Chapter 53: A Night at the Channing Estate
Mormonism is a uniquely American religious movement, a branch of Christianity founded in the 19th century. While its theological doctrines are complex, what's most relevant here is its historical practice of polygamy. Ron had definitely done his homework on this one.
Whether he actually planned to get married or not, at least the comment was enough to smooth things over with Max. Ron could feel her body relax against him.
"Hey! What are you two still doing out there? Get in here so I can close the door and turn on the lights!" Caroline's head popped out from behind the door, and the two quickly separated with guilty expressions. Fortunately, Caroline didn't seem to notice anything suspicious.
"Why does the floor feel so bouncy?" Max commented as soon as she stepped inside the house.
"That's Persian carpeting," Caroline flipped on the lights, and the mansion's opulent interior immediately left Max speechless. She swore she'd never seen such luxurious home décor in her entire life.
"Holy shit!" Max exclaimed. "This is impossible—is this freaking Buckingham Palace? I want to say something I never say: 'Oh my God!'
Even though it sounds totally lame, it's the only fancy phrase I know. Did they invent wealth here or something?"
"Max, this is just my walk-in closet," Caroline said casually, looking around nostalgically. This used to be her private sanctuary, and apparently nothing had changed.
"You have enough clothes to house homeless people!" Max was astounded. "Look at this! Just look!"
Like a kid in a candy store, Max spotted something new: a row of fur coats that were clearly worth more than most people's cars. "You're ridiculously wealthy! Okay, I knew you had money before, but I had no clue. You're like, disgustingly rich!"
"You're embarrassing me. Wait, where's Ron?" Caroline tucked her hair behind her ear self-consciously. "He was just with us."
"Went to grab some party supplies," Ron returned, holding up two bottles. "Hope you don't mind, I borrowed a couple bottles from your father's private collection without asking permission."
Ron had retrieved an authentic 1982 Romanée-Conti—not the kind of wine he could afford in his previous middle-class life. These two bottles were treasures that even Mr. Channing rarely touched, saving them for truly special occasions.
Too bad he got arrested before he could enjoy them.
"They don't belong to Dad anymore," Caroline said with initial sadness, then brightened up. "So why don't we drink them now?"
"That's exactly what I was thinking." Max, abandoning her exploration of Caroline's shoe collection, quickly grabbed a wine glass. Ron poured both women a generous serving and raised his glass in a toast.
"I wanted to celebrate Her Majesty's new chapter—the freedom she always dreamed of—but that doesn't seem to be going so smoothly," Max shot a pointed look at Ron. "So instead, I'll toast to both of you succeeding in the cupcake business."
Max nodded with satisfaction. "Cheers."
The three glasses clinked together in mid-air.
Caroline, who had the lowest alcohol tolerance of the group, was immediately tipsy, and Ron had to carefully carry her back to her bedroom to sleep it off. Actually, Ron had called Jack while getting the wine.
After the Channing estate was seized, it was temporarily under Department of Justice management, which had connections to Jack's agency. So Ron had called Jack for a favor and, incidentally, to have someone remove the unconscious security guard he'd had to knock out in the surveillance room.
Otherwise, with the security protocols in this upscale neighborhood, there would be regular shift changes and patrols, making it nearly impossible for the three of them to avoid detection unless they were extremely careful and didn't even turn on any lights.
When Ron returned to the walk-in closet, Max was nowhere to be found. The sound of running water came from the adjacent bathroom. Ron, feeling drawn by curiosity, pushed open the door to find exactly the breathtaking sight he'd anticipated.
"Aren't you going to wake up your sleeping beauty with a kiss, Your Majesty?" Max gave Ron a sultry look while running soap along her exposed arms. Ron was once again struck speechless and swallowed hard.
This woman was absolutely captivating.
"I know Caroline pretty well. That wine is enough to knock her out until morning," Ron said, pretending to wipe away nonexistent perspiration.
"Honestly, what have you been feeding Caroline lately? She seems heavier after just a few days with you. You have no idea how exhausting it was carrying her to the bedroom. I'm completely sweaty. Might as well take a shower too."
Ron unbuttoned his shirt and approached Max.
...(Extended intimate scene follows - details left to imagination)...
The next morning, Ron's phone alarm jolted him awake. He started to rub his sleepy eyes when he realized his arm was pinned down. Looking down, he had a perfect view of Max's assets.
Ron had no choice but to gently free his arm and search for his scattered clothes in the disheveled closet.
It couldn't be helped. The previous evening, Max had gotten the wild idea to try on some of Caroline's outfits, and Ron had enthusiastically encouraged the experimentation.
Despite their slightly different body types, Max could still fit into Caroline's clothes, and everything looked incredibly form-fitting, which had really enhanced their evening's philosophical discussions about life and relationships. They'd finally gotten some sleep just before dawn. While they'd had an amazing time, it also meant Ron needed to clean up the evidence before Caroline woke up.
Maybe the noise Ron made while tidying up was too loud, but Max stirred drowsily: "What time is it?"
"Eight-thirty."
Max, still groggy, suddenly bolted upright: "Oh crap! I almost forgot I have a babysitting gig this morning at nine. I need to help Rebecca watch the twins!"
"Don't worry, take your time," Ron tossed Max her clothes. "In case you haven't noticed, Rebecca lives in this same neighborhood. It's less than a ten-minute walk. If you want, you can grab breakfast before you go. I already made some—it's in the kitchen."
"Really?" Max slowed her frantic dressing. "Do you even know where the kitchen is? Caroline's house is so massive I nearly got lost just trying to get water last night."
"Of course I know."
Max's eyes sharpened, with a hint of jealousy creeping in: "Seems like you know Caroline's place pretty well. You must have spent a lot of time here before, right?"
Ron switched to smooth-operator mode without missing a beat: "Yeah, actually I had quite a bit of business with Mr. Channing previously, and that's when I met Caroline."
Max couldn't detect any deception in Ron's expression. Honestly, she didn't really care anyway. They weren't in an exclusive relationship to begin with. It just stung a little thinking that Caroline could be with Ron openly while she had to keep things on the down-low.
"Lucky for you, you're hot enough that I happen to like you anyway."
(End of Chapter)
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