand desires. And she launched herself into at least two hundred photos that day. And every last one of them has been published. Peter was going to become a wealthy man, and he knew it right then and there.

The first photo, the one that cost me an extra two hundred dollars, went on the front of the Daily. Way across the front. And Kelly went way across the photo. A newswire picked up the photo and took Kelly national.

We sold some of the photos to Cosmo. This green eyed blonde New Zealander on a snowboard came to represent an international generation of Kellys in the space of one magazine cover.

I didn't get my leathers back, but Dawn got herself a snowboarding outfit. It's just a matter of time before we end up boarding together.

When the shoot was over, Peter acted like my very best friend in the whole world. He took all of us over to the Sixth Alley and we sat there and drank for most of the afternoon. He had handed all of his film to an assistant and said the proofs would be ready in three or four hours. Then he invited Dawn and Kelly and me over to Breckenridge and into his studio to take a look at the film. He wanted to buy us dinner too.

So sure enough, Peter escorts Dawn and Kelly and myself into his favorite restaurant and we present to the world, I'm sure, the very picture of beautiful people that fuels Peter's world. All eyes were on Kelly. And Dawn and I took every opportunity to handle each other when nobody was looking. Even when they were, we were comfortable with it.

"Chris had to work tonight. That's something of a bummer, eh?" Kelly remarked.

"Do you think he enjoyed this morning?" Dawn asked in response.

"I could have knocked him over with a feather! He was beside himself!" Kelly said. "He did want me to ask Billy if he can borrow the CD. Is that alright, Billy?"

I reached into my jacket pocket and produced it. I handed it to her and said, "When you return this, I want it autographed, OK? Just sign it Kelly."

"I want that back, missy." Dawn chimed in. It was Cool. And they both looked at each other and laughed. God only knows what Dawn had told Kelly. "Clean, OK?" and they both laughed again.

Peter got up and held his cup high. He looked at Kelly and said, "Here's to where you're going, woman. May you never stray too far from home." Kelly stood up and said, "Here's to Billy and Dawn! They wear the same leathers! Thanks, man. You guys are the greatest." and she reached down to caress Dawn and to kiss me. And then she gave Peter a big hug and downed the rest of her drink.

We went over to Peter's studio and sat in an incredibly cool foyer while he assembled a collection of shots. All of a sudden, the lights went out and a projection screen began to uncoil on the wall in front of us. The room began, ever so gently, to resound to the same CD I'd given Kelly. And then the slide show began.

The first photo was an airborne Kelly bracketed against the blue ski with a tinge of earth in the background near the bottom. The most prominent thing in the image was Kelly's face, with blonde hair and green eyes balanced over a wantful smile. The next photo was nearly the same, but her face was angelic, with a confidence borne of eternity. The third contained a wink within a near-impossible arrangement of graceful limbs and a snowboard. And on it went.

Peter was viewing his work for the first time, having apportioned the filmwork to his subordinates. Dawn nudged me and shot a quick glance in Peter's direction. I looked up at him and he was standing there awestruck. Dawn and I both recognized a novitiate when we saw him. He was dumbfounded. But he kept clicking the projector's remote, checking out his work and admiring Kelly up there on the screen.

Dawn drove me home in Tamara's Pantera.

"Waddaya bet Kelly ends up ripping Pete's heart out... Businesswise" I asked Dawn.

"She belongs to her own vision. It's none of our business." Dawn replied.

"She owes us, baby. She better invite us to some half decent parties." I added helpfully.

"You know you're not getting your clothes back." she said.

"It's such a pity, too. They hang off her like a man. She oughta try something tighter."

"She'll buy you a new house before she gives them back. "

"Why? What'd you tell her? Dawn! What did you tell her?!"

"First of all, those were my pants. I gave them to you. Remember? Second of all, and I know this is hard for you to understand, that girl worships us. As a couple. Not you and not me. It's us. I told her I gave you those pants ten years ago and that we've been sharing them. And now we want her to have them. For her fortune and for her destiny. No. You're not getting them back."

"God! You're starting to sound like me!"

"Sweetie, we're starting to sound like us."

She dropped me off and said, "Hey man. Thanks for today. It's been a memorable one, Billy. For me and especially for Kelly." I kissed her and hugged and caressed her.

"Thank you, Dawn. You're the coolest woman I've ever met. And some of it rubbed off on Kelly. Thanks for your help. We wouldn't have pulled it off without you. Kiss Tamara for me, OK?" I kissed her again for Tam and stood there as she drove off.

Peter managed to sell every Kelly photo that he pitched. He kept a coupla choice ones and made giant sized art posters in his studio. I saw them in a couple of local art galleries within a week or so. Seven international fashion magazines contracted to run Kelly spreads and whether or not they were gonna use Peter's photos, they bought them all and handed Peter sizeable advances. Kelly and Peter worked out some kind of business agreement and it wasn't long before they both started calling Dawn alot.

Dawn spent time in Kelly's new Breckenridge condo teaching her stuff about movement and looking deadly. I was over there a few times while they were grinding. Peter was there taking photographs of Kelly and Dawn as if he intended to sell every one of them.

Peter pulled me aside and we walked out onto Kelly's porch. He handed me a drink from a portable rolling deck bar.

"Billy, I gotta talk to you about something" he said softly.

"What's on your mind?"

"The championships at Vail."

"Is Kelly gonna compete? I know she was planning to." I said.

"Man, it's only been a few weeks since I first met the woman and we've already pulled in nearly half a million dollars. In advances! It's like she's the hottest property in the world right now!"

"So what are you saying? Are you concerned she's gonna hurt herself competing and default on your contracts?"

"Aw Jesus! I didn't even think of that!"

"So what did you think of? What's bugging you?"

"If she doesn't win, it could fuck things up. You know?"

"Peter, come sit down with me. Do you need another drink?"

"No thanks man. I'm fine."

We sat down on Kelly's new cushy comfortable lounge chairs and sipped our drinks.

"Say! This is nice! Did Kelly pick this shit out or did it come with the condo?"

"She bought this shit this morning. We're the first people to sink our asses into 'em. Swank, huh? Just like the woman." he said.

"Peter," I started slowly and with purpose, "Kelly is realworld. She competes in snowboard championships because she one's of the real world's finest snowboarders. You don't dress a fashion model up and send her to Vail. All that money you've been getting for Kelly. Do you think they're buying another fashion model? Shit no, bro. Take her to Vail. If she loses, then she looks that much more real. And if she wins... If she wins, ..."

I looked into Peter's eyes and recognized his dilemma. Nevertheless, I had to say it. Just so he could hear me say it. "If she wins, then she becomes one of the world's most famous women. Nobody else who wins could possibly squeeze as much out of it as Kelly can right now. And where does that leave you? You're panicking in the face of success, Peter. You're on the wildest ride of your life and you're already looking to get off? Hang on for dear life, bro. Hang on, dammit. And let Kelly ride you to wherever the fuck she ends up taking you. Take her to Vail and bring alotta film. I think she's gonna win. I think she's going to be an international star of her own making by this time next month."

"But what if she dumps me, man? What if she doesn't need me anymore?"

"Personally or professionally?" and now I was gonna go there.

"Huh?"

"Don't huh me, motherfucker. Kelly will cut you loose the second she needs to. She's a professional at whatever the fuck you call what she's doing. I don't know the name for it because it hasn't been done before. Except maybe with skating or swimming. She's creating an image. Either help her create it or get the fuck outa the way. You're as good as anybody else at what you do. Don't fuck it up by getting personal with her. You'll be sorry. Trust me. You'll be sorry."

"Shit, dude! She doesn't come within ten feet of me unless she has to!"

"I know. It's ingrained into every photograph you shoot of her. Once you lose that, you're gonna lose your gig. Angst is an elusive quality in a photographer. Or any artist. Start drinking heavily if you must. Like Hemingway. Or Kerouac. But when you lose the angst, you're gonna drink even harder." And I gulped down the rest of my own drink. I got up to make myself another, and made him one, too. And we both drank To Angst. May it always be with us.

Then Kelly and Dawn came out on the porch and joined us. Dawn glided right up to me and held me casually. Kelly went to the bar and started making drinks for the two of them. Dawn reached over to kiss me. And she kissed me again. And a coupla more times. I took her into my arms and held her tightly.

"Hey guys! Watch this!" Kelly said. And she split herself right onto the floor and worked herself against a leg of the portable bar the same way Cassie used to do it. Then she flipped herself right over and did it again backwards. I don't know how he does it, but Peter was already squat to the deck Kelly-level with camera in hand clicking away. Kelly rested there for a moment, opened her mouth suggestively, and placed the tip of her tongue on her upper lip. I looked at Dawn intently and simply raised an eyebrow.

She wiggled and whispered into my ear, "Vail's gonna be a little different this year."

Just then, Kelly's boyfriend Chris walked through the sliding glass doors and out onto the porch. Kelly jumped up and grabbed him squarely with her hands on his butt. And she started to grind. Slowly and patiently. Intently. And they stared at each other and smiled. Then laughed. I looked over at Peter and to my contentment, he was snapping away just as intently.

Chris held Kelly for a moment and then gave her a kiss. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out my CD. "Here you go, mate! Thanks for the lend. I made a tape of it. Hey, Dawn! How's it going?" and he tossed the CD my way and I reached up and snatched it like we were playing frisbee.

I opened the case and took out the disk. Holding it up to read it, I saw that Kelly had taken a laundry marker and scrawled across the whole face. "Real Love, Real Kelly" is what she had written.

Dawn reached over to hold it, slipping her hand over mine, and gently pulled us toward her for a better look. Right then, Peter's camera came to life and started gurgling and shit. The power rewind was snarling its way back to the front of the roll.

Peter said, "Wanna see what they look like?"

"Sure! Cool! Fuckn'A" was the response he got from the four of us. And Peter walked inside the house to develop the film.

"He's got a darkroom right here in the house?" I asked.

"Shit yeah man. You oughta see it!" Chris replied. "He's taken some killer shots of Kelly and me making love. All over the place, too."

"And so all these killer photographs don't ever leave this house?" I asked.

"The stills don't, but the videos do." Kelly mentioned casually, and let her words hang in the air like the smell of a scented woman.

I pulled Dawn close to me and whispered into her ear. "Dawn, dear. Are you in any of these videos?"

"Think I should up my price?" she whispered back.

"Peter's gonna release 'em just about the time she goes to Vail. Right?" I whispered back.

"Are you on a constant high or do you just take alotta drugs?" she asked me quietly.

"Kelly, honey. Could you come here a minute?" I raised my voice enough for her to hear me.

When she was close enough to touch, I told her flat out. "You're going to win at Vail. You're going to make a coupla million dollars over the next six months on every contract they can shove into Peter's hands. But that's not good enough for you. No, not you.. You're going to make sure that everybody who ever heard your name talks about you. All that much more. And to boot, you and your boyfriend get paid to fool around. It better be a gaddamned good video."

"She's not getting paid to fool around with her boyfriend." The voice was Dawn's. Flatly. Gingerly. She was even better at hanging her words in the air than Kelly was.

Peter came outside and stood next to the door. Kelly took my hand and led me inside. Dawn held my other hand. Peter came along side me and whispered into my ear. "This is professional, OK? Personal isn't going to cut it here."

The video I watched was exceptionally topnotch. One of the best I've ever seen. Kelly and Dawn took their powers of femininity to heights I'd never witnessed. In a crispy clear picture.

"Peter," I said. "How many people did it take to crank this production?"

"We used about six, between cameras, lighting, and sound."

"Are they all paid for? Is this thing free and clear?"

"A hundred percent. It's Dawn and Kelly's video. They own it and they control it."

"And you did it all here? Right here?" I asked.

"Pretty slick, huh?"

I looked at Kelly. "Are you sure about this? I mean, are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"I'm saving myself, Billy. From the stereotypes and the girl next door crap and fucking fashion spreads for teenagers and then getting spooged on by some twelve year old in his bathroom. I'm a snowboarder not a fashion-piece."

"You wanna be an adult film star?! Is that where you're going with this?" I asked.

"I want to be every kind of star. That's where I'm going with this." she said excitedly.

I turned to Dawn. "Well it's half you up there. Are you cool with this shit?"

"It'll work. Trust me. She knows what she's doing. Are you cool with me being up there?"

"I don't know. I might hafta watch the video a coupla more times to make up my mind." and I smiled but not enough to fucking annoy her.

"Billy." Kelly said, "We want you to name the video. What shall we call it, Billy? It's your call."

"I think you're all making a big mistake." And I waited for their full attention. "You've captured half of Kelly. And half of Dawn. Where's the fucking snow? Where's the snowboard shots and the ski shots? Show these women at play! Show the world what these women really do with their lives! It's a videotape goddammit! Show some fucking video!"

And they all stared at me like oh yeah!... "Go out and get some goddamned snow footage! Both of you. Peter, take Dawn with you. It should be a piece of cake!"

Kelly stood there agape with dawning understanding and asked, "What should we call it, Billy?"

"Women of the Resurrection." I said it without hesitation and waited for it to sink in.

She drove me home in a sporty way in her sporty car.

"Was it your idea or hers?" I asked reluctantly.

"It was Peter's, actually."

"You mean he walked up to you and asked if you wanna do a female fuck flick?"

"Yes. Exactly. That's exactly what he called it, too. Don't let Peter bamboozle you, sweetheart. His production crew didn't cut that piece. Mine did."

I was getting faster and faster at putting my two's together. Alotta things all of a sudden made perfectly clear sense. Like happy facts on a shelf. I could sort through them all later.

"You're being awfully good to Kelly. I thought she was fulla shit back there, but now it seems to make alotta sense. For her career and her persona. So you're a porn queen. Are you a hot market item right now?"

"Of course. That's why Peter came to me. He could have gone to anybody. Even hot market items elsehere, as you put it."

"Does Tamara know?"

"Tamara doesn't need to know about sex flicks until she's old enough to know about sex, Billy."

"Would it bother you to see Tamara up there on the screen like that?"

"Not if that's what Tamara wants to do. If she didn't want to do it, then it would bother me. Does it bother you, Billy?"

"Do you want to do it?" I asked.

"I never do anything I don't want to do. You met me in a tittie bar. I wouldn't have been there if I didn't want to do it. I wanted a child and I did it. I wanted a career in film and I did it."

"Dawn. I want to do two things in my life. And look back and say that I did it. I want to make you happy and I want to make Tamara happy. You two are the most important things to me. No matter what. I just want you to remember that. The way you asked me to remember always that Dawn and Cassie are the same person. Just be careful with yourself. And be careful for Tamara and for me. Is that fair?"

"I've made a career being careful for Tamara. Being careful for you is another kind of careful. I'll need to know what careful means to you, Billy. I already know what it means for Tamara. And you're being exceptionally cool about this. I don't know if you really feel that way, but I appreciate it. Alot. Thank you, Billy."

A moment passed.

"Women of the Resurrection. I like that alot. It haunts me as a woman."

"It's supposed to."

And she drove us to her and Tamara's place. We went inside quietly and both checked in on Tamara, sleeping soundly and happily in her bed. Dawn took my hand and we walked into her bedroom. She closed the door.

"She's faking it. Give her another minute and then watch."

"Does she put herself to bed?"

"No. There was a babysitter here until an hour ago. Cowboy's keeping an eye on her. Check it out." And she banged on her wall. A bang resounded in return and Dawn said, "See? But you're such a daddy. I like the way you think." And she held me tightly to her and we fell onto the bed.

A moment later Tamara fell into our happy heap. And said, "Hi Daddy!" and pressed her face onto mine. We slept there as a family. It was the first time in my life I'd known the joy. The first time for any of us.

Dawn rubbed her hand gently against my cheek. "Hi sweetie. How you doing?" she asked.

I put my hand on hers and brought it to my lips to kiss it. "Never better." and reached out to hold all of her close to me. A pair of little arms around my shoulder tugged as I reached.

Tamara flipped over to the other side of the bed and continued to sleep.

"I'm going skiing with Kelly this morning. We're gonna shoot like you told us to." she said.

"The two most-about-to-be-famous women in the world..." and I sighed like a twelve year old. "By the way, are you looking to get as famous over this as she is?"

"Oh piffle! This is a drop in the bucket for my career. Nobody's going to raise an eyebrow because I released another video. This is all Kelly. Of course, they'll mention my name every time they mention hers. And they're going to be mentioning her alot. An awful lot."

"Is Peter meeting you guys?"

"Nope. I hired a special film crew from Tahoe. They do snow and sheets both. We're trying to create a hit here. The whole thing gets edited and soundtracked in LA. Then we sit down in Colorado and watch it. Then we release it and add to Kelly's growing list of credits. Of course it would help if she ends up the number one snowboarder in the world."

"How much would it help?"

"About twenty million dollars. Maybe a little more if the press falls in love with her. But I could give a crap about them either way."

"That's funny. Kelly feels the same way."

"So Billy, would you watch Tamara today? She usually goes skiing on Saturdays."

"Sure baby. You want me to keep her away from your shoot? Or does it matter?"

"Bring her by if you happen to see us. I'd like to introduce her to Kelly."

"Cool." and I paused a moment. "Dawn?"

"Yes, Billy?"

"What you and Kelly are doing is groundbreaking. It works on so many levels. From publicity stunt to tasteful artwork, it just works. And it works for Kelly and it works for you. It all fits together too nicely. Peter didn't think of this. You did. I'll bet the only reason you even tolerate having him around is because you know Kelly will dump him as soon as she needs to. You're intending to run the Kelly Show, aren't you." And I smiled at her as I said it. I was more than just amused. I was positively proud to be around her.

"Kelly can't dump Peter. Peter's arrangement is with me."

"Well I'll be goddamned. Does Kelly even know that?"

"Of course she does. But she sees me as your partner with power of attorney."

"Me?"

"Yes, dear. Kelly and Peter both understand that the Dawn and Billy Show is running the Kelly Show. But Peter stays. You always need a guy like Peter around. I know a hundred Peters and Peter's as good as most of them. What Peter does for Kelly is magic. But we can get a different Peter when we need a different magic. Just like with the video crew. It's that simple."

"So Peter's not worried about getting dumped by Kelly. He's worried about getting dumped by you! He tried to broach the subject with me but I wouldn't have had any fucking idea what he was talking about! At least I understand now why everybody keeps listening to me!"

"Stop playing the victim. There's no conspiracy here. This whole thing was your idea! You show up to your own film shoot with a fresh young face and a porn queen dressed in leather. What was Peter supposed to think? But you were so cool and nonchalant about it. That's why Peter likes you so much. It's like when I thought you were so cool and nonchalant about Cassie when you first met Dawn. It's your own unique style, Billy. Nobody pulls it off like you do."

"What? Being in the dark?"

"No, dumbass! Acting like you know what you're doing. It rubs off on those around you. The film would have been, oh, just naked, without your suggesting we add the snow. Good call, partner. And now the film goes to twice the audience and creates twice the buzz. See, Billy? They both think you're a genius. And I do too."

"Dawn?"

"Yes, Billy?"

"Why do you need to work at the Steadman Clinic if you're about to make tens of millions of dollars here?"

"The same reason we both teach skiing. We certainly don't do it for the money."

"Do you have that kind of money already?"

"Wadda ya think I'm licking Kelly's little bunghole for? You'd lick it too for a coupla million dollars. This is all a crap shoot, sweetie. You're the one who handed us the dice. And she's the ultimate game of craps. You knew that when you brought her up to the Basin. But you were convinced from the start that she's a winner. And she's convinced me, too. How many times in my life am I going to look at that kinda money? Nobody already has that kind of money."

"If we were talking about a coupla hundred grand here we'd be doing a whole discussion on the do-we-really-want-this-money thing. But I gotta admit, this amount transcends that shit. This could be a serious change in lifestyle. Or are you gonna sit on all that money and live in employee housing?"

She pouted like she meant it. She looked sad.

"...with me."

And she smiled again and nestled her head into my neck.

"I'm kinda hoping you'll ask me to move into your place." she muttered into my throat.

"Wanna move in tomorrow?"

"I'd be your queen. Your porn queen!"

"And poor Tamara. The poor woman obviously needs a hot tub! She shant be denied any longer."

"Dawn."

"Yes, Billy?"

"We're talking about being a family. A happy threesome. Are you looking to become a happy foursome?"

"I told Tamara to ask her daddy. You were standing right there when I said it."

"So you're saying it's up to me?"

"More so than last time. That's a promise, baby."

"Wanna build a house together?"

"Cool! Let's let Tamara design it for us. She likes to draw houses."

"Well, she is good at designing homes."

I leaned over and caught a glimpse of Tamara's face. She laid there still as a brick with her eyes closed and a smile on her face. I leaned over and kissed her on the cheek and she giggled. Dawn got out of bed and motioned that I should stay there with Tamara. So I laid my head back into the pillow and closed my eyes. And thought about these Women of the Resurrection.