Or Get Off the Pot

"It's all yours," said a familiar voice in her ear. "Why don't we go, clear it out, and start all over?"

Crystal looked back at Adam and nodded. Then she took his hand and they crossed the street together.

***

He opened the door to the Sanctuary and was hit with a solid wall of sound. For a moment he did not know what song was playing; he just felt the throb of the music. But then he righted himself and identified it, just as it was going off. All this settling in had given him time to find her in the gloom. She had been swaying to the music and was now paused, waiting for the next song. She made him throb even without it. He grinned.

The next song started. It was the Fifth Dimension's "Wedding Bell Blues". She had a strong voice and she knew the words - more than he could say - so he took a seat and waited for her to finish. He knew if she saw him she would stop and come over.

It was not quite over when she did spot him, and she came over to scold him for not saying something earlier. "I was enjoying myself," said Adam. "I like to hear you sing."

Crystal made a face as she sat on his lap. "Yeah, right. The boys are taking a break. And you know me, I can't stand silence."

He did know that. "Umn," he said as he kissed her. "I still say you have a great voice. Your brothers got theirs somewhere." She made another face and he said, "Scoff all you like, Missy, but it only makes sense. They are tenors, right?" She nodded. "And you're a soprano. Fruits from the same tree - what makes you think they have talent and you do not?"

"Yeah, well, the talent I have has nothin' t'do with my voice."

Adam shook his head. Couldn't get through to her that she was worth more than just for sex.

The next song was going on. It was "Worst That Could Happen." That was the one that started with, "Girl, I heard you're getting married . . ." Adam raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to give me a hint or something?"

Crystal moved off his lap to look at him. "No. I just like these songs. Why?"

"No reason." He looked at her closely to see if he'd spooked her. She didn't seem spooked. He wondered what he would've done if she'd said that she had been trying to hint to something.

"Penny for your thoughts," she said.

"Don't waste your money."

"Adam?"

"Umn."

"How many times have you been married?"

"Legally?" She looked at him oddly, and he shrugged. "I considered some relationships permanent even without the piece of paper."

"Like in the mid-sixties?" she asked, grinning. The current trend of the music was from a CD dated 1969.

"Or later." He sounded serious and she eyed him. "The last one I consider a 'wife' was not legal," he explained. "And there have been others."

"Fair enough. How many relationships were serious enough for you to consider the woman your wife?"

"About sixty-eight."

Crystal sat heavily beside him. "Shit."

"What's wrong?"

"That's a lotta pressure."

"Why?" he laughed.

"Why!" She shook her head, starting to walk away. He caught her hand and pulled her back into his lap.

"Shh," he said, kissing her. "They're not here. I'm sure if I wanted, I could ask Rayden to bring them here. Especially . . . that last one. But I haven't. Do you know why?" She shook her head. "Because I am happy with you. I never thought I would get over Alexa . . . she died after we were together only a year. But I am. I could no more give you up for her now than I could imagine giving her up when she was with me then." He kissed her again. "Because I love you, Crystal. I fell for you the minute I saw you. There's no going back."

She was stunned to silence. When she finally opened her mouth to reply, they both heard someone coming from the back of the club. She had asked Brendan, a young man who was staying at Wellesley and who looked like a young Richard Sharpe, to help out. There was also a bartender, a young man named Simon Wicks. Wicksy was not yet there for the night.

Seeing Brendan arrive with a case of beer, Crystal jumped off Adam's lap. As Adam went to help the young Beanio, he hoped that he and Crystal might continue this conversation later.

***

"Oh for Ra's sake will you get over it?"

The blonde looked up, tears in her eyes. "I'm BORED! Why did I ever say no?"

"Because you were jealous. Now get over it," Phoenix repeated, stalking over to her mirror to adjust her low cut dress. "Go out, get laid, and get over it."

Melissa made a face. "Like you're gonna do?"

A smile answered her. "Oh yes. But I'm looking for more than a little hip action," the Egyptian said as she checked her nails. "I'm going fishing!"

"Fishing? Fishing for what?"

Phoenix came back and sat next to her friend. She liked the girl. She really did. She was just very young. "I've got a date with a Mr. Simon Pemberton," she said. "Now, Mr. Pemberton, being a SIM, has certainly got what it takes where I need it, but I have lately found my interest piqued by a young man who works with him, and who has ungallantly paid me no mind whatsoever! That cannot be. So I need to trap him. And I know no better way in than his room mate." She smiled secretively. "By tomorrow I hope to have another notch on my lipstick case."

Melissa sighed. "Good luck," she said. She didn't doubt her friend's ability to achieve this task. Thoughts of her nabbing two men made her sad, though. "How will I ever replace them?"

"Oh for the Sun's sake! There are more Vims in this place than you can shake a tit at. Grab a few. They're willing. Look how they lined up for Connie!" This made Melissa's pretty face turn red. She was still jealous of Constance. Seeing it, Fee said, "Ah. I get it. So, plan a Vim orgy. They'll all come."

"They all came all right. But that's cos they wanted to make a baby."

Fee looked at her friend. "Oh, please."

"Not me!" said Melissa. "I should've made myself Immortal when I came in."

"Makes no difference anyway. Here we can have kids. If we want to. Don't look at ME though." She fixed her lipstick.

"So how can I get 'em to line up without getting knocked up."

"Good point. So take 'em two at a time. Just go get a few and have fun."

"Never gonna find two as good as my Andre and Simon!"

Phoenix rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm outta here. You can use Max if you want. He's definitely fun for a tumble."

Melissa nodded. Her favorite flavor was Vim, but Max LaPena was good any day of the week, and that was indeed a thoughtful *gift*. After Fee was gone on her date, she went up to the bedroom and woke him. He didn't even seem to mind the change in bed partners much, and performed like a trooper until she let him sleep again.

***

As the crowd started filing in to the Sanctuary, Crystal went to where Adam was sitting at the bar. "Did you mean that before?"

"About loving you? Yep. I may not be a prayer book of honesty, but I have my moments." He reached for his beer. She took it from him and placed it back on the bar.

"C'mon."

"Where are we going?"

"Home."

"But the night's just beginning."

"Yep. It is. Brendan can watch this bunch. I need a night off." Adam grinned and got off his barstool. Offering his arm, they went out into the night, walking the short distance to their home. No one would be there, since her brothers and Damian Cooper were all at the club.

They went right up to their room, and as soon as the door was shut and locked (in case someone discovered they were missing and came investigating), Crystal stripped off her thin summer dress. She had a lovely compact figure, perfectly proportioned, and Adam smiled as he looked her over. The dress had spaghetti straps, and she had not been wearing a bra, though she was technically too large up top to do so. All she wore now was a small pair of lace panties and her heels.

"Oh, c'mere," he said warmly.

"Not till you take some of that off," she grinned. Nodding, Adam stripped to his boxers, which were already moist in front. His thrusting shaft was nearly coming through the fly-hole. Seeing this, Crystal giggled and came over, easing it out so she could tease it with the very end of her tongue. Adam reached for something to steady him, could not find anything, and had to grab her slim shoulders. She took him into her mouth further and sucked, grazing her teeth across the taut flesh and then flicking her tongue along the underside.

"Enough," he said suddenly, "I need no encouragement. You usually do."

"Not tonight," she purred.

"You mean you don't want to be wife 69?"

Usually that turned her off, but tonight she just giggled. "I would get that number, wouldn't I?" Adam chuckled, pulling her toward the bed, but suddenly she hesitated. "Adam? If there were that many women, how can I . . . compete?"

"Compete? What the hell are you talking about, compete?"

"How could I be . . . different? Special?"

He kissed her. "You are different. I've known no one like you. I promise. Besides, no one has been number 69 before, though of course I have. . ."

She placed a long nailed finger against his lips. "Didn't say I'd marry you."

"You don't have to. You're number 69. I never got to legally marry Alexa, either, though we had a ceremony of sorts."

She stood, thinking quietly. "I want to stand out. I want to be someone you'll never forget."

"I said I . . ." She shushed him again.

"Let's have a baby."

"What?"

"Don't you want one?" She pouted. "Or just not with me."

He kissed her gently, then said seriously, "I can't think of anyone I would have chosen over you, Crystal. Not in 5,000 years. Yes, let's have a baby. And let's make the marriage legal, so my child will be legitimate." He got down on his knees. "Will you marry me, Crystal Verdi, and make me the happiest man on Emerald Realm, the world, and in all of history?"

She blushed. Then she nodded. "Can it be a boy? I don't do well with girls."

"Sure. I want a son."

"Brian? Can I name him Brian?"

Adam laughed and said she could name it whatever she wanted. Then he brought his hand from behind his back, and in it was a magnificent diamond ring. <<Thank You, Rayden my good friend!>>

Crystal gasped. "Holy sh---!"

He picked her up and took her to the bed. "Brian Paul Pierson," he said as he placed her on the mattress. He started kissing her, lavishing her whole body with attention, and she was more than happy to put the conversation on hold for a while.