The Unicorn

Her face lit up. "That's great news. I was worried you wouldn't. By the way, what does the name mean?"

"It's short for Jen and Jaime. This will be your business as much as mine. I'm sure you'll be the hand at the helm. You know how to network and negotiate. I know how to build furniture. Seems pretty equitable to me. That is, if you'll do it."

"Of course I will, honey. But it will be your business."

"No it won't. I had the agreement changed. You and I will own it, fifty-fifty. I declared your knowledge an equal investment. Don't fight me on this or the deal is off. Are we good?"

Instead of talking she dove back into my arms. Between the kisses and the tears I was fairly certain there was a yes in there somewhere. "Good. Your lawyer has the amended papers. Sign them anytime it suits you."

"Tomorrow morning I'll be waiting outside his office, pen in hand."

"Good. Now on to personal business. You know I was infatuated with you from the day we met. I didn't know you or that you were famous and rich in your own right. All I knew was the most beautiful woman in the world was standing before me. As our friendship grew, I discovered you were even more beautiful on the inside. You were my dream woman, even if you never had a dime."

She was on the edge of the couch, looking too scared to breathe.

"You also know of my moral compass, so I just loved you from afar while Steve was alive. Steve's gone now. And now my dream woman is here, up close, and single. I'm glad now with what I'm about to say that we haven't slept together yet. No, that's not right. We have slept together, we just haven't, um, "consummated" our relationship. This way I can look into the eyes of our daughters and sons and tell them to be really sure, because we were, never having sex until we were engaged. Maybe that will be a strong moral..."

That was all I got out before she tackled me so hard the sofa flipped over. She rolled with it until she was on top of me, eyes moist, chest heaving, hands trembling. "Say it? Say it! SAY IT!"

"I wanted to be on my knees but I guess this will work. Jennifer Maryanne Foster, will you marry..."

"YES!"

"You didn't let me finish."

"Oh, you're finished all right."

"I didn't really mean to propose before I had the ring. We'll go pick it out this weekend."

"No we won't. You will pick it out. I want something nice, but it has to fit into your salary range. I've had rocks before and this time I don't want a rock. I want a symbol of love, understand? It doesn't matter what it is, I'll wear it with pride. You hear me?"

"I guess I may as well start now. Yes dear."

She rained kisses all over my face. "Good boy. You're going to be so easy to train."

I managed to get her off me and the sofa upright, patting a seat. "Maybe not. I need you to listen to me. There will be no discussion on this."

Jen's eyes widened but she held my hand and was still smiling.

"First. I know you're rich, money I'll never be able to make in my lifetime. The thing is, I don't care. You're going to want things when we start a family and I have no problem with you spending money to get them. The thing is, I want my, our children... Hold on a minute. That sounded so good I want to say it again. I want our children to grow up to be level-headed, not spoiled princes and princesses. I want them to have a work ethic, to know the value of saving and spending wisely."

"I also want a prenup. Your lawyer drew it up for me. Plainly speaking, I never wanted any of your money, so if we don't end up together he wrote it up like that. If we split, you keep what was yours, I keep what was mine, and everything we accrued together gets split 50/50. I'm not going into this to fail and I'm pretty sure you aren't either, so all they will ever be is words on a paper we're not really sure we remember. Agreed?"

"Can we maybe..."

"Nope. Take it or leave it. I want you 100% sure I wanted you. Not your money, not your fame, just you."

She had a hard time hiding the smirk so she looked down and said "Yes dear."

"Good. I realize you'll want a nicer house when the children arrive and I'm all right with that. I don't want anything like you and Steve had. I want a nice roomy home to fill with children and love. Agreed?"

"Yes, dear. I have a condition. For right now, while we get our business off the ground, we stay right here. There's not a thing wrong with this house, honey. Houses are just glorified boxes designed to hold love, so I'm fine with the one we have right now."

That kind of threw me. She had lived in mansions with servants, but she wanted to stay in an 1800 square foot modular? She saw my look.

"The place Steve and I had, the ones I had before we got together, weren't houses. They were monuments to success. You couldn't be spontaneous with servants around, one wrong picture and careers could be destroyed. I want something where I can get up in the middle of the night and go raid the freezer for ice cream stark naked and have no worries. Besides, the house I grew up in was smaller than this and I loved it. You need to remember, honey, I wasn't born rich. I lived a pretty average life until I was fifteen and got "discovered". I've always hated that word."

"Well, all right then. I'll take a little time tomorrow and look for a symbol of our love. It may not be just a diamond; I always thought they were kind of bland. If you just don't like it, I'll try again. Give this some thought. I don't want to start looking for venues tomorrow. I want a nice long engagement, to give us enough time to make sure we really mesh. I may disappoint you in bed. I might snore or have some kind of habit that irritates you to distraction. I guess I just want to "debug" our relationship before we say our vows. Does that make sense?"

She grinned. "It does. And I agree. I'm sure I have habits that you find distracting. I'm sure we'll try to change for each other but if we can't we'll learn to deal with it. Now, enough talking, let's get to the consummating part of our relationship."

*****

I'd like to say making love to a millionaire supermodel was unworldly, that I saw and felt things I'd never experienced before. You know what? It was. Not because she was rich. Not because she had incredible beauty. I saw and felt those things because she was the woman that I loved. Her body was fantastic. I found she was a little ticklish in certain spots and extremely responsive in others. I kissed her whole body at some point during the night and she nearly jumped off the bed when I hit the back of her knees. Her breasts were as high and firm as a teenager's, with small nipples that would crinkle and harden just from the slightest breath.

She was as smooth as a baby and she told me as we came down from the first round I better like it like that because she'd had a laser treatment, years before, to help her career. I rubbed the soft mound and grinned, liking the feeling. We did everything we could think of to each other and talked about a lot more. We never did anal, and when she brought it up she surprised me. "I've done it a few times and it wasn't something I really enjoyed. With someone I love it would probably be different, and this body is yours, so if you ever want to do it let me know."

I'd never done anal. To be honest I'd never understood the fascination men had with it. With Jen, though, anything was possible. I filed it away with a note to revisit the subject sometime down the road.

As we talked our hands wandered, and in minutes I was as stiff as I was the first time. She wanted me to do her from behind, saying she wanted to be mounted like a bitch in heat, because the way she felt she was. It got a little strange when she asked me to spank her while we mated. Seems she liked the stimulation. I gave her a few taps and she told me if I couldn't spank her like a man to just stop. The next smack saw her cheek jiggle and she squealed a little before she cooed. "Yes! Just like that, baby! Mark me as yours!"

Jen climaxed twice before I couldn't hold back any longer. We collapsed and I went to sleep rubbing that magnificent ass. She let me get six hours in before waking me for a morning round. When we fell back, she giggled. "Shower time, baby. We smell like old sex. I prefer the scent fresh, so let's get clean and see what we can do about it."

"I can't. I have to work."

"Not today. You would be two hours late as it is. Don't worry, I called your boss and told him you had something important you had to do and wouldn't be in today. You don't have to thank me. Now let's get you all spiffy clean. You have an errand to run."

We played in the shower, but she wouldn't let it get serious. After I dressed, she gave me a dandy little kiss and pretty much shoved me out the door. I grinned as I drove away. I didn't need to shop for a ring. I had already had it custom made by a friend. It was a nice sized diamond in the shape of a heart, with two small emeralds, also, in the shape of hearts flanking it. The bands that held them to the mount were cleverly designed to look like skeleton keys and the inside had an inscription. "You'll always have the key to my heart."

It was corny, but she knew I meant it, and when she saw the ring and read the inscription she cried, hard, for two hours, stopping just long enough to give me kisses from time to time.

We lived in a world of lust and love until Saturday. We picked the last flowers of the season, getting just enough for ten bouquets. I wondered how Jen was going to tell Janice. It was really subtle. As soon as she saw her she shoved the ring under nose. Jan let out a squeal and soon she and the three nurses who always seemed to be around her grabbed Jen in a really nice group hug. When they realized they were ignoring me, they abandoned Jen and smothered me with hugs and kisses.

When it came time to give the bouquets away, I gave Janice and each of her nurses one, as a thank you. We distributed the rest, three to children and three to seniors, before ending the day in the rockers, holding babies. Janice brought the tears out again when she told Jen I was going to make an excellent father.

The first thing Jen did when we got home was drag me to the bedroom. Luckily, it was a quick (ninety minute) romp for us. She shoved me towards the bathroom. "Shower, shave, and put on something nice. The girls will be here any minute."

Melody brought her husband, just so I'd have someone to talk to. Sandy showed up with Janice, and after quick kisses we were evicted from the living room. I took Ed out to the shop, grabbed a couple of beers out of the refrigerator, and turned on a college football game. We were about five beers in when they found us, sitting in rockers and singing the fight song of Ed's team. Melody led him to their car, glad she had less than two glasses of wine, and soon they were all gone. Jen started kissing me again before their taillights were out of sight.

We didn't play because she wanted to go to church in the morning. She made sure we sat with friends and waved her left hand around a lot. Soon a ripple went through the congregation and the preacher, sharp as always, noticed. As he shook hands he smiled, and when he got to us he wrapped Jen up in a big hug. "You got him, did you?"

Jen laughed. "He shouldn't have taught me to fish. I took the lessons to heart. I used the right bait, letting him run with the hook before reeling him in. I think he was happy when I scooped him up in the net."

After talking about how SERIOUSLY offended he'd be if we didn't let him perform our service, he turned us loose. It took us an hour to get from the front steps to the car because people were stopping to congratulate us, and by us, I meant Jen. Seems I was just along for the ride.

A few husbands clapped me on the back and told me to get used to it, this was my life from now on.

*****

Mom, Gran, all my aunts and cousins descended on us that afternoon. We didn't cook, Jen just ordered pizzas. I lasted about an hour before I slipped out to the building and worked on a couple of rockers. Mom came in an hour later, went to the fridge and grabbed a beer, then sat down in a completed rocker.

"I was a little leery of her at first. She was rich, beautiful, could have any man she wanted, live anywhere in the world she chose. I think she's the real deal, honey. The woman loves you. I wouldn't be surprised if you start your family right away. She really wants children, more specifically your children. I'm gonna have the prettiest grandbabies in the world and that's not an exaggeration. Well done, Jaime, well done."

She got up after she finished her beer, turning as she reached the door. "Two things. You treat that woman like gold, you hear me? And I better damn well have one of these rockers by the time the first grandchild comes."

All I could do was grin.

*****

She decided she wanted a June wedding. That was nine months away and suited me fine. I worked my notice and spent the evenings setting up the shop. Jen thought I should push rocking chairs as our signature piece. We made an assembly line, although every rocker was just a bit different, and we did custom orders. Jen insisted we take ads out in magazines geared to the upscale home market. Of course, Jen was the model. The ad campaign was brilliant. In the front of the magazine she was sitting in a chair as she was now, holding a baby. Midway through, there was another ad, her in late middle age holding another baby while a young woman looked lovingly at them. Almost at the back there was another ad. Her makeup artist was a genius and I got an idea of what Jen would look like in her seventies: still hot, slender, with pure white hair. She was holding another baby while a middle aged woman and a younger one stood behind her. There was a banner over them, Four Generations, and a tag up front. "J&J Rockers, built for more than one lifetime. Guaranteed."

I was struggling over what to charge. I used local oak, the best I could find, and with labor I had about seven hundred in each, on average. If a customer wanted something custom the price went up. I was thinking two thousand and not feeling good about it, when Jen called me to the computer. She had listed our prices, and a standard rocker went for five grand, more if it was customized.

"That's highway robbery! No one will pay that!"

She grinned and changed pages. "Nineteen orders so far, and the site has only been up for a day. I wouldn't worry too much if I were you."

I could make about two a week using an assembly line process, three if I worked fifty hours. I refused to hurry. People were paying for the best and I intended to give it to them. We were getting ready to ship our tenth chair when we got a phone call from the owner. She wanted it autographed. Jen said sure, and then turned bright red when the customer wanted ME to sign it, not her.

Each chair had a unique feature. A number was carved into it in such a way that it wasn't noticeable. We didn't advertise that feature and years later I was called as a witness in a lawsuit, the complainant saying the chair wasn't mine, as it was advertised. I examined the chair and agreed. There was an uproar and the judge asked how I knew. I asked to speak to the judge in private, showed him a few photos of my work with the numbers featured. There was no number on the chair in question. The seller, in turn, sued the shop she got it from, showing the letter of provenance they had provided.

Jen had moved her only relative, her Aunt Beth, the sister of the aunt that raised her, into her condo. I don't think we liked each other that well to start, but we must have grown on each other because soon she was helping in the shop, mostly computer and paperwork. Jen ran our finances and made sure she drew a good check every week.

Jen had gotten more into the building end of the business. I still didn't like her near the saws, lathes, drills and other assorted power tools found in our business, so she concentrated more on assembly and finish. It took me a long time to get used to seeing her in jeans and a t-shirt, bandana holding her hair back, with a shop-apron and elbow length gloves completing the outfit. We were up to four a week, by then.

One of her mega-rich friends dropped by. Jen, the consummate businesswoman, met him in nice clothes and gave him a tour of the shop. She led him into the house, showing him the custom made four poster bed and the matching chests and bedside tables I'd built for her. Next she showed him the second bedroom, set up for a girl.

He came back into the shop and after a round of coffee and pecan pound cake, made his pitch.

"Jen knows I'm divorced. What she doesn't know is that I got custody of our daughter in the divorce. Seems her mother had a lot of bad habits that made it impossible to leave our daughter with her. She's seven years old, and her favorite thing in the whole world is sitting in the custom rocker I ordered, number 29, by the way, and letting me rock her to sleep while I read her one of her favorite stories. That rocker has bonded us closer and brought us more peace than the tens of thousands I spent on therapy. She's already told me she wants her own rocker for her eighth birthday, and I want to surprise her with a whole new bedroom suite. Can you do it? I'll make up any shortfall you have concentrating on it and you would have seven months. Talk it over with your wife and get back to me. Oh, and you're not just a furniture maker. You're an artist in wood. You're not a father yet, but Jen says it will be soon. You'll find, Jaime, that once you have a child, especially a little girl, your world changes."

He left, taking the uneaten portion of the cake. He kind of insisted, so we let him. Jen and I made a quiet dinner and snuggled down on the couch.

"What do you think? Jack told me that even though he's worth almost a billion dollars his most prized possession is your rocker. Will you do it?"

"Tell Aunt Beth to inform everyone who orders a chair that there is a six-month backlog. It should take me four months of concentrated effort but we can get it done. Call him back and tell him we agree to do this. Tell him we may need to consult from time to time. We need to know more about his daughter. What does she really like? What doesn't she like? I don't intend to make something she'll grow out of in three or four years, but I would like to incorporate some subtle things to give her joy."

She kissed me hard and grinned. "Good. Consider it practice for our kids. We already have one for the first girl, but you need to think about boys down the line."

I knew she wanted kids, but we never discussed a number. "How many children should we have?"

She blushed and looked down. "As many as I can bear safely, but considering my age, three or four if we space them closely."

She glowed at my reply. "Good answer. We need to get on that as soon as we tie the knot. I figure our first should come along nine months and one day after the wedding."

*****

Jen surprised me by having Jack bring his daughter to the shop. I had her rocker ready to assemble, and I needed to make sure it was to her liking. I'd made it almost full size, to give her room to grow with it. She was a bright and inquisitive child who followed Beth and Jen around as they explained things to her. Jack took advantage of the time to review my plans.

Her favorite bedtime story was about a Princess who becomes friends with a dragon and all the adventures they had, so on the back of the header panel, in amongst the flowers and vines, was a princess on the back of her favorite dragon. I went through about eight headers before I got it right, but it was worth every minute to see her smile.

Jen was instrumental in the design of her bed, a four poster with a canopy. Her vanity featured the heart shaped mirror, the frame the body of a dragon curled around it. It was finally done, and we went to deliver and set it up. We arrived just after Alison went to school and just barely got done before she got home. Jack filmed her reaction. First she just stood in the middle of the room, twirling slowly. Then she let out a shriek of pure joy and dove on the bed, laughing and crying at the same time. It wasn't until the next day she found our gift. I'd carved a dragon out of black walnut, sanding it to a velvety texture and coating it with oil, making it so dark it seemed to glow. The princess that stood beside of it with a hand on its shoulder was out of holly, a wood that finished almost snow white. The contrast was very striking.