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A few days after the party, Denis and Jon meet up in the Manse kitchen nook one sunny morning for a kaffeeklatsch.
“If your condition is anything like mine was,” Jon says, patting Denis’ hand on the table before them, “then it will only hurt for like, a laughably short time—for as long as it takes for Ryan and Madam to come running and lay their hands on you or something.”
Denis nods, sucks in a deep breath. “Truly, pregnant women have all my respect in the world, and I’m sure whatever pain I must endure will be nothing compared to childbirth, so I am in no place to complain… but I will say that I am a little worried I will not handle it very well.”
Jon sips his coffee, nods and shrugs. “No shame in that, my friend. It’s daunting, yes, but it’s entirely worth it.”
“Oh I completely agree with you. I understand that this is a very special gift that Madam has made possible.”
“And Ryan too, somehow.”
“And Ryan, là,” Denis says with a blushing smile. “He’s such a loving guy, to both of us. I deeply love how he has lent to our relationship a beautiful dynamic.”
Jon smiles, holds up his coffee mug for a little toast. “That’s so sweet, man. You’re a great team.”
Just then, they hear raised voices coming from the foyer down the hall.
“If for I want that glib and oily art to speak and purpose not, since what I well intend, I’ll do it before I speak—”
“Better thou hadst not been born than not to have pleased me better—”
Denis and Jon stare at each other, stunned as they see Sir and Ken and I walk into the kitchen together.
“Love’s not love when it is mingled with regards that stands aloof from the entire point—”
“Therefore begone without our grace, our love, our benison—”
“Whoa whoa whoa, are you two fighting?” Jon interrupts.
Denis frowns at Ken and me. “Porquoi utiliser such harsh words?” he asks, for the first time in my experience looking for all the world as if he’s about to jump up and punch someone.
Sir Ken and I stare at each other, bust out laughing.
“Guys, we’re just running lines from Lear,” I explain.
“Je m'excuse pour la confusion,” Ken adds with a little bow of his head. “Madam is just helping me brush up for my next stage performance.”
“Oh, well, of course I knew that,” Jon laughs with an affected magnanimity, then awkwardly clears his throat. “I dunno if you’ve noticed, but I make jokes for a living.”
Denis shakes his head, rubs his anger-reddened face. “Excuse-moi, I have been so easily… excité… by certain things. I know it is the hormones.”
“Awe, mon amour,” I say in a sickly sweet voice as I walk over and slide into the seat next to him in the nook. I give him a side hug and smile at him. “It’s very temporary. Soon enough you’ll be uber protective of the kiddo and not me.”
“Mais non, Sayyadina,” Denis says, caressing my cheek, his eyes suddenly as soft and weightless as clouds. “I will always be protective of you.”
I blush and steal a quick kiss, wink at him, then look to Ken and Jon. “He says things like that even when you’re not around. But usually in French.”
“The genuine article,” Ken says, smiling lovingly at me. He holds up a finger. “Tea, Missus?”
“Yes, please.”
“I could use a fill up,” Jon says, holding up his half-empty mug.
Ken gets the tea kettle filled, turns it on, then grabs the carafe and brings it to the table. “So where’s the other third this morning?” he asks as he sits down beside Jon.
“Ryan was already very busy this morning when I left the cabin,” Denis says. “He was making a very tall pile of waffles to feed the crew he convinced to help him start building today.”
“Oh he’s definitely spearheaded the extension already,” Jon says. “I think we four might be the only ones not down there, to be honest.”
My mind immediately lights up with the imagery of sexy construction men. “Well, we better head down soon and do some uhhh… quality assurance, don’t you think?”
************
As I lead my trio walking down the little tree-shaded drive leading to the beach cabin, the sound of shouted voices, hammers, and sawing reaches us. Also, a radio tuned to some Sirius station: a recording of Casey Kasem counting down the next top 40 hit from a random year in 1970 reaches our ears. Fleetwood Mac’s “You Make Lovin’ Fun” starts up and I smile. I turn to glance over my shoulder at Denis, who is towing a wheeled cart with a big cooler and an insulated delivery bag secured in it. Ken and Jon both nod their heads to the tune.
We get closer, and we head for the pair of pop-up canopies set up nearby the construction zone. There are plastic card tables underneath, hosting a few Igloo water coolers and several folding chairs. The Gulf breeze floats mercifully over us as someone finally notices our approach.
“Hey, Madam!” Ryan calls out from his perch on a ladder leaning against the side of the wooden skeleton frame of the extension. He’s in jeans and a white t-shirt, soaked through with sweat on his chest and armpits. “What have you got there?”
Every other head perks up from their various tasks. Andy, Tommy Lee, Jeff, Stephen, Stevezie, Denis and even Joliver have been working ceaselessly all morning. To a man, they are all similarly attired, and perhaps even more sweaty.
“Wow, they’ve done so much already,” Denis says before he winks at me, then holds his hands to his mouth and announces “Déjeuner est prêt! Come and get it everyone! Allons-y!”
Everyone drops everything and head over toward us, making a few hoots and whistles usually reserved for the passing of a pretty woman. The four of us unload our haul as my passel of smiling Dwellers each find themselves a chair, and we get to setting out pizza boxes on the tables and popping caps off ice cold bottles of lager from the cooler. Once all my workers are served, Denis, Ken, Jon and I finally sit down and join them.
“Mmm, you are lifesavers,” Joliver says as he wipes his brow and fans himself. “I am definitely not cut out for this kind of labour.”
“Oh I think you’re doing quite alright,” Ryan says with a grin between sips of beer.
“I’m not ashamed to admit I’m with Joliver on this one,” Stephen adds, then looks to me. “I wouldn’t do this for anyone else in the world, and I’m happy to do it.”
“Hey, we said we’d get right on it as long as catering was provided,” Denis says smugly. “We got ya covered.”
Jeff beams at the group, raises his bottle up. “I’m having the time of my life working with you guys! Cheers to all of y’all!”
We laugh and toast to that, then get back to the very important business of devouring our pizzas.
After a gustatory silence, I sit back with my beer and stare at the big blueprint clipped between the poles of one side of the canopy. It shows not only the first floor bedroom/bath combo promised, but an addition on the floor above it, which extends the loft bedroom. “What’s the extra space for?” I ask, pointing.
Tommy Lee nods, uses the neck of his bottle to indicate the drawing. “That was Ryan’s idea. Just some extra space up top for an office area.”
Ryan looks to Denis and shrugs. “Yeah, I figured if the kiddo will be running around, you’d need a more quiet space to do any homework or take studio calls. Can’t just spread out on the dining table anymore.”
Denis’s cheeks plump up with his smile. “That’s very thoughtful, merci beaucoup, mon amour.”
“Awe, that’s perfect,” I say, patting Ryan’s shoulder. “Thank you, sweetie.”
“And you can’t tell from that blueprint,” Andy says as he grabs another slice from the closest box, “But the side facing the water, we’ve extended the deck so you have a little outdoor dining area as well.”
I raise my beer again. “I love that so much! Y’all are the best!”
“It’s big enough for a big deck-warming party after when we’re all finished,” Stevezie suggests with a wink.
“Oh, absolutely, we should do that,” Denis says. He looks around, makes a point to catch everyone’s gaze as he speaks to the group. “I cannot thank all of you enough for your heartfelt support. I am humbled by how quickly and confidently you have come together to get this project underway. I’d be lucky to have this team on a film set, but I’m even more lucky to have you as a family.”
As my eyes immediately well up, I wonder if his hormones have a magical way of coursing through me as well. I spot Ryan having a similar reaction, and he acts on it first, leaning over in his chair to cup Denis’ neck and kiss him firmly on his cheek.
“We’re lucky to have you both here,” Stevezie says to the duo. “And we’re gonna do all we can to get this finished before you bring our new girl into the Manse.”
I reach over and squeeze Stevezie’s hand on his knee. “And I’ll make sure you’re all properly fed in the meantime.”
“Here here!” Joliver says. “Huzzah to the team!”