Publisher's Daughters.

[SEVERUSMAX]

Billionaire publisher Philip Larusso finished his second lager that Friday evening while waiting for his estranged wife to bring his twins, Audrey and April, for the weekend visitation. The rule was that the person dropping the girls off did the driving, which he would do when Janine got them back.

This was special, however. The twins had turned 18 last weekend and had their birthday party at their mom's, but he had something planned for them as well. The question was whether they would like it. Of course, the main event was on Saturday afternoon, which was why he could safely drink a beer or two tonight.

God, they're late again. He thought. It was 5:23, and they were supposed to get here at 5 pm. Typical Janine....never punctual, one of the petty issues that had destroyed their marriage (though being a strict Catholic, she had refused to divorce him). He didn't care. They were dumb things, but they were both at fault for nitpicking about them over the years and letting the fights get out of hand.

That was too late to change. He could only make the most of their strange situation now. Still, he would like to see them sooner.

 

[kimberlee]

I looked to April as we finally got into the car. She and I both had our driver's license but Mom and Dad still insisted on driving us back and forth. Mom had asked if we'd packed this item or that. She always overdid it. We were just going over to Dad's for the weekend - not the remainder of our senior year. Besides, Dad had some of our stuff at his place and he could buy a replacement of whatever we'd forgotten - not that Mom would allow that to happen.

I checked the time on my phone. It was about 4:45 pm. Dad was going to be seriously pissed off, especially since Mom tended to stop at a restaurant before dropping us off. It was only a fifteen minute drive but that stop would tack on another 20 - 30 minutes.

I sent April another knowing look. It was reflected in her own face.

"Happy Birthday," I half whispered. She grinned, rolled her eyes and wished me the same.

We were out of the house and in the car at 5:00 sharp. I doubt either April or I could say for certain whether our mother did it out of habit, a mother's concern or spite towards our father. Whatever the reason, I doubted Dad was going to be a happy camper by the time we arrived.

It was a little more than half past the hour by the time we got to Dad's. I really needed to talk to Dad about getting a car. One glance at April told me she wasn't looking forward to the fireworks either.

I think Mom knew she'd pushed the envelope this time. It was our eighteenth birthday after all. We should have been able to spend half the day with her and the other with him. She made sure we had our stuff before giving us both a hug and kiss good-bye and climbing back into her car.

My sister and I sighed before walking to the front door and ringing the doorbell.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Philip Larusso

The doorbell broke Phil out of his thoughts, and he quickly rushed to answer it. The butler had the night off on these occasions, since the family issues involved were none of his business (and he deserved a social life, too).

Phil smiled when he saw that Janine had not come to the door with them. Either she wanted to avoid the kind of conflict that used to erupt on occasions like this, or else she finally decided to give the girls a little bit of autonomy, since they were legally adults now....or it could be a little of both.

Phil was a bit more laid-back than he used to be these days, since his hypertension and stress tests had shown him that he needed to lighten up a bit. Not caring for traditional anger-management (it seemed so effete and PC), he had chosen an alternative path: Zen and other forms of Eastern thought. He had taken up martial-arts, among other things, and learned proper meditation. It had worked. His blood pressure had fallen and he had passed his most recent stress tests.

Of course, Janine didn't know that, so she might well be afraid of his rage. Well, that was her problem if she was stuck in the past. He had chosen to live in the present.

"Happy Birthday, girls," Phil greeted his twin daughters, giving each a kiss on the forehead, just as when they were little. Janine had always accused him of being soft on them and tough on herself. Well, there was some truth to that, though she embellish it a bit.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, hoping that Janine had not fed them already, but knowing that it was likely to be so (which was why he had the Chinese delivery number ready on his cell phone instead of cooking properly, since he had been burned too many times by cooking full meals and then have to put them all into leftovers).

 

[kimberlee]

April

Our father opened the door. I supposed that he'd given the butler the night off so that the three of us would be alone and able to get some quality time before Dad had to drive us back to Mom's.

Audrey and I smiled when he wished us a happy birthday. You only turn 18 once. And I have to admit that our eyes might have wandered about in search of our presents. I don't know whether my sister saw anything; but, I didn't. I imagined it was in the next room or something and would be brought out when the time was right.

He kissed us each with a peck on the forehead. Mem will be men; but, Dad will always be Dad. He always greeted us as his little girls. It was just another sign that while we might now be eighteen, we'd always be the girls he'd once bounced on his knees.

I met Audrey's eyes for a moment as he asked if we'd eaten or not. Audrey subtly sent me an unvoiced message. It was my turn to take the winds from Dad's sails. "Sorry, Dad. We stopped to eat on the way over." I left out Mom's insistence that she get one last meal into us so she knew we'd have eaten well before visiting with our father.

It wasn't as if Dad's company was likely to make one lose her appetite. Mom was the one that was a bucket of nerves, not Audrey or me.

"Yeah, sorry Dad," Audrey said. "You know how it is."

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Philip Larusso

"Well, I kind of thought as much. I'll just heat up a TV dinner myself, if you don't mind my eating in front of you. If you had been hungry, I would have ordered Chinese. How is your mother doing? Anyway, if you just wait, I'll get each of you one present. The rest can wait until your party tomorrow. These two presents are in the birthday cards themselves," Phil announced, before going into the kitchen and grabbing both envelopes.

Inside of each of them were department store gift cards with a 100 dollar value. It seemed impersonal, but Phil honestly didn't have much talent for buying them things like clothes. Janine always used to do that part. He handed both envelopes, inside of which were also gift cards that he had made up on the computer, with highly personalized messages to make up for the nature of the gifts.

"Your party is tomorrow, but tonight, I suggest that we watch a movie on the Blu-ray. Each of us picks one, since we don't have to be in bed by a certain hour tonight. In the meantime, I'll get my TV dinner ready and then start popping the kernels. You girls still like extra butter?"

He honestly hoped that he wasn't just some embarrassing, trying too hard to be hip Dad. He felt that he wasn't, but he couldn't be sure with a pair of 18 year olds.

 

[kimberlee]

Audrey

I think both of us had expected the gift cards. I knew Dad hated having to resort to them. I did note that he'd gone to some extra effort and not just bought some generic one that was good for all occasions. He'd actually personalized it. I showed mine to April and she showed me hers. He'd written a little something different for each of us.

I know that most people would shrug and think, so what; but, as one half of a pair of identical twins, she and I always seemed to get the same stuff. We'd looked like an advertisement for a buy one get one free sale at the local clothing store. As we grew older, we'd started buying some different items to separate us from 'the girls' and into 'Audrey' and 'April.'

I knew I, for one, planned to keep my gift card even after it had run itself out. I was pretty sure April would too.

"Thanks Dad," we said before giving him a brief hug and kiss in thanks.

Movies on the Blu-ray? I decided upon Avatar. I'd seen the movie before but never on blu-ray. April decided on Water for Elephants. After a short pause she and I decided to go with the extra butter.

It didn't seem fair that he was eating HungryMan and we's eaten out. Still, what could you do?

April and I moved to the living room and waited for Dad.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Philip Larusso

Pleased with having apparently chosen somewhat well, Phil quickly ate his TV dinner, finished his beer, and then settled in for the first movie and the popcorn with the extra butter. The twins hadn't changed in their love of popcorn with lots of butter. He couldn't blame them. He liked it that way himself, no matter how much Janine fussed about the health issue. He preferred a happier life to a longer one.

Having never seen Avatar or the other movie, he quickly agreed to watch their movies first. Since there was no other business for choosing between them, he went with Avatar first on the basis of alphabetical order. The girls seemed happy, which was what mattered most. He knew that they liked to be thought of as individuals, which was what he tried to do, but it was always hard for parents of identical twins. He hoped that he tried hard enough to recognize their individuality.

 

[kimberlee]

April

Audrey and I had both seen Avatar at the theater. It was awesome on blu-ray. My only gripe with the movie was its choice of name for the mineral that Earth had sent these people to Pandora to get. I mean, Unobtainium. Might as well call it Not-happening-ogen.

Neither of us had seen Water for Elephants. I'd done a book report on it and had heard that it had been recently released. The story alternated between a man in an facility for the aged - an old folks home - and the young man he'd been and how it was that he came to join the circus. I'd told Audrey the book was a must read; but, with exams approaching, I don't know that she'd had the time and later might have forgotten. In any case, I wondered how close it was going to be to the book and what scenes they'd cut out.

Sitting and watching movies with Dad was relaxing. Mom was a real calorie counter - not to mention cholesterol - and would have shuddered at the idea of popcorn with extra butter. That was what was great about visiting with our father, Audrey and I could simply relax and be. I hate to say it but it was like a short vacation from life with Mom.

Audrey and I moved the popcorn bowl to situate it between the two of us. Dad had his tv dinner, we had our dessert and we were watching some awesome flicks on Dad's blu-ray. All was right with the world.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Philip Larusso

Phil thoroughly enjoyed viewing a couple of movies with April and Audrey. He also liked how comfortable they seemed, sitting there with their popcorn and extra butter, watching two films.

He just hoped that his choice didn't bore them: Enemy of the State. He always liked that film, which reinforced his own conspiracy theorist leanings.

He checked his watch: it was now 9:45. He hoped that they weren't too tired, either. They were likely to have been up quite early, given their mother's mania for jogging (and her determination to get them involved).

 

[kimberlee]

Audrey

While fatigued from our long day, I managed to remain awake during 'Water for Elephants.' I wasn't sure that I'd be able to stay up through Dad's choice of movie - even if it did have Will Smith. It was a thriller and so I might make it through the movie; buy, I couldn't say for certain.

April appeared more awake than I was; but, she too had been blinking sleep away from her eyes.

"Raincheck on the movie, Dad?" I asked.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Philip Larusso

While fatigued from our long day, I managed to remain awake during 'Water for Elephants.' I wasn't sure that I'd be able to stay up through Dad's choice of movie - even if it did have Will Smith. It was a thriller and so I might make it through the movie; buy, I couldn't say for certain.

April appeared more awake than I was; but, she too had been blinking sleep away from her eyes.

"Raincheck on the movie, Dad?" I asked.

Phil had to admit that it had been a long day, so he agreed to pass on the movie for now, since it would violate the spirit of the evening, which was fun (what good is a movie where two-thirds of the audience is asleep). Two movies for one night were enough.

"Agreed," he answered with a smile.

"Ready to turn in for the night? Tomorrow is a long day," he inquired of the twins.

 

[kimberlee]

April

It may have been entirely in my mind; but, I sensed a touch of disappointment in his voice. Not in us, of course, but in the circumstances of the day. If Audrey and I had arrived earlier, we might have had that take-out meal he'd mentioned and started watching our movies just that much earlier.

It didn't seem right that Dad would get such a pittance of our time on this day. I cast a glance to my sister and she seemed to be thinking along the same lines - at least, I hoped she was.

"Nah, Dad. We're just not up to another movie. There anything else we can do?" I asked.

"How're things going with Rachel, your latest woman friend?" Audrey asked in hopes of getting him into conversation.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Philip Larusso

Phil smiled at their willingness to talk about his things, and not just their own. His daughters were thankfully not as self-absorbed as some people....which was more than he could say for Rachel. Once she realized that she would have to share his life with his already grown children, she hit the trail. She wanted to be first in his life.

"Oh, that. It was doomed from the start, but thanks for asking about it. Sometimes, women in their twenties can be so self-centered. Then again, so can men in their twenties, to be fair. Rachel was a little too hung-up on herself, as it turned out. I'm getting rather tired of the dating scene, at least in the traditional sense, anyway. I think that I'll just enjoy myself for now, and let the chips fall where they may. I've always been too much of a planner and too uptight. Eastern philosophy has taught me that this isn't necessarily the best way to live. Sorry to ramble, it just came out. I've given up on the conventional answers to the single man's predicament.

"For now, of course, I want to focus on my daughters. How was your birthday party?"

 

[kimberlee]

Audrey

"For now, of course, I want to focus on my daughters. How was your birthday party?" he finished by asking...

I'd shared a brief look with April when Dad had mentioned immaturity in men and women in their twenties. He didn't didn't know the half of it. Try taking any given man's level of immaturity and squaring it. That's what my sister and I often came across when meet new, young men - at least once the identical twin factor set in.

"Eastern philosophies?" my sister querried. "Does that mean you like do yoga and meditate? You're not planning on becoming a Buddhist monk or a Hare-Krishna, are you?" she asked with a laugh in her voice.

An image of my father as a hare krishna had me giggling. April joined me in laughter. Our father had taught us respect for other belief systems; but, the image from an old movie Airplane substituting my father for one of the actors portraying the worshippers of Krishna was too much.

The laughter tittered away and we apologized. "Sorry Dad," and I proceeded to explain of the image that had come to mind. I noticed the corner of his mouth raise briefly.

"Well, if it makes you happy, I'm glad for it. I didn't really like Rachel all that much anyways. She seemed jealous of the attention you showed April and me," I said.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Philip Larusso

"For now, of course, I want to focus on my daughters. How was your birthday party?" he finished by asking...

I'd shared a brief look with April when Dad had mentioned immaturity in men and women in their twenties. He didn't didn't know the half of it. Try taking any given man's level of immaturity and squaring it. That's what my sister and I often came across when meet new, young men - at least once the identical twin factor set in.

"Eastern philosophies?" my sister querried. "Does that mean you like do yoga and meditate? You're not planning on becoming a Buddhist monk or a Hare-Krishna, are you?" she asked with a laugh in her voice.

An image of my father as a hare krishna had me giggling. April joined me in laughter. Our father had taught us respect for other belief systems; but, the image from an old movie Airplane substituting my father for one of the actors portraying the worshippers of Krishna was too much.

The laughter tittered away and we apologized. "Sorry Dad," and I proceeded to explain of the image that had come to mind. I noticed the corner of his mouth raise briefly.

"Well, if it makes you happy, I'm glad for it. I didn't really like Rachel all that much anyways. She seemed jealous of the attention you showed April and me," I said.

"Maybe she had issues with her own father. Be that as it may, she had no right to expect me to shut my daughters out for her. As for being a Hare Krishna, no thanks. I haven't given up on eventually finding someone, just on the regular dating scene. It seems too forced and artificial. The same thing with a monk, of course. But I am leaning toward the philosophy of Zen. Just not the vegetarianism, thank you very much. I'm too Italian for that. I like my prosciutto and salami too much," Phil laughed at that idea.

"Not to mention popcorn with extra butter," he teased his daughters.

"Speaking of dating, do either of you have boyfriends lately, and if so, are they the sort that you can introduce to your parents?" he said with a half-serious, half-joking tone.

"Just for the record, they don't have to be Catholic, at least not with me. I can't speak for your mother in that respect," he added.

 

[kimberlee]

April

I looked to Audrey as our father asked for the status of our love lives. It was freaky how we often knew one another's thoughts before they were expressed. She wasn't comfortable with what had happened.

My boyfriend had told me that he thought it was best that we break off before heading off to college. I think he'd just wanted to see whether sex with a twin was any different than with other women. Audrey's boyfriend had hinted then pressured her toward the possibility of a threesome with John, now my ex, out of the picture.

While the prospect of a threesome wasn't new and was something she and I had talked about, we'd decided at some point that the man to make up the third party would have to be someone she or I loved whole heartedly and whom the other of us had to at least like a good deal. Jeff just didn't fit the bill. Besides, I'd only recently broken up with John and I wasn't comfortable with the situation.

"No, we're not seeing anyone at the moment," I said. "I was dumped and Audrey broke it off." I shrugged and was surprised to hear my sister explain why she'd dropped Jeff. I wondered if she wasn't angrier with Jeff than she'd let on.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Philip Larusso

I looked to Audrey as our father asked for the status of our love lives. It was freaky how we often knew one another's thoughts before they were expressed. She wasn't comfortable with what had happened.

My boyfriend had told me that he thought it was best that we break off before heading off to college. I think he'd just wanted to see whether sex with a twin was any different than with other women. Audrey's boyfriend had hinted then pressured her toward the possibility of a threesome with John, now my ex, out of the picture.

While the prospect of a threesome wasn't new and was something she and I had talked about, we'd decided at some point that the man to make up the third party would have to be someone she or I loved whole heartedly and whom the other of us had to at least like a good deal. Jeff just didn't fit the bill. Besides, I'd only recently broken up with John and I wasn't comfortable with the situation.

"No, we're not seeing anyone at the moment," I said. "I was dumped and Audrey broke it off." I shrugged and was surprised to hear my sister explain why she'd dropped Jeff. I wondered if she wasn't angrier with Jeff than she'd let on.

Phil was a bit stunned to hear the full details, though he secretly admitted to himself that a threesome with redhead twins would have its appeal. Nevertheless, the timing was very bad. When someone had just broken up....

"So, he expected a newly single and heart-broken woman to just jump right into a fantasy of his? He clearly doesn't know the ladies as well as he thinks. No patience, that much is clear. And he obviously wouldn't appreciate each of you for yourselves, just as components of his grand design. You're both better off without them. Your ex clearly didn't know how to just admit that he wanted to date other girls in college, or he thought it was kinder to insult your intelligence. Sorry, girls. Well, at least you're rid of those jerks and can find a better man," he ranted.

He hugged both of his daughters to reassure them.

"I know that it's no consolation now, but you will find someone else in time. Someone a lot better for each of you."

 

[kimberlee]

Audrey

"Yes, well, whoever it proves to be for either of us has big shoes to try and fit into. I don't imagine that you, being our male role model, are going to prove to be an easy act to follow," I said. "But we'll keep your words about twenty year old men in mind as well."

"Yeah, John and Jeff were totally immature. I hope my next boyfriend's able to appreciate me for me and won't see me as half of a pair of bookends or something," April added.

I nodded in agreement with my sister. In the meantime, she and I had turned 18 today and we'd both gladly spend its remainder with our father. "So, Dad, other than movies, any ideas on how to pass the time and make up for the QT we missed with you earlier?"

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Philip Larusso

"Well, we could play some music and just talk for a while. Or I could let you stay up and watch TV for a while. Or, for that matter, as Christmas is just 11 days away, we could drink eggnog and I could read you some Dickens. Unless you're too old and cool to hear about Scrooge again," Phil Larusso teased them a little bit.

He remembered very well that A Christmas Carol was the first book that he had bought both girls, 12 years ago. Of course, even then, he got them other things that were unique to them, items that they had requested by name. He bought them the Dickens classic because he wanted them to use their new literacy and expand their vocabulary, not to mention develop an appreciation for truly great literature. Besides, it was also a book that Janine had wholeheartedly approved, and as with any couple (they were still together at the time) no decision could be made unilaterally by either parent.

 

[kimberlee]

April

It was a toss up between talking and listening to music or listening to dad read us Dickens. If we'd wanted to watched tv, we'd have watched the movie. Audrey and I considered the matter for a time before smiling at one another and simultaneously voicing our decisions.

"A Christmas Carol," I said and heard echoed by my sister. We had heard him tell the tale nearly every year since we were six. The nostalgic element had settled the question for me. Dad had always been the one to read to us. I thought that it would go a good distance toward making up for mom's tardiness in dropping us off.

He got the book then Audrey and I settled on either side of him as we waited for him to tell the tale.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

It was a toss up between talking and listening to music or listening to dad read us Dickens. If we'd wanted to watched tv, we'd have watched the movie. Audrey and I considered the matter for a time before smiling at one another and simultaneously voicing our decisions.

"A Christmas Carol," I said and heard echoed by my sister. We had heard him tell the tale nearly every year since we were six. The nostalgic element had settled the question for me. Dad had always been the one to read to us. I thought that it would go a good distance toward making up for mom's tardiness in dropping us off.

He got the book then Audrey and I settled on either side of him as we waited for him to tell the tale.

Phil poured the eggnog for each of them, and then opened the book with his usual dramatic flair and began reading, "Marley was dead, to begin with...."

He read, with a few breaks to drink his eggnog now and then, with his strong Philly accent making the narration seem a bit different from the expected British voice as heard from Dickens himself and others. He was inwardly pleased that his daughters still liked to hear something so traditional and spend time with their old man. At 18, it would have been expected for them to find such things "lame" or whatever current word their generation used for things that were not cool. So this was a pleasant surprise indeed.

 

[kimberlee]

Audrey

I snuggled up close on dad's right side as he read. It was so like when we were growing up. April and I had always been daddy's girls. Perhaps it was why our mother tended to short his time with us. I honestly couldn't say; but, she and I were eighteen now. We were adults - not old enough to drink - but old enough to be considered independent. We'd, of course, play along with the rules directed by the court; but, we each held a driver's license and, since I was planning on buying a used car, would see to it that we and our father had our assigned time together.

I smiled as he made the different voices. I thought my mother an idiot for going through with the divorce. I certainly hoped to snatch myself a man like him. All the guys at school were so immature. Dad was right. I needed to find an older man. Someone who'd appreciate me just for being me, like dad did.

I sighed in contentment as I listened to the tale and was comforted by his warmth.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Philip Larusso

It was just like old times, except that Janine wasn't there. Their daughters were there, and that was what counted. Too bad for his estranged wife if she chose to separate....the news that she might actually want to finalize was a bit of a rude shock, knowing how Catholic she had been, but people change....he certainly had.

In any case, reading to April and Audrey was always an honor and a pleasure. They were such wonderful girls. Any man who dated them would be lucky. He could understand why a man would want both of them, but only if he appreciated each of them for their distinct virtues, rather than lumping them together as if they were clones. There was more to them than auburn hair (from Janine's bright-red and Philip's dark hair combined), green eyes, stunning physical beauty, and their twin status.

Of course, being a protective father, there was always the inherent skepticism that any man could or would treat his daughters as well as they deserved. He supposed that was Nature's way of making sure that a final choice of a lifelong mate met the highest possible scrutiny.

As it was, he just plain enjoyed their company and wished for more of it, especially around the holidays. Getting to know them as individual, fully grown women rather than as little girls would be very nice, as long as no one sabotaged it (such as Janine).

In the meantime, though there was nothing to do but revel in the present experience of reading a classic literary masterpiece to his daughters, who seemed to appreciate it as much as they did when they were children.

He finished reading, then lowered the book and gave each girl a bear hug.

It was very late.

"I don't know about you gals, but I'm ready to turn in. We have a long day tomorrow, what with your party and all."