Baby Kisses

Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Harebrained Idea

The plane had been in the air an hour and Harris hadn't stopped talking for more than two minutes. Miles closed his eyes and berated himself for having invited Tooty and Harris to New York. What were you thinking? He answered his own question. You weren't.

"Mister Brightperson, are we almost there?" Harris asked for the fortieth time from his seat behind Miles' special accommodation in first class.

Tooty said, "Brightman, Harris, not Brightperson."

"No, son, not yet." Even in his irritation, Miles couldn't help but grin at the excitement in the child's voice.

"I gotta go to the bathroom, Mommy," Harris yelled loud enough for the passengers in coach to hear.

"Okay, Harris. Let's go."

After they returned, Harris said, "Mister Brightperson, are we almost there yet?"

* * *

Tooty held Harris' hand and followed Miles through the crowd of airport travelers. Both she and Harris were stunned speechless at the enormity and grandeur of JFK International. Miles was talking to someone on his cell phone. He said goodbye and then stopped his wheelchair. "This way is baggage claim." When they reached the luggage carousel Miles said while they waited for it to start, "My driver is waiting outside the terminal. He'll take us to my penthouse and you'll have the remainder of the day to unpack and rest, and tonight my parents and a friend are coming to dinner."

To Harris' delight the carousel made a grinding noise and started circling and spitting out baggage. "There's ours, Mommy!" Harris yelled and pointed to two faded yellow suitcases that Tooty had bought for a few bucks at a garage sale. She lifted the luggage off the conveyor. A few minutes later, Miles lifted his expensive black leather one with telescoping handles. He set it on his lap. "Put Harris' suitcase on top of mine. It's small enough."

Tooty did as he asked and then, holding Harris' hand while pulling her old suitcase on its wobbly wheels, followed Miles as he pushed the joystick on his wheelchair and started forward. After a long walk through bustling crowds focused on reaching their next destinations, they finally exited the terminal.

Miles paused and scanned a line of limousines. "There's my driver." He pointed toward a tall, skinny, older man with slicked back gray hair peeking from beneath his chauffeur's cap. The distinguished looking gentleman hastened toward them.

"Good afternoon, sir. It's good to see you again. I trust you had a pleasant flight." The chauffeur glanced at Tooty and Harris standing beside Miles.

"Yes, very nice. It's good to see you too, Harvey. I'd like you to meet Miss Tooty Townsend and her son Harris. Tooty is my personal assistant in Colorado. She'll be working for me while we're in New York. Tooty, this is Harvey Frankowitz. You'll meet Myrna, his wife, at the apartment"

Harvey bowed slightly. "My pleasure, Miss Townsend." He looked at Harris. "And it's a pleasure meeting such a fine young man as yourself, Harris."

A movement beyond the backseat window of the limousine caught everyone's attention and Harvey reached to open the door. Tooty watched a pair of slim, shapely legs and shiny red heels swing toward the curb as a woman of exotic beauty stepped to the sidewalk. "Hello, Miles. I'm so happy you're home. I hope you don't mind that I came along to greet you. God, I've missed you." She bent and lightly grazed his lips, lingering a second, and then slid her finger across his mouth to remove her lipstick.

"Hello, Monica. I'd like you to meet Tooty Townsend and Harris."

Still bending over Miles, she turned her head to scan them from head to toe. Rising, she walked toward Tooty and stretched out her hand. "I'm pleased to meet you. Miles has told me all about you and Harris. When he left for the Wild West, I just knew he'd have to hire a personal assistant. My name is Monica Newport and I guess you could say I'm sort of a personal assistant, myself. I love helping Miles." She shook Tooty's hand and her eyes conveyed the true meaning behind her words.