So the fall of 2008 was quickly hinting at winter, and changes were still in the air. My buddy Pedro checked in with me. His home life was chugging along happily. He had time to focus on his fitness.

 

 

His wife was happy and working on artistic endeavors.

 

 

Little Amadora was displaying aptitude in both physical skills...

 

 

...and mental.

 

 

Then Elisa broke to him the news she was pregnant.

 

 

When they'd had Amadora six years ago, it was after many years of trying. But now, Elisa was pregnant again, and it was a complete accident. They were going to have to prepare Amadora for a new little brother or sister.

 

 

One thing Pedro told me, perhaps it was because of the hormones, or perhaps just because of the nature of an accidental pregnancy, but for some reason, Elisa became a beast in the bedroom overnight. She would not give Pedro any rest.

 

 

If I knew my friend at all, he could handle it.

 

But he also had to deal with a new murder. Another girl had been killed. They found her body at the cemetery, but she danced at Picante, and the evidence was that her killer picked her up there during her shift. Maggie Justus was all over it.

 

 

So Pedro wasn't getting rid of her anytime soon.

 

I was in a bit of a holding pattern on a lot of stuff. Worked on my body, too, which had become a bit too chubby.

 

 

And I was also getting into food.

 

 

I had a ton of money, so I decided to learn to gamble. Online poker was fun.

 

 

But what I really loved were the horses. I lived ten minutes from the West Coast's best track

 

 

And my many years in journalism had gotten me some useful contacts, which I could use to get tips on races.

 

 

But since it was the middle of fall, that meant a harvest was in.

 

 

My winemaking was finally good enough to market.

 

 

That was the first year I started selling Woody Creek Estates most profitable product, the SV Elite - SV for "Single Vineyard" because I used only my own grapes grown on my own property. That first year, I wholesaled them for a few hundred a bottle, but if you are a wine connoisseur, you know they are worth much more, now.

 

 

I had a special vintage I'd laid down back in 2003 I called "Bridget." I didn't intend to ever sell it. The bottles would be a gift to my daughter on her graduation, or engagement, or some other fitting event down the road.

 

 

The fact I'd had these bottles down in the cellar for five years meant, yep, Bridget was getting big.

 

 

Hard on my old body to play with her.

 

 

I sampled some of that wine with Aiyana.

 

 

And she started laying into me about these stories about me and Erin she was reading.

 

 

I told her, there was nothing going on. This was all about preparing for filming red. Nothing romantic at all.

 

 

She was very possessive suddenly. I guess sex clubs and hookers and whatnot were fine, but if she got a whiff Erin and I were an item, she'd be pissed.

 

 

But she didn't have to worry. Erin and I were strictly professional.

 

 

We met to go over our plans for the film. That was it.

 

 

Although I have to admit, I did think she often flirted with me.

 

 

And since she lived out in the Valley, and I had many connections out there, well, let's just say if I left Erin's mansion after a work session feeling a bit horny, I might remember that Skye had told me any time I wanted my dick sucked, I just had to drop by her place unannounced.

 

 

I wouldn't be telling Aiyana about that kind of thing, of course.

 

And, actually, when it comes to my sex life at this point in time, the newest change wasn't out west, but out east. I was spending so much time out there, I decided I needed some regular comfort, and went back to the old sugar dating site Pedro had showed me, and I found Audacity.

 

 

She was a freak.

 

 

And since I was out in her neighborhood basically once each week or two, now I had a regular mistress to keep me company on those trips.

 

 

Also something I didn't bother telling Aiyana about.