Life Resumed

"Damn it Carl, something's happened to Mark. I know it. He's never done something like this, not even when he was drinking."

Carl couldn't help it, he began laughing and spluttered, "Yeah, I suppose something did happen to him but I'm sure he'll be ok. In fact, trust me; I wouldn't worry about Mark right now. Now just relax and enjoy the morning with me Nikki."

"Carl, I know he's maybe not your favorite person but I can't believe you don't care about what might have happened to him." Nicole jumped from her chair and ran back toward the steps. She continued, "Maybe Alice has seen him. He didn't say anything about leaving early or something did he?"

Carl yelled, "NO, Wait Nikki. Leave her alone. Come on back. We need to talk."

Nicole ignored Carl and began pounding on Alice's door. Finally a bleary eyed Alice came stumbling to the door and threw it open. She had on a robe and even from the courtyard Carl could see she was naked underneath. Alice looked at Nicole and muttered, "What?"

Carl had walked up the stairs and down to Alice's door. She glanced at him then turned her attention back to Nicole. Carl took Nicole's arm and tried to pull her away from the door. "Alice, I'll handle this. I'm sorry we bothered you but Nikki has been trying to find Mark. I'm afraid I wasn't too forthcoming about his whereabouts and she decided to see if you could help her. If it's OK with you I'll explain things to her."

About that time a very naked Mark came stumbling out of Alice's bedroom. He was rubbing his eyes and looking down at the floor. "Honey, what's all the noise out here? Is something wrong?"

"MARK! My GOD, what are you doing here and why are you naked? I've been worried..." Nicole blushed and pulled her hands over her mouth. She turned from the door and mumbled, "Oh crap. I'm sorry you two."

She saw Carl standing there laughing. Without thinking she slammed him in the arm with her fist. "YOU ASSHOLE," she said. You could have told me he and Alice were together. How could you have let me make such a fool of myself?"

Carl winked at Alice and gently guided Nicole down the stairs once more. When they got to his table he sat and guided her down onto his lap. He said, "I didn't think it was my place to tell you what they were doing. I watched him go to her apartment last night and tried to tell you he was ok this morning. You didn't listen to me and relax like I asked you to do. I apologize for not being more clear but..."

"Well, you could have told me he was with Alice anyway. I was afraid he was hurt somewhere."

The next few weeks seemed to mark a change in the group dynamics between the four young people. Now Alice and Carl still talked but their conversations were shorter and dealt almost entirely with business. Nicole and Mark tended to spend more time in the meetings too. After the shorter business meetings the pairings were changed. Nicole seemed to eat most of her lunches and many suppers with Carl. Alice did the same with Mark. Mark spent almost all his nights in Alice's apartment.

One evening Mark and Alice left the meeting early. They were planning to go out to eat and then bar hopping. Nicole disappeared for a short time then reappeared carrying two large grocery bags. Carl watched in surprise when she smiled at him and walked into his apartment. When she did not come out after several minutes he decided to see what was going on.

Carl opened the door and stood in shock. Nicole was standing in his kitchen cooking. The smells wafting through the air were mouthwatering. She had soft island music playing on his stereo. Even more shocking was the change in her. She was wearing the proverbial little black dress and a very expensive looking satin hostess apron while she cooked.

When she heard the door open Nicole turned toward Carl. She was smiling and said, "Well it took you long enough to come check on me. I was beginning to think you had left."

"Uh, why are you cooking in my apartment?"

"Well, Mark and Alice are out and the restaurant is closed today so someone had to cook if we were going to eat. I really didn't want to eat alone and there was no sense cooking for one so I decided to fix you a nice meal and eat it with you. You eat way too many sandwiches anyway and a little good food won't hurt you a bit."

Carl sat at the small table and kept Nicole company while she cooked. Just before she served the meal she pointed to a bottle of white wine and asked Carl to open and pour it for them. All through the meal they talked of inconsequential things. Nicole spent way too much time gently looking Carl in the eyes. Every opportunity she had she would touch him gently.

Carl, for his part, was mesmerized. Nicole seemed so different. She was soft, feminine, yes, even desirable. He felt himself falling into her eyes every time he looked into them. After the meal Carl helped Nicole clean up the mess and let her gently lead him into his living room. She pushed him down on the couch and sat beside him. She leaned against him and sighed as she closed her eyes.

Without thinking about it Carl wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. Moments later Nicole moved and gave him a gentle kiss. Carl turned more toward her and bent down for another kiss. Nicole moaned and pressed herself tightly against him.

After several more kisses Nicole rose from beside Carl and straddled his lap. She crushed her chest against his and wrapped her arms around him pulling him tighter. Her lips met his in another scorching kiss. The kiss didn't end until they were both short of breath and panting. Nicole's hips had been gently moving back and forth rubbing her pussy against the bulge in Carl's shorts.

Carl finally pushed Nicole back gently and said, "Oh, God Nikki. I love you."

Nicole smiled and pulled him to her for another gentle kiss. She said, "I love you too Carl. I never thought I would find a man as wonderful as you are. Please can you forgive me for being such a Bitch recently? I promise I'll be better."

"Oh, yeah. I think I can do that." Nicole stood and reached her hand out for Carl to take. When he did so she gently pulled until he stood then she led him into his bedroom. The next morning it was Mark and Alice's turn to hunt Carl and Nicole.

The young couples continued to grow together until the residents of the complex all knew they were together for the long haul. One morning after most of the new business was discussed Carl looked at the group. He said, "We need to place an ad for a two bedroom rental folks."

Mark looked surprised and said, "Why Carl. Which one of the renters are leaving and why did they tell you instead of me?"

Carl smiled and said, "Well Mark I just hate to see an apartment sitting empty and unused. Number 9 has tenants but they never use it any longer. In fact I was there the other day and noticed almost all their belongings are gone. I think they moved out and didn't let us know."

Mark and Nicole looked surprised for a moment then Nicole hit Carl on the shoulder. "Oh, you! That's our apartment and you know it."

"Well yeah, I suppose it used to be but I know all of Mark's stuff is in Alice's apartment and he sleeps there all the time now. Most of your things are in my apartment and frankly I don't want my wife having a separate apartment so I thought we should rent it now."

"WHAT?"

Nicole looked over at Carl in shock then saw him holding a ring out toward her. He was smiling as he said, "Nikki, I've grown to love you so much. You saved me I think and after you save someone's life you sort of own them. I know you own my heart now. Since we're living together I think this is the logical next step. Nikki, I want you to be the mother of my children. Will you marry me please?"

Nicole looked at her brother and Alice then a sunny smile broke out over her face. She held her left ring finger out toward Carl and the ring. She said, "Yes Carl I'll marry you. I've dreamed about marrying you for months now. I don't know about renting the unit though. What about Mark? You still have a deal with him for work and free rent..."

Mark looked at his sister and winked then turned to Alice. He took her hand and said, "Alice, Carl and I agreed since he owed me free rent on half a unit and you got free rent on half a unit that we could combine those free rents and live together in your place and neither of us would have to pay rent. That is, if you would marry me too?"

Alice looked at Mark and smiled. He gently took her left hand and held out a ring. Just before it slid onto her finger he stopped and looked at her face. Her face was screwed up and she was smiling through her tears. Her head was nodding up and down. She pushed her left hand forward and finally found the ability to whisper, "Yes."

By then Nicole had recovered enough to think things through. She looked at the others and said, "You buttheads! You planned this didn't you?"

Carl and Mark both smiled and said, "Yep" at the same time. Their women flowed into their arms.

The weddings were both held in the courtyard on the same day two months later. The happy couples took off in Carl's boat for a three week honeymoon. They motored up the east coast of Florida stopping as the urge took them. They spent many evenings along the way anchored in one secluded anchorage or another but many others were spent in one port or another eating well and enjoying each other in one of the many nice hotels to be found in south Florida.

Three months after they returned from the honeymoon at one of the morning planning meetings Nicole looked around the table. She grinned, got up and sat on Carl's lap then said, "Carl and I wanted to let you all know before anyone else that we are going to have a baby. We want you to be the Godparents if you would."

Carl sat holding his wife and smiling. Beside the very proud thoughts running through his mind he was thinking 'It hurt. It hurt a lot but NOBODY can keep us down. We got the Taliban, we got Saddam and his croneys. One day...one day we'll get the asshole who masterminded the whole thing like we've already gotten some of his helpers. He hurt us as a nation and many of us as individuals but we came back. We'll keep coming back until nobody messes with us. Freedom isn't free. In fact, the price we have to pay for it is almost beyond belief but we'll pay it and come out the other end stronger for it.'