Chase re-entered the ballroom when all of a sudden he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Major Garfield Powers who just arrived and was handing him a glass of strawberry punch. "Hey!, how's it goin?....what's with the sour look on your face.", Garfield asked while dressed in his Army dress uniform which accentuated his superior physical form. Chase looked around at the guests and with feelings of frustration replied, "I had a brief scuffle with Samantha's ex-boyfriend a few minutes ago...I heard them arguing so I went to make sure she was ok,...he must have gotten insecure or jealous cause he attacked me...". Garfield looked at him intently then asked, "And so,....what did you do?". Chase looked back at him as he hesitatingly answered, "I kicked him in the gut....". Garfield suddenly gave a controlled laugh saying, "Are you telling me you beat up on that short dude?...What's his height?....five-three?...five-four?...". Trying to look serious but unable to hide his grin. "Here you are, six feet five, a killing machine who can dispose of 40 terrorists in five minutes and you beat up on that little man?....You could have held on to his head and watch him throw punches in the air all day?!....". Chase looked around feeling embarrassed as passing young women were smiling flirtatiously at him and Garfield as he said, "I know...I know...I just hope that Sam forgives me...". Garfield stared at the beautifull women within his sights then said, "Well, just don't blame yourself for Samantha's poor taste in men...", as they both grinned then took a drink of the strawberry punch they were holding.
Garfield turned to look at Chase as he said, "Oh! by the way, Congratulations on your mission in successfully rescuing Miss Price...I'm sorry though for the loss of two of your men....", Chase briefly glanced at him as his face turned sad then stared down at his drink saying, "Thanks Garfield...I should be happy...but anytime you loose one or more of your men in missions like that....it's just kind'a depressing you know...". There was complete silence between them for a whole minute as they thought of the dangers and hazards of both being in the special forces of the military. Chase glanced at Garfield once more, then after a few seconds of silence said, "You know, we've never talked about this before but I just wanna say that I'm sorry that you didn't get picked for the "Protector", mission which I believe you deserved more than I did...". Garfield smiled briefly trying to hide his disappointment as he replied, "Oh, it's ok man...the decision was above you and me...no need to be crying over spilled milk....Besides, my shoulders are too broad to fit into that Protector suit anyway....", as they both smiled while Garfield tried to minimize the importance of not being picked to be the first superhero in the world.
Back in the music room, Grey was feeling much better specially since Samantha was still hugging him as he took the opportunity to express his feelings. "Sam, before we go out there i want you to know that I still love you.....". Sam stared back at him, slightly annoyed, she released her arms around him and walked out the door in a hurry. Grey quickly got up and pulled up his sagging pants once more as he followed her pleading, "Could you please say something?,.....If you don't love me then just tell me now!..". Samantha abruptly stopped and turned towards him pointing a finger at his face and said in anger, "I am tired of your crap!....Right now you're emotionally in love but a few weeks from now it will all be the same again,...you'll be cancelling dates, you'll be leaving messages telling me that you're too busy with work and how stressful your life is and that you're sorry that we can't see each other for three or more weeks....I can't live like this Grey....I want a relationship not visiting rights!....".
Suddenly, they both heard a snap, the left clip of Grey's tuxedo pants which keeps his pant's waistline tight came off as it fell to the floor. They both stared at the shiny metallic object as Grey felt his pant's waistline loosen considerably. Sam picked up the clip as she asked, "What's this?...." Grey unbuttoned his tuxedo jacket as he stared at his waistline. He noticed that it was one of two clips which kept his pants tight. Now, only the right clip was fastened to his pants. "Oh! shoot!...this thing broke...", as he grabbed the clip from Samantha and tried to fasten it back to his left pant's waistline but it was torn off completely and needed to be sewn on with a needle and thread.
Samantha looked exasperated saying, "We don't have time for this....we need to do our dance now!...", Grey gave her an annoyed look saying, "I ain't going out there with broken pants...the second I lift my hands up, my pants is gonna fall down to my knees!....". Samantha realized that Grey's tux must be one of the used ones he bought from a second hand store as she said, "That's what you get for buying used clothing!....", showing him an irritated look, then after a few seconds of fidgeting, she asked, "Don't you have a brand new tuxedo you bought while we were shopping a couple of years ago?....how come you didn't wear that?...". Grey still trying to re-connect the clip to his pants then glanced at Samantha saying, "I'm saving that for a special occasion....". Samantha suddenly felt offended that Grey did not think of her father's birthday party as a special occasion as she sarcastically asked, "What kind of special occasion?...like your funeral!?....", as she crossed her arms over her chest while she felt her temper rising once again. Grey looked twice briefly at Samantha's mad facial expression while attempting to fix his pants then said, "No!....like our wedding!....", as he quickly looked back down re-focusing his attention on fixing the clip to his waist.
Samantha paused in complete silence as she felt emotionally moved by what Grey just said, which took her breath away, turning 31 years old in a few months, she was looking forward to getting married and having a family hopefully sooner than later. It was the next best thing she would ever want to hear from Grey next to a wedding proposal. But when she looked back at Grey, still struggling to re-attach the clip to his pants, she wasn't sure whether he really mean't what he said or was just throwing her another excuse. She knew very well that Grey could talk the talk but could never walk the walk. The only thing that was certain was that it was time for them to dance the dance.
Grey looked around trying to think of a way as he asked, "Do you know where your dad keeps his suspenders?.....". Samantha still look dazed from fantasizing about her wedding day and the thought of marriage as she was unable to comprehend Grey's question. Grey raised his voice feeling stressed, "Suspenders!.....those elastic things that holds up your dad's pants?!....". Samantha came back to her senses as she thought for a moment then answered, "Well, I think so...it's got to be in his room somewhere....". Grey stared at her intently saying, "I need you to go get me one of his suspenders to hold my pants up....that should do the trick...". Samantha quickly ran and went up their spiral staircase while she called her dad on her cell phone asking him where he kept his suspenders....As soon as she got in her dad's bedroom, she opened a few drawers and quickly found a stash of his suspenders. There were more than 50 of them with different colors and designs. she then picked a white one which should blend with Grey's white shirt. But before she closed the cabinet, she realized that she was still mad at him with some lingering resentment, specially for leading her on about the topic of marriage which seemed to mean not much to him. Finally, an idea came to her on how she could get back at Grey, she returned the white suspenders inside the drawer and left the room.
After, another five minutes, she finally runs towards Grey as he asks her, "Where's the suspenders?....". Samantha lied saying, "I couldn't find them....", she quickly hands Grey a six inch long hemostatic forcep instead. "What's this?.....", Grey asks with a frown on his face as he held the hemostatic forcep with his right hand. "It's my dad's hemostatic forcep which is an instrument for grasping blood vessels to control hemorrhage...you should know that....you're a nurse!....". Grey looked at Samantha in frustration as he replied, "I know what a hemostatic forcep is for,...but why are you handing this to me?....", Grey asked looking perplexed. Sam rolled her eyes pretending to look exasperated as she grabbed the forcep from Greys hand and with her left hand pinched the slack in Grey's pant's and with her right hand clipped the forcep therefore tightening Grey's waistline preventing his pants from sliding down.
She stood up straight trying not to laugh while pretending hard to look serious and determined that she found the perfect solution to the problem. "how's that feel?...Is it too tight?....I can loosen it a little more if you want?.....", sounding like his personal tailor. Grey stared at her for about ten seconds with an irritated look on his face as he asked, "You're serious aren't you?.....You want me to go out there and dance in front of a thousand guests with a six inch hemostatic forcep dangling by my side?!....". Samantha crossed her arms over her chest once more avoiding any eye to eye contact which might make her laugh. She tried to appear unconcerned at how silly Grey looked with this piece of surgical instrument hanging by his side. As much as Grey hated it, one way that takes away Samantha's anger for Grey was when she could embarrass and humble him, and even though Grey didn't realize it, Samantha's anger was about to slowly dissipate while Grey was about to embarrass himself.
Without waiting for anymore comments from Grey, She turned around and started walking briskly again with a smirk on her face as she walked towards the ballroom with Grey trailing her as he pleaded asking, "C'mon Samantha,...you can't expect me to dance with this thing hanging on my side?....I look ridiculous!....". Samantha briefly glanced at him with a serious look while walking as she advised him saying, "Just tell them it's a new fashion statement!....". Grey rolled his eyes at Samantha's derisive attitude. As they approached the entrance door to the ballroom, Grey pleaded once again asking, "What about safety pins?....a stapler?....fish hooks?.....just anything smaller than this?....", Samantha stopped right in front of the entrance to the ballroom as she turned around to face Grey saying, "Grey, we don't have time for this....we're 15 minutes late...get over it...ok?", as she was feeling a little nervous for having to dance with Grey in front of a large crowd without a single practice in over a year.
Grey was again mesmerized by the beauty of Samantha's face as he suddenly blurted, "I love you Samantha....take me back?....". Samantha was speechless for a few seconds then squinting her eyes in disdain for what she was hearing responded, "Love?!....what do you know about love?....Love is supposed to be give and take, it's about sharing....about selflessness and equality between a couple and not about controlling one's partner!....I'm sick and tired of you trying to make me feel bad about being a billionaire Grey!...and this being thrifty on dates does not work for me anymore....and yet when I offer to pay on dates, you won't let me.....I don't appreciate you making me feel guilty when I want to fly you to Europe in my private jet for a romantic dinner....i hate it when you make me feel guilty by telling me how the money spent for jet fuel could go a long way in helping the poor and the hungry...FYI, my corporation gives ten percent of our gross income to charity yearly which is more that what you donate percentage wise.....". Grey rubbed his forehead again with eyes closed as he felt his headache returning as he replied, "And what's wrong with having a simple dinner date at my place and watching home movies afterwards?.....". Samantha gasped in frustration as she quickly reasoned, "Grey, I'm sorry, but dinner at your place and watching old VHS movies I've seen numerous times on your second hand VCR isn't my idea of a romantic date!....You're the only person I know that still owns a VCR and collects old VHS movies....well....except for San Francisco's Museum of Antiquities that has the same brand and VCR model you have which they keep in a glass case to show grade schoolers during their field trips how their ancestors used to watch home movies.....". Grey suddenly got irritated at Samantha's condescension then wondered for a minute whether his VCR was now considered priceless.
Upon entering the ballroom, all eyes where on Samantha as she smiled to the guests pretending that everything was peachy. Grey entered next as the hemostatic forcep hanging from his waist swung back and forth like a pendulum as he stopped and stood behind her giving a wry grin to the audience. He tried to cover the six inch forcep with his tuxedo jacket, but his jacket wasn't long enough, it still showed two inches more of the surgical tool which kept on swaying whenever he started walking. The ballroom was still filled with over a thousand guests who were excited to watch a ballroom dance performance by Samantha and partner. Most of them wants to do some dancing too before the night was over.
As Samantha and Grey were walking towards the dance floor, Grey took away his focus from the forcep hanging by his side and tried to reason and make up with Samantha as he whispered saying, "Samantha, what I'm doing is building for our future,....I thought that you'd be proud of me?!....". Samantha stopped once again, turning around to face Grey while guests were looking and listening around them as she whispered in anger, "Future?....what future?....I don't see myself having a future with you...Between your full time job as a night shift nurse to owning and managing your own rental property company to recording and selling your songs and writing your next novel?.....where?...when?....and how do you plan to fit me into your schedule?...huh!?....", Sam, looked at him intently now feeling upset for Grey's stuborness and lack of importance he had for her in his life. Tears welled up from her eyes as she felt confused from mixed emotions of love, anger, hate, hopelessness, desperation and frustration. But Grey not wanting to back down reasoned, "My lifestyle had never bothered you before....What!, ....now that you're a billionaire, you expect me to heel, roll over and drop everything that i've worked hard for and thank the God of the universe that i have a billionaire girlfriend whom i love and want to marry and who will take care of all my financial needs?....I'm sorry but I don't count my blessings that way!...what you're looking for is a dog and not a husband!....". Guests hearing them argue were now whispering to one another as Grey and Sam were now causing a scene. Samantha wiped a tear with her right hand as she scoffed, "Ooooh...you're insane!....", as she crossed her arms again over her chest trying to control more tears from falling as she looked away from Grey. "I know...I know!...that's what my psychiatrist tells me all the time!...what else is new?!....", Grey sarcastically answered back. Samantha turned her back on Grey and walked unto the dance floor with Grey following her.
From the presidential table, Dr. Peters was watching them hoping that bringing them together would somehow workout their relationship problems. He also noticed what appeared to be a hemostatic forcep clipped to Grey's waistline which was swaying back and forth while Grey was walking. Dr. Peters looked at Maria who was sitting beside him and asked, "Do you think they have a chance?.....". Maria looking at Grey and Samantha then replied, "Looks like they're back fighting from when they left off from last year's party, we might have to do something about this if things get desperate...". Dr. Peters leaned back on his seat as he crossed his arms to his chest tapping his chin with his index finger as he replied, "Yeah, i think so too....If they part ways talk to Sam and I'll speak with Grey.".
Meanwhile, back in Norfolk Virginia, a convoy of five black Chevrolet Escalade sport utility vehicles with government license plates , bright police lights and dark tinted windows made their way inside the Norfolk Naval base. They were travelling 50 miles per hour at a 30mph zone. They made their way through Hampton avenue, turned to West 26th street then made another left turn at Church street until they found their destination. The convoy of vehicles stopped and parked in front of the home of five star Admiral Jose Rodrigo Rivera (Head and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff). From the third vehicle were four star General Cassidy Cheung (Vice Chairman to the Joints Chiefs of Staff), Captain Rougies O'Bland (Assistant to the Chairman), Masterchief Alex Cardenas (Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman), Lawrence Villes (CIA Assistant Director - Pacific Region) and Ensign Eric Wright (Recorder Trainee).
Doors opened to the first two and last two vehicles as military police officers came out to secure the area. The senior military police officer approached the fence leading to Admiral Rivera's home as he was met by two military guards who were shown some papers. One of the guards looked to the front door of the house as he spoke into his two way radio. After a few seconds, the front door to admiral Rivera's home opened as one of two guards waved his hand signalling that the visitors may come in. The passengers from the middle vehicle finally came out each carrying a laptop and a brief case as they formed a single line as they headed in to the house. Upon entering, a civilian house caretaker offered them a seat in the living room while informing them that Admiral Rivera will be with them in a few minutes. The caretaker served them coffee as they sat waiting for their military commander . Ensign Wright whispered to Master Chief Cardenas, "Is it ok to set up my equipment now?....", he asked nervously. The fifty-year old senior enlisted looked at him and grinned saying, "Sure...get it ready and relax, he's a real cool guy....". While the rest of the military team were drinking coffee, Ensign Wright started assembling his digital voice recording machine which will record and transcribe the minutes of their meeting.
Just when the Ensign finished testing his equipment, Admiral Rivera walked down a flight of stairs, already in his night robe. All the officers stood in attention except for the CIA assistant director. "At ease men...", Admiral Rivera announced as everybody sat back down. Admiral Rivera started pouring himself a cup of coffee as he asked, "So what brings you to this part of the woods at 2100 hours?...", the admiral asked as he leaned back in his chair taking a sip of his coffee. The men glanced at each other as the CIA assistant director answered, "Admiral, we're now on nuclear threat number two....". Admiral Rivera stared and waited for more information as he placed his coffee on the table and asked, "is this verifiable?....and who's the eye witness?...", CIA assistant director Lawrence Villes answered firmly, "Yes sir, this intel came from our level 15 spy inside the Al Queda organization. This is the first time this spy has communicated with us in the last seven years....we believe that the threat is real...". Ensign Wright looking confused looked at Master Chief Cardenas seating beside him as he whispered, "What's nuclear threat....", Admiral Rivera saw the Ensign whispering and interrupted, "Do you have a question Ensign?....". Ensign Wright suddenly got nervous as he answered stuttering, "I-I....ju-just...wondered....wha-what...nuclear threat number two was?....sir?...". Admiral looked at Master Chief Cardenas and asked, "Is he our new recorder?....What happened to that lieutenant who regularly does this thing?....". Master Chief Cardenas answered, "Sir, he caught a bad case of the flu and Ensign Wright here is our temporary replacement till the lieutenant gets better.". The admiral took another sip of his coffee trying to battle his fatigue as he announced, "Well go ahead and tell the Ensign here the technical terms we'll be talking about...and I want this guy as our permanent recorder...i don't want too many junior officers having knowledge of top secret matters of National Security....in the meantime I'll go to the bathroom to take a pee....".
The admiral left the group momentarily as Master Chief Cardenas started explaining, "Ok, here's a quick overview....there's five levels of nuclear threat that the Pentagon monitors. Level one means a plan has been discovered to bring a nuclear bomb into our country to detonate it. Level two...credible physical proof with eyewitness from a reliable source that a nuclear bomb is indeed present but is still in enemy territory. Level three is when the nuclear bomb has been loaded to a ship, plane or truck and is in route into our country. Level four...is when the nuclear bomb is within 500 miles of the U.S. seaboard or land boarder crossing. And Level five is when the nuclear bomb has successfully been smuggled into the United States and the threat of a nuclear detonation is imminent.....", Ensign Wright bit his lower lip as he squeezed his hands together then asked once more, "And the level 15 spy?...", Lawrence Villes spoke up explaining, "Level 15 is our deepest level of espionage in the Al Queda organization, that spy is inside the senior leadership circle of the Al Queda, his orders is to never make contact with us or with NATO unless a real threat of nuclear attack is threatening us or our allies.....". Just as he finished his sentence, Admiral Rivera joined them once more as he sat back down in his chair and asked, "Ok men,...so what's our time table....", the men focused their attention to Captain Rougies O'Bland who quickly turned on his lap tap computer showing a digital map of the Arabian continent, then pointing with a pencil in his hand started explaining. "Admiral...we believe that we will reach nuclear threat level three in the next 48 hours...intelligence reports shows us that a Chinese cargo ship, "The Shin Lee Chin", has been bought by a wealthy Arabian oil corporation belonging to the "Osama Bin Laden", group of oil companies. This cargo ship has been docked at the port of Oman for the past week. They've laid off all their regular crew and are now being replaced by an all Arabian crew, some who we know had some terrorist training.....unfortunately, since this is one of the most busiest main sea trading ports,...it will be easier to smuggle in a nuclear bomb. CIA director Jocelyn Lana thinks that even if we detect strong radiation signatures coming from a nuke, it will be hard to pinpoint where this bomb is hidden. She also said that It would be almost impossible to do a full search of all cargo containers while in port since cargo movement is so fluid and quick. Searching through thousands of tons of cargo and being one of the busiest ports in the world would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.,...they could also easily slip away from our hands while planting fake materials which emit the same radiation signatures that of a nuclear bomb. What she proposes is that we let our nuclear threat reach level four....CIA director Lana said that one of the ship's itinerary is to reach the port of San Francisco around 5 to 7 days from now to unload cargo. But we intercepted some intelligence reports that the ship will pass by the port of Vallejo (California) and a commercial fishing boat is supposed to make a rendezvous with this cargo ship....and it's not in the ship's formal itinerary.....this could be when they will unload the nuke...".
Admiral Rivera stood up and thought for a moment as he paced the floor now fully awake from the caffeine that swirled in his veins. Suddenly Ensign Wright raised his hand up as the Admiral asked, "What's on your mind son?....". Ensign Wright stood up and eagerly suggested, "Why don't we just blow up and sink the cargo ship when it's in the middle of the Indian Ocean?....", the Ensign showing a wide grin as he looked at the others. Admiral Rivera smiled briefly while rubbing his chin and shaking his head sideways said, "In this country son, we don't shoot and ask questions later....Unfortunately, we first have to ask questions and when we see them pointing a gun at us then that's the only time we can shoot....I like your idea though....reminds me of Clint Eastwood...". General Cassidy Cheung started loading his own lap top computer anticipating Admiral Rivera's inquiry on how to handle this threat. Finally, he heard Admiral Rivera call out his name, "General Cheung, where's the nuke made from and what's our course of action?....", without looking at Admiral Rivera and just focusing on his laptop computer, he answered. "There's only two choices, either the nuke was bought from Iran or North Korea, but since the nuke was first detected in Southern Afghanistan, they had to have obtained it from Iran....And about our course of action, I already set up a full meeting with all joint chiefs at the Pentagon this coming Tuesday....as we speak, the Chief of Naval Operations Vice Admiral Addy Baylawn has already sent three nuclear submarines in the gulf of Oman, they will stay and monitor the cargo ship and follow it when it leaves port. I've also asked Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Luke Amadeos to get ready with four teams of special forces when we need to board the cargo ship to check for radiation signatures and if positive to secure the ship before it reaches our ports. If they do reach our ports, our permanent coastal radiation sensors which surrounds the entire United States coast will be able to detect any nuclear device emitting radiation which is monitored by Homeland Security which is our safety net. Homeland Security Director Don Courtess told me that all sensors are 97% operational except for the one's in Florida that were damaged by the hurricane last month. Homeland security is presently installing portable radiation sensors until the permanent ones are repaired and operational, we should be 100% operational in the next 24 hours. I've also met with FBI Director Justin Healy and he's preparing 200 FBI agents to secure the port of Vallejo and about 400 FBI agents to secure the port of San Francisco. Air Force Chief of Staff General Ben Calibossman will assign a squadron of E2 Hawkeyes for surveillance and to track the movement of the cargo ship when it leaves port. The carrier Barack Obama and it's fleet of ships will maintain a 300 nautical mile distance from the cargo ship at all times. i also alerted the Commandant of the Coast Guard Vice Admiral Jimmy Anerow to keep his fleet on high alert starting today.
After two hours of brainstorming, Admiral Rivera felt his fatigue coming back as he poured more coffee into his cup. He looked at his men who also were showing signs of exhaustion but were still attentive to the Admiral as he quipped, "Don't worry boys, tomorrow's Sunday....you can all sleep in....", they all briefly laughed as some of them took more sips of their coffee. Admiral Rivera stretched out his arms and said, "let's change the topic and talk about the Korean crisis....give me the latest update....". General Cheung loaded new information into his laptop computer then said, "Well, as of yesterday, North Korea added 15 more attack submarines for a total of 40 subs and 10 more warships for a total of 35 battle ships, they've moved in 50 miles closer to the South Korean fleet and are 450 nautical miles from the South Korean coastline. The South Korean Fleet are fully armed and ready for battle. We have three carriers, 75 warships and 100 attack submarines located 150 nautical miles from the North Korean fleet and 600 nautical miles from South Korea's coastline. if they start a fight, we'll sandwich them like mayonnaise between cold cuts and sourdough bread. The South Korean troops are all entrenched and ready to go....together with three battalions of our own U.S. Army soldiers. North Korea has added six more infantry battalions on the border of North and South Korea. The North Korean defense minister sent a message yesterday stating that if our ships comes closer than 100 nautical miles of any of their ships that they will arm and fire 20 nuclear missiles directed at South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Hawaii, Guam, Thailand and the Philippines. The Chinese envoy has been expelled and they don't seem to want to negotiate anymore. They have refused all peace treaties, even the one's offered by China. CIA Head Jocelyn Lana thinks the threat is real and ambassadors of these Asian countries that are being threatened are asking us to stand down and leave the Korean crisis but there is strong evidence that if we back away....North Korea will attack and begin it's occupation of South Korea....so we're in this very precarious situation Admiral.".
Lawrence Villes looked around at all the long faces then spoke up, "There might be a way to diffuse this whole crisis....". Everyone stared at him in anticipation as he continued while loosening his neck tie, "Our embassy just received a letter four hours ago from North Korean President "Mai Soon", requesting the help of Dr. Mark Peters....the doctor-scientist who found the cure for cancer....". Admiral Rivera leaned back saying, "Well, we all know who he is now go on...". Lawrence Villes stood up trying to fight his fatigue as he paced the floor explaining, "French intelligence informed us that about two weeks ago, A North Korean diplomat paid a handsome amount of money to two French surgeons, one of them an Oncologist who specializes in cancerous tumors to do an exam on The President of North Korea. Upon their return to France, they reported that they diagnosed the President with stage four metastatic liver cancer. Obviously this means that North Korea's President will seek a cure for his cancer. In his letter, he asks to speak to Dr. Mark Peters via video conference this coming Monday at around 10am Pacific time.". Admiral Rivera quickly stood up with a smile on his face saying, "Good now we have more leverage against this dictator....i know Mark very well, he cured my wife's metastatic breast cancer two years ago. He has a lovely daughter named Samantha who's like a niece to me, and I believe she's the one running their CURE corporation.....Captain O'Bland, secure a private jet by tomorrow afternoon, we need to be in San Francisco before tomorrow midnight, we'll need to meet with Samantha Peters before President Mai Soon contacts her....". Ensign Wright suddenly stood up with a concerned look as he asked, "With all due respect Admiral, don't you think it should be Dr. Peters and not her daughter who should be meeting with this North Korean Madman?....a major nuclear war is at stake here....". Admiral Rivera glanced at CIA Assistant Director Lawrence Villes to tell them top secret information they have about Samantha Peters. Mr Villes stood up saying," I fully understand your concern, so what you're all about to hear is top secret information....", he then locked eyes with each person in the room except the Admiral as he continued by saying, " Samantha Peters....the daughter of Dr. Mark Peters and the CEO of CURE corporation which is the only cancer treatment facility worldwide with a cancer cure rate of 99.9% has been working with our government for the last two years. She has helped us with our foreign policies in ending civil wars and wars between countries by promising and providing cancer cures to their leaders in exchange for cessation of hostilities and peace treaties. The recent Arab-Israeli peace treaty which was forged six months ago was mediated by Miss Peters with the support of the united Nations and our government....". Captain O'Bland suddenly asked, "How come we never heard about this....it was never in the papers, news or any media?....". Mr Villes looked around as he replied, "That's because the only thing she wants in return was to keep her identity secret....she wants to be anonymous and out of the public eye. You all know the recent illegalization of smoking in the state of California....that wasn't the governor's work which was reported in the media. it was Samantha Peters who promised to hold back any cancer treatments to any California state politician who does not vote to illegalize smoking in California.....Same thing with the illegalization of whaling in Japan, She would not cure Japan's Emperor of his metastatic cancer until whaling was illegalized in Japan....in a matter of two weeks a moratorium was imposed on whaling and two months after, the permanent illegalization of whaling. Miss Peters promised to provide cancer cures for all Japanese politicians who voted to illegalize whaling.
Ensign Wright was at awe of Samantha Peters as he said, "Wow!.....what a crusader!....i just wished she could have done the same thing with the sharks before they became extinct a decade ago....". General Cassidy Cheung then commented, "Being a Chinese-American, I remember when I was growing up how my grandparents would always tell us not to eat at Chinese restaurants that served Shark Fin soup. They said that the time will come when the shark species will be all extinct. They also mentioned that because this dish was very expensive that those Chinese restaurants served it not for tradition but more for profit. They were proud to say that the soup's importance was to show how wealthy a family was to their guests whenever it was served in a banquet. They bribed politicians to keep shark finning legal in this country. In the year 2010 alone, over 70 million sharks were killed....". Mr. Villes concluded by saying, "And that's why we need people like Samantha Peters.....now are there any questions?.....". The room was silent.
Admiral Rivera crossed his arms as he yawned then said, "That's it men, we're calling it a night....or morning...or whatever the hell time it is...We'll leave at 1600hrs Sunday....today i mean't....". Everybody smiled as they stood up knowing it was going to be another busy week-end and a busier week ahead.
Samantha and Grey stood facing each other in the middle of the dance floor, as they waited for the band to get ready. Grey looked intently at Samantha while she looked sideways wiping off a tear with her hand. "Sam, please...let's work this out. Why is it that now that you're a billionaire that you've gotten more complicated?...". Sam stared at him with her eyes squinting in anger as she replied, "Every single time I wake up in the morning, the first thing I wish for is to have my mom back in exchange for all this money...No!,...this is not about me Grey, it's about you and your feelings of inadequacy,...your controlling attitude,...and your male insecurity unable to accept that I'm more financially successful than you!....that's the truth...". Suddenly, the music conductor cautiously approached them aware of their lover's quarrel as he felt like as if he was about to enter a lion's den as he hesitantly asked, " Ex-Excuse me....would you like to begin?..." Both Grey and Samantha quickly glanced at him as they both shouted, "No!...", in unison. Samantha stared at the floor as she checked her temper then looked at the music conductor as she apologized saying, "I'm sorry,...could you give us a few more minutes please?....". The music conductor nervously nodded his head as he glanced at the audience who were starting to get restless. Samantha looked at Grey as he was staring up at the ceiling with his hands inside his side pockets as she said in a soft tone of voice, "Grey, why does it seem like we're competing...whenever my company makes a billion dollars or open more treatment facilities, you start a new project or write another novel or work on another album of songs which keeps us further apart...Why are you so threatened by my success?....We're supposed to be on the same team, what are you trying to prove....You don't have to prove anything to me or to the world....I love you as you are....not because you're a professional...or a businessman...or a songwriter or a novelist....none of that means anything to me.....It's only your love,friendship and companionship that I seek.....I love you Grey but i can't live like this...", as few more tears fell from her eyes....
In the meantime, a young couple approached Dr. Peters and Maria in the presidential table. They introduced themselves as Rodel Polintan and Linda Cartens, they greeted Dr. Peters a happy birthday as hundreds of guests did that night. Dr. Peters recognized them as he asked, "You two look familiar, have we met before?...". Rod and Linda glanced at each other as Rodel said, "Yeah,...We're Grey and Sam's ballroom dancing coaches,...you used to watch us train Grey and Sam two years ago when they were getting ready to compete for the California State Ballroom Dancing Championship Competition...". Dr. Peter's memories came back as he showed a wide grin and gave each other a tight hug. "That's right...you were the one's I hired...you won the World Ballroom Championships five years ago right?...". Rodel and Linda glanced at each other once more a little embarrassed as they confessed, "Actually sir, we placed second....", Linda humbly responded while Rodel further apologized saying, "And we're sorry that Grey and Samantha only placed fifth in the State Ballroom Championships...We thought that the judges were biased towards Grey because he was short in stature....otherwise, we thought that they were the third best pair of dancers during that competition....". Maria while listening interjected, "You both still did a fantastic job considering that they've only been dancing together for less than two years when you began training them....".Rodel and Linda smiled in appreciation as they excitedly informed Dr. Peters and Maria that Samantha told them they were going to do the same choreography they did when they won fifth place in the State Ballroom Championships which included five types of dance styles which each lasted a minute and a half long before the next style of dance was introduced to the crowd by an announcer.
Rodel looked at Dr. Peters as he asked, "So have they been practicing a lot for tonight's dance performance?...". Dr. Peters and Maria glanced eerily at each other as Maria responded, "Actually they broke up a year ago to this day and this is the first time they've seen each other again....". Dr. Peters noticed the smiles vanish on the couples faces as he asked with concern, "Is there something wrong?...". Once again Rodel and Linda glanced at each other as if waiting to see who would deliver a bad news as Linda finally spoke up hesitantly saying, "It's just that with the choreography that they're gonna perform, it is based on precision, it has a lot of turns and swivels that needs to be practiced over and over again to achieve perfection but more than that,...there's this dangerous lift that Grey has to perform near the end of their performance. We added that dangerous lift to compensate for Grey's short stature....with him being short, they were automatically underdogs in winning first place, and so we taught them this acrobatic lift which would impress the crowd and help them bring attention to the judges....if done correctly it would give them a good shot at winning the championships. Even if the judges showed bias against them, the judges would have received the ire of the crowd since Grey and Sam would have done a lift that no other professional dance pairs do and even attempt because it's too risky. Rodel added saying, "They actually had a bad accident two years ago during practice...Grey was not able to lift Sam above his head correctly...we're not sure if it was the weight or the speed of Sam as she lunged towards Grey for the lift....", Rodel looked at Linda as she continued explaining, "Grey caught her by her waist lifting her up above his head, but he fell backwards due to improper leverage...and when Sam was about to fall head first, she braced her fall with both hands...She ended up spraining her right wrist and elbow from the fall....". Dr. Peters stared at Grey and Samantha standing alone at the dance floor as he remembered a time when he saw her daughter wearing an arm cast for several weeks which she claimed was from a fall while bike riding. He debated with himself whether to approach Grey and Sam to cancel the dance or let them perform, but before he could decide, the Bandoneon (A German instrument that looks and sounds like the offspring of an accordion and an organ started playing.
Grey and Samantha got ready to embrace as they moved closer to each other for the dance. The announcer introduced the, "Tango", to the crowd as their first dance. Grey looked up at Samantha asking, "Are you not forgetting something?..., Samantha squinted her eyes as she asked with an annoyed look to her face, "What?!...", Grey looked down at her shoes while asking, "Are you not supposed to wear flat heels when we dance?....". Even though Samantha knew that it was more challenging for Grey to lead when she wore two inch high heels which made her height about five-feet eight inches as opposed to Grey's height of five-feet five inches with shoes on. She pretended that she forgot and didn't care, she was still mad at Grey and that she was going to make this event as difficult for him as she could. She responded saying, "Oh!...I threw away all my flat shoes when I stopped dating short men....", she said with an obvious hint of sarcasm in her voice. Grey looking a little perturbed once again asked, "Ok,....so what kind'a tango are we dancing tonight?....". Without hesitation , Samantha quickly answered, "Argentine....Milonga....the same choreography from our state championship dance!....", as she announced with a firm look in her eyes and an unwavering tone in her voice. (Milonga is one of three types of Tango dance which has a faster pace with simplified Tango steps that are performed by professional Tango dancers during professional ballroom competitions. It requires more improvisations, more swivels and turns and is the most difficult to perform because of the precision, timing and speed of the choreography). Grey gave Samantha a surprised look then replied, "Ok....I can go for that.....but not the lift ok?...". Samantha stared at him in disapproval as she commandingly replied, "Everything!....we're doing everything including the lift or nothing at all....". Grey scoffed at her saying, "Are you crazy?.....we haven't performed or practiced the lift routine in two years....we haven't even practiced dancing together in more than a year...the least that can happen is we can embarrass ourselves in front of this crowd....the worst is that you can get hurt again like the time you broke your wrist....remember?...". Samantha ignored him, after a few seconds she took a step closer to him as she wrapped her right arm around his neck and held his right hand with her left hand, she kicked off the high heels from her feet feeling sorry for Grey's short stature, but as they got ready to dance, their cheeks touched as Samantha sniffed and smelled the scent of Grey's cologne as she moved her face away asking in dismay, "Are you wearing that same cheap cologne you always buy at the dollar store?...what's that called....Mucho...something?!....". Grey pouted at her as he answered defensively, "It's called Macho Man's cologne....why what's wrong with it's scent?...I never had complaints from women before?....". Samantha closed her eyes as she rubbed her forehead saying, "It always gives me a bad headache whenever I smell it...it..it..has that pungent smell to it....Why don't you ever use the cologne I gave you for your birthday?....". Grey looked away as he replied, "I gave it as a gift to a friend....". Samantha stared with disappointment as she replied, "What?,....that was $400.00 a bottle...". Grey glanced at her as he replied, "Well, I didn't want to give my friend a Macho Man's cologne as a gift for his birthday,...he might think I was cheap!....". Sam looked down at the floor feeling exasperated not knowing whether Grey was serious or was trying to make her laugh.....
While the guests were watching them argue, the bass and piano started playing with the violins providing a counter melody which mean't that it was time for their dance to begin. Samantha stared at him unconcerned as they both had that excited feeling people get at the start of a roller coaster ride. Samantha asked, "Well are we gonna dance or do you wanna back out?...". Grey feeling the pressure of the challenge replied, "Honey, there's just two things women say I'm good at....and dancing is one of them.", showing her an obnoxious smile. Samantha rebutted sarcastically saying, "Oh! yeah!...and what's the other thing you're good at?...pigging out at the $5.99 all you can eat lunch buffet at your corner restaurant?...the same place you took me for our first anniversary as a couple?.....". Grey squinted his eyes at Samantha's derisiveness as he held her tighter as they started moving smoothly around the dance floor. Every turn, spin and swivel excited the crowd as, "Ooooh's and Aaaah's", were heard, while a few laughed from staring at the surgical instrument clipped on Grey's pant's which swayed at all directions.
While dancing Samantha complained that she could not move too well because her long evening gown's slit on the side of her dress was only knee high. She had a ballroom dress ready at her room but did not get the chance to change into it. Without any warning, Grey spun her three times and when her spin ended, Grey was already kneeling on one knee, he grabbed the opening to her dress's slit and pulled them apart tearing her slit higher which now was up to her upper thigh, this caught the attention of most of the men as it revealed Samantha's firm and well toned thigh. People were impressed thinking that what Grey did was part of the choreography to bring some sensuality to the performance. "How's that?!....". Grey asked as they moved around the dance floor, "Much better,... though I think it's too revealing...don't you think?....". Grey with a smirk on his face replied, "It's not anymore embarrassing than this hemostatic forcep swaying at my waist....". They both smiled as they started enjoying this activity which they realized they missed so much of. As they started enjoying the dance more, Samantha realized that what impressed her so much about Grey was his constant improvisation, even when things went wrong, Grey always was a fast thinker in improvising and covering up their mistakes on the dance floor, a skill that was hard to learn, even among professional male ballroom dancers.
After a minute and a half, the announcer introduced the, "Samba", as their next dance. The music now was in a faster beat and as their movements quickened, Samantha was able to dance better due to the less restrictive gown due to the higher slit. Their movements were fast and swift with turns that were dramatic and engaging. After another minute and a half, the, "Cha-cha-cha", was announced which still had the same speed of music but with a different style. They glided around the floor light as a feather with their beautiful posture, passionate embraces, synchronized timing and crisp improvisations. Everyone was impressed except Dr. Peters, Maria, Rodel and Linda who were all worried about the dangerous lift that was part of the choreography which could cause serious injury to Samantha if Grey fails to do the lift correctly. After the ninety seconds was over, the "Rhumba", was introduced to the audience which was another latin dance beat with a slower more sensual tempo coming from conga beats as the sounds of a saxophone provided the air with a sexy melody while the sound of a Spanish guitar provided the counter melody. This was the part when Samantha showed her prowess as a ballerina with her sensual body movements. Her flexibility, beauty, sensuality and allure were what sets her apart from her female counterparts, and during their competition two years ago she knew that for them to get a shot at being champions that she had to be better than all the female ballroom dancers to compensate once again for her partners short stature. Near the end of their minute and a half, most of the men already positioned themselves closer to the dance floor to sneak a peek at Samantha, unfortunately, this upset some of the wives who were watching their husbands focus at Samantha's beauty while the wives were chasing the kids all over the place. She performed high kicks, leg splits and alluring stares which again excited the men as if they were watching a young Marilyn Monroe do a seductive dance. She briefly sucked and tasted the tip of her index finger as she slid her moist finger down to her chin, to her neck, then down to the middle of her chest as if to cool the raging heat of sexual desire that burned throughout her body. Grey grabbed her spinning her twice then dipped her gently, and as their eyes locked , Grey went for a kiss but Samantha turned away at the last second, pulling her back upright. They continued with their passionate movements as they felt each other's past, present and future intertwine in this one moment in time.
Then finally came the last dance, the "Jive", which had a faster beat and a swing and rock and roll type music, this was the part when the lift had to be done. Since this dance was more of an improvisational dance, there was no time or signal when the lift was to happen which increased the anxiety they both felt. People were applauding at the lively rock and roll music and the excitement as they watched the couple float around the floor having fun. Then, at the mid-point of their dance routine, they briefly parted while facing each other. The distance between them signaled that this was the moment of the lift. Sam wanted to show the audience her skills as a ballet dancer that she could jump up towards Grey without fear of falling, while Grey's challenge was to have the perfect timing in catching her, the strength and thrust to lift her and the leverage in balancing her above his head then spinning her safely back down to the dance floor. Meanwhile, Linda knowing what will happen, quickly covered her eyes with her hands while Rodel clenched his fists in excitement as if he was watching the last play of a football game which will decide the winner of a superbowl championship game. With grit and unwavering courage, Samantha took a quick few steps forwards then lunged towards Grey. Grey with his left foot braced behind him and with his right knee slightly bent in front of him grabbed Samantha by her waist as he lifted her up above his head, but when he thought he had the balance to keep her parallel to the ground, he lost his leverage as he felt himself falling backwards. With quick thinking, he aborted the lift as Samantha fell into his arms. Grey fell backwards as he hugged Samantha to protect her from getting injured instead of using his hands to brace his backward fall. Grey hit the floor with great impact due to Samantha's added weight. People suddenly stood up, the music stopped as Dr. Peters, Maria, Rodel and Linda raced to the dance floor. Surrounded by a crowd of on lookers, They made their way into the middle where they saw Samantha kneeling beside Grey. She had a frightened and worried look on her face as she called to her father, "Dad!...help him please...". Grey opened his eyes briefly looking dazed as he smiled at Samantha saying, "You're safe Sam....Thank God you're safe....", he then passed out as Dr. Peters started examining him carefully. (End of Chapter)
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