Life in Stoneybrook #9 - Friends in High Places
Title/Prompt - Friends in High Places (Table 1, Prompt 077: Rich)
Author -
bookplayer
Word count - 1976
Rating - PG
Summary - Stacey is at the Thomas-Brewers to help Claudia and Mary Anne get money to start the daycare, but something might be starting for Stacey, and she's not sure if she wants it.
Link to table - Over here.
Author's note - Sam/Stacey, with bonus extra-marital flirtation.
Previously on Life in Stoneybrook: Stacey has moved back to Stoneybrook with her husband and three children. Her marriage has been stressed since the birth of her third kid, and leaving her job in New York to care for the kids. Things seem better in Stoneybrook, where she reunited with Claudia, Kristy and Mary Anne. Claudia has a son by an ex-boyfriend who doesn't pay his child support. Kristy and Mary Anne are married, with a small daughter. Claudia and Mary Anne have decided to start a daycare center, and Kristy is trying to get Watson to loan them the money. Stacey had agreed to use her degree in business to help with the nuts and bolts of start up.
I kind of expected the Brewer mansion to seem smaller then I remembered it, but I was wrong. If anything, it seemed bigger, a sprawling house that could have chewed up my decent sized McMansion and still had room for seconds. And I was just shopping for houses a few weeks ago, so I knew what that square footage would cost. We used to go on about Kristy's mom marrying a real millionaire, but I don't think I ever got what that meant as a kid.
Claudia was looking out the window of Kristy's SUV in about the same way I was. Maybe we'd both spent too many years in New York apartments. Kristy and Mary Anne naturally didn't seem to think anything of it as they pulled in the driveway behind four other cars. This was still just Kristy's family's house to them.
It wasn't until we were getting out of the car that I noticed that one of the other cars in the driveway was a police car. I pointed it out and said, “Um, I hope everything is okay.”
“Oh, yeah. Everything's fine. I guess Sam's here.” Kristy said as we waited for Mary Anne and Claudia to come around the car.
“Sam's a cop?” Claudia asked. “Are you guys tying up the whole Connecticut court system?”
“They're going to have to if they want to keep David out of jail.” Mary Anne muttered. Kristy shot her an almost pleading look. I was curious, but I guessed that whatever problems her brother might have been having weren't something she wanted to discuss.
“It's just the two of us, so far. Sam joined the force right out of college. Charlie moved to Arizona, he's a computer network specialist. Emily's a senior at Stoneybrook Day School, and Karen and Andrew are in college.”
“What about David Michael?” Claudia asked, as we got to the door.
“David lives here.” Was all Kristy said. She opened the front door and entered the foyer, and called out “Watson? We're here.”
Watson Brewer came into the foyer from the kitchen, smiling. He'd had some heart problems years ago, but he looked healthy. He'd lost his hair on top, and it was gray around the sides and back, but he looked like the nicest old man ever.
“Hello Kristy.” He gave her a hug, then Mary Anne. Then he turned and held out his had to me. “Stacey, it's been a very long time, hasn't it?”
I smiled, and shook his hand “It certainly has, Mr. Brewer.”
He shook Claudia's hand, too. “You can both call me Watson. I can't believe you're all adults. Time just flies.. . .”
“I think it has to, to make up for all those minutes where it just seems to stop.” Claudia said.
Watson laughed. “I suppose so. I understand you have some business to discuss with me?”
Kristy nodded, “Yes, we do.”
“Well, would you mind if we discuss it in the kitchen? Elizabeth is working late, and Nannie is at the senior center, so I'm in charge of dinner tonight.”
Mary Anne smiled, “That's fine.”
Kristy grinned as we headed into the kitchen, “Any news on her boyfriend?”
Watson laughed, “I know he's invited her on cruise, next February. She's doing better since her hip operation, and I think she's going to accept.”
“Nannie has a boyfriend?” I asked. I couldn't help smiling. She must have been around eighty years old.
“Oh yes, a younger man. He's only seventy five. His name is Chip, she met him at the senior center.” Kristy said, laughing a little.
“It's so cute.” Mary Anne said. “We took them to a play a few months ago, and they held hands the whole time.”
“Boy, I wish I had Nannie's luck.” Claudia said as we all sat down at the kitchen table. It was the same one they'd had for years, a big, sturdy table with a long bench on either side.
“There might be a few more guys down at the senior center.” Kristy said. “But you'll have to check later. We have business now.”
Watson nodded, sitting at the head of the table. “You ladies would like to start a daycare center.”
Kristy nodded, “Claudia and Mary Anne, specifically. But Stacey and I are acting as consultants.”
“I worked out a business plan.” I said. Then I gave him the rundown on taxes, typical rents, insurance and inspection fees, the salaries Claudia and Mary Anne agreed on, all the numbers I'd put together. Kristy was grinning, obviously pleased. Claudia and Mary Anne were following along, I had explained it to them both before. I was a little worried about Claudia, I didn't want her to have a business that she didn't understand but she picked it up. I think a few years in the real world made her a lot smarter then math class ever had.
Watson asked some questions, about our pricing model and the space we could get for the rent we were looking at. I let Mary Anne and Claudia answer them to show that they knew what they were doing. He seemed happy with that.
“I would be happy to lend you the money. I won't charge you interest, but I will ask that you sign some papers stating how the money is going to be paid back. Does that sound fair?”
“More then fair. Thank you!” Mary Anne said, grinning.
Claudia looked thrilled. “Yeah, thanks!”
“It's my pleasure. Now, would you all like to stay for dinner? I have plenty.”
“No, thanks.” Kristy said. “I'm taking them out to celebrate.”
I smiled and rolled my eyes a little, because Kristy just could not ask people what they wanted to do. But at least she was offering to cover dinner, so I didn't say anything.
We all thanked Watson again before we left, and Kristy and Mary Anne hugged him and promised to come for dinner next week, then we headed back to the front door.
We were back in the foyer, when I heard a voice behind us. “Starting a harem, Kristy?”
Kristy stopped and glanced back, then laughed. “No, a daycare center.”
We all stopped and turned around. In the doorway to the living room stood a drop dead gorgeous man in a police uniform. Sam Thomas.
He stared at us for a moment, confused. He looked at Claudia, then for a long time at me, before he grinned at Kristy, “You do know that you, Mary Anne, Claudia and Stacey aren't the only people in the world capable of taking care of kids, right? Did you fly them in just so they could babysit?”
Claudia put her hands on her hips, “I'll have you know, we are the special forces of child care.”
Mary Anne laughed, “Right. There's the Navy Seals and the Army Rangers and the Babysitters Club.”
“More like Kristy's Angels these days.” He winked at me. My heart skipped a beat.
I just smiled and said, “What about Charlie?”
“I guess he'll have to find his own angels.”
Claudia and Mary Anne and Kristy all started laughing. I just couldn't stop smiling at Sam. He looked really good, in shape, with the same rich brown hair, and eyes that seemed to twinkle when he told a joke.
He shook his head and walked up to us. He held out his arms and hugged Claudia, “Seriously, how are you two? It's been years!”
“We're back in town, ready to be bossed around by your sister. What else is there to do in Stoneybrook, after all?” Claudia said, grinning. Kristy just laughed and shook her head.
“If there's something else, I've never found it.” He said. He turned to offer me a hug. A friendly hug. I wrapped my arms around him, and it felt a little past friendly.
“Be nice to me, Sam. You're going to need me for the divorce when Trina smells Stacey's perfume all over you.”
I looked up quickly. Kristy was grinning. It was a joke. Sam laughed, “Hey, they have showers here.”
I pulled away, Kristy's joke brought me back to Earth. Where I was married, and Sam was married. We were not in the back of his car after homecoming. We were grown people with spouses and families.
“You are incorrigible.” Mary Anne said, smiling at Sam.
“Why thank you. I'll look that up after you leave.”
“So you're married?” I said, trying to sound casual.
“Yup. I even got two kids out of it. What about you?”
“Yeah.” I said, thinking about John and feeling a little guilty. For no reason, of course. “Married mother of three.”
“I just got the kid and skipped the getting married thing.” Claudia said.
“With a charmer like Spooner, I can see why.” Kristy said. She looked at Sam, “I got to talk to him the other day, and he had some names for me and Claudia that you can't say on network TV.”
Sam raised his eyebrows, then looked to Claudia, “Is he trouble?”
“Nope. He's way too lazy to be trouble.” Claudia said.
Sam still looked concerned, and pulled out his wallet. He took out two cards and handed one to me and one to Claudia, “Well, if he ever is, or if you guys need a police officer for anything, give me a call. Even if I'm off duty, I can take care of things.”
“Thanks!” Claudia said. I just stared at the card. Officer Samuel Thomas, Fairfield County Police Department.
“I also strip on the side.” He said. Claudia laughed. He winked at me again, and I laughed too.
“Sam! That's disgusting!” Kristy said.
“What? I've got the uniform, and I've got the body. Might as well put them to good use.”
“I'm sorry, guys. My brother is an idiot.”
I smiled at him again, “We know. I think I kind of missed it.”
“Well, girls, it's great to see you again, but I've got to go put your tax dollars to work. I'll see you all later.” He said, but he was looking at me. He passed us and headed to the front door.
“Trina is an amazing woman, I have no idea how she puts up with that.” Kristy said, shaking her head.
“No kidding! Does he flirt like that with all the women he meets?” Claudia said.
“Pretty much. We go out to a sports bar to watch a game sometimes, and he acts like he's still 18. But he's a good man. He's always there for the kids and Trina.” Kristy said as we headed to the door ourselves. We went outside as the police car was pulling out of the driveway.
I watched it drive up the street until it turned the corner, thinking that it was a good thing Sam was married. Otherwise it might be awkward. I mean Sam wouldn't cheat on his wife, anymore then I would cheat on John. Right?
“Earth to Stacey. You have to get in the car, if you want dinner.” Kristy said. I turned to them, and they were all in the car.
I smiled, “Dinner would be a good idea. I think I'm getting a little light headed.”
I got in Kristy's car, and we went out for dinner and I didn't think anymore about Sam Thomas that night.
I did text him the next day, just to say “Hi.”