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 Adoré

   A Tale of Romance By The Star*

   Chapter Two - High Hopes, Olympic Dreams

   Entering the ring at the National Horse Show was gut-wrenching.  Adoré
had never ridden in competition at this level before.  But both her
parents, good riders themselves, encouraged her.  Her horse, Champ, the one
she'd selected for herself, was strong, elegant, and well-schooled.

   The past year had been full of both joy and frustration for the
beautiful teen.  She'd known transcendent joy when she'd been with her
cousin and lover, Marty--the lovemaking was just an added attraction.  She
loved everything about him and took the attitude that everything they did
together was making love.  And her work with Champ was very satisfying. 
Between the horse and schoolwork, she didn't have time to mope around.  But
of course, that was the frustration: missing Marty.  They wanted to be
together, but were separated by the whole continent.

   Oh, well, her parents had promised she could fly to Oregon right after
Nationals.

   Champ had an exceptional tournament, inspired by the excitement of the
competition, they guessed.  And Adoré always looked very elegant in a
saddle.  She'd been taught from infancy to sit still and erect, with 'quiet
hands', whenever she was on a horse.  Her ability to form a rapport with
the animal made it better.  To her surprise--though her dad kind of
expected it--she won dressage and was second in the arena jumping
competition.  Her dad said she'd have won that, too, except she was just a
bit tentative.

   Completely unexpected was that her performance qualified her for the
Olympics.  She hadn't even considered participating in the Games.  And the
thought of the hours she'd have to spend in the saddle to prepare meant
that much less time with Marty.

   On the phone that night, Marty was enthusiastic.  "Of course you have to
do it!  This is a lifetime opportunity that lots of folks spend millions
and years and never get.  You've got to go--and WIN, Dory!"

   "But Marty, if I do this, I won't be able to come to the ranch.  And I
really need the time with you."

   "Maybe I'll just have to spend more time in Richmond this year," Marty
commented dryly.  "I can do that--for you.  Personally, I think you're
worth it."

   "Oh, darling.  Can you?  That would be so cool."

   "If you promise to keep me out of the 'society' stuff...  I hate
'socializing'.  It's a bunch of snobs who never worked an honest day in
their lives trying to impress each other.  Who needs it?"

   "Neither you nor I, darling.  But sometimes the contacts are important,
when I need to butter up a horse show judge, for example."

   "Yeah.  I can see that.  And maybe I can find some buyers for Steele
Ranch beef...but can we keep it to a minimum?  I'd love to spend the time
with you and your family, and our friends; not a bunch of snobs."

   "Sure.  And I'll be happy to have your comments on my practice sessions,
too."

   "You got it, baby.  And you've just got to do this.  Congratulations
again."

   So in August, Rick showed all the Steele Ranch cattle at the
fair--including two heifers and a bull from a promising Black Angus strain
he and Marty thought would do well.  Marty spent the summer in Virginia,
concerned about other things.

   Over the summer, Marty learned a lot about show horses and the people
who ride them and became a pretty fair weekend show rider himself.  They
found that he was an excellent coach for Adoré.  He could spot the subtle
flaws in a performance and explain to her what she'd done wrong and how to
correct it in a way that she accepted gratefully.  When the problem was the
horse, he could point it out, but correcting it was up to Adoré--Marty
never did learn to talk to horses.

   They worked daily and competed most weekends.  The tougher the
competition, the better Adoré liked it.

   "Nothing here is as tough as nationals.  And that wasn't so bad,
compared to the Olympics.  I need to compete to stay sharp--and keep Champ
sharp.  And I need you with me.  Daddy critiques me pretty well, but he
doesn't have your eye, darling.  So you'd better figure on some heavy time
here."

   "Anything you say, baby.  I'm enjoying the competition myself, even
though the horse your mom loaned me isn't in Champ's class."

   "Few are.  But you're not trying for the Olympics, either."

   Working together bonded them even more.  They were a couple in every way
except the wedding.

   When Marty couldn't understand why Adoré insisted on hanging her damp
bras and pantyhose on the shower rail in the motel during a competition,
they had a lovely fight, too.  And a wonderful time making up once they
cooled down.  The little differences in their lifestyles intruded and they
were still learning how to live with the other.  Their well-developed sense
of humor and even stronger sense of the absurd saved them often.  Many
times, when they were squaring off for a fight, one of them would start to
grin--fighting it all the way.  The other would see...  and they'd collapse
in each other's arms, laughing aloud.

   The result, all their lives together, was that they would have some very
intense, serious discussions, but for one to blow up at the other was very
rare.

   Marty developed a need to find little ways to _delight_ his lover.  It
wasn't just that it was fun--he _needed_ to please her.  Adoré, in turn,
quickly learned to never take him for granted.  She also learned that he
would take her for granted, but not because he didn't love her or wasn't
sensitive to her.  He just had certain expectations--and she _would_ live
up to them.

   With all that, they each improved both in horsemanship and intimacy
daily.

   In the months leading up to the games, the pair spent as much time
together as they could arrange, but it was difficult.  Marty ended up
moving to Richmond in March, so he could coach Adoré in the crucial months
before the games.

   By the time the Olympics were upon them, Marty was recognized among the
eastern 'hunt club' establishment as an up and comer in the horse world. 
Not as a rider, but as a young man who was VERY knowledgeable and able to
accurately judge the performance of both horse and rider.  In fact, when he
participated in a weekend competition--he was mostly there to support Adoré
and rode just for fun--the meet organizers often prevailed upon him to
judge the junior competitions.  He could explain to young riders what they
were doing well and where they had missed it, in a way that did not talk
down to them.  Parents loved him.  Of course, being a cousin of the
Parmentiers helped, too.

   They'd planned that he would go to the games with Adoré, as a groom for
Champ.  In the end, that wasn't necessary.  The US equestrian authorities
sent him as a judge!  Of course, he couldn't judge events when Adoré was
competing, but they were glad to have him.

   Sitting in the first class section of the airplane carrying them to the
games, Marty was still stunned by events.

   "I can't believe I'll be able to be in the village with you.  I expected
I'd to have to sleep in a drafty old trailer out by the barns."

   "Well, I think it's a good thing the committee figured out just how good
you are..." her lovely face broke into a huge, sly grin.  "And I'm happy
I'll be able to have my talented lover handy to keep me content and
focused."

   "I'll do my best," he replied smugly.  "But this way, we can be together
a lot more.  I can even participate in the opening and closing ceremonies.
What a rush!"

   "You've got to hold my hand the whole time, darling.  This whole thing
is getting scary."

   "Whenever I can, baby.  You know that. ...  I wish they'd come up with
better outfits for the US team though.  That stuff we have to wear for the
opening doesn't flatter you very much."

   "Bull!  I look gorgeous no matter what I wear."

   Marty smiled.  "That you do, baby.  But you'd look more gorgeous in
something with a better cut."

   "Well, I'll get mom to have somebody tailor it a bit, if that's your
concern."

   The senior Parmentiers had arranged a large suite in a luxury hotel near
the Olympic site.  And they'd sent their two best grooms to care for Champ.


   Hazel and Ad had too much on their plates at the ranch to take the time
off, but were rooting hard for Adoré and made sure Marty knew that they
didn't begrudge him the time away from the work of the ranch--their price
was frequent phone calls to keep them up to date.

   On arrival at the site of the Games, they were taken to the Olympic
Village, where they discovered that they'd been assigned rooms in different
buildings.  The Village was a college dormitory complex, with the Spartan
facilities associated with student life.  On the bright side, Adoré did not
have a roommate, since she was the only equestrienne from the US that year.
Marty had a roommate--another judge, of weightlifting--who was a nice guy,
but didn't have much to say that Marty understood.

   The obvious solution was that Marty simply moved in with Adoré.  They
didn't make it a secret, or rub anybody's nose in it, but they didn't ask
permission, either.  A bedroom in the Parmentier suite was reserved for
Adoré, too--which meant both of them, in practice.

   Champ, once he'd recovered from the flight, seemed to like the new
venue. The acoustics in the arena were better than he was used to, and the
footing was good.  Adoré's practice sessions were excellent and she and
Marty began to feel that she might just pull it off.  Up to that point,
they were just glad to be there.

   Champ was jumping better than he ever had.

   "Hey, babe, guess what?" Marty hustled into their room.

   "Not a clue, Marty.  What?"

   "I'm judging the three-day."

   "So?"

   "So, I'll be able to spend all the time I want with you while you're
competing.  I won't have to miss any of it!"

   "That is nice, honey.  I always seem to do better when you're
watching... knowing you'll catch any mistakes, and make me do it over."

   They were not much impressed with the opening ceremonies.  They had to
stand, in a huge crowd of athletes, outside the stadium while all the good
stuff was going on inside.  Marching in--hand in hand of course--into the
huge stadium and taking their place with all the other athletes was an
awesome experience, but they agreed they'd pass next time.

   Two days later, Adoré successfully qualified for the finals in dressage
and, the next day, in arena jumping.  She made passionate but tender love
to Marty in celebration, after a good meal in the hotel with her parents.

   After a day off, the dressage finals were held.  Champ did very well,
but stumbled slightly once and failed to change leads on a turn.  Very
minor, but it was enough to drop Adoré to fourth place in the final
standings.

   Marty tried to encourage her--feeling honestly that she'd already
achieved a lot more than they had expected or even hoped for.  Adoré
admitted that he was right.

   "But, being so close.  I really wanted a medal."

   "Sure you did.  Everybody here does.  But baby, you didn't even expect
to be here.  Fourth in the world is not bad, from where I'm sitting."

   "You're not sitting.  You're lying there, with your thing in me, making
me do all the work.  Of course you're a happy camper."

   Marty just grinned, flexed his hips, and pulled her down to his mouth
for a kiss.  Which rapidly turned passionate.  Releasing her mouth, he
latched onto a nipple from a beautiful, pendulous breast.  That was enough.
Adoré went ballistic, taking Marty along for the ride.

   The next day was the arena jumping final.  Adoré, convinced by both
parents and lover that she'd already accomplished much more than expected
of her--and that they were very proud of her--was relaxed and ready to go
do whatever she and Champ could do.

   The result was a beautiful performance.  Champ seemed to flow around the
course, turning in a clean ride in very good time.  The second time
through, she was near the end of the list, her time being good enough to
put her among the leaders.  She talked to Champ before she mounted, telling
him he was a wonderful, strong horse and she was pleased to be his rider.
She asked him to go out and do his best.

   He did.

   Though not the best in the event, the teenager from Virginia, riding a
horse from an unknown ranch in Oregon, ended up with the bronze medal.

   That night, after the medals presentation ceremony, was the occasion for
another festive family dinner.  Adoré, out of her pinks and into a
flattering evening dress, wore her medal to the restaurant.  Marty had to
wear a suit--he didn't mind the suit, but hated the tie.  The food was
wonderful and so was the celebration.

   Marty followed up with a celebration of his own in Adoré's room.

   They'd brought each other to a quick, almost violent climax, in their
shared euphoria.  Still joined, they lay side by side.

   "Darling?" Adoré said.  "How soon can we get married?"

   "Whenever you want, I think," Marty answered.  "Our only problem is that
our folks will kill us if we don't do college."

   "Yeah.  I was thinking of that...  So...  How do we handle this?"

   "I don't suppose Oregon State would work?"

   Adoré chuckled.  They'd discussed this before.  "Nice try, love, but you
know dad's set on Duke, and mom wants Virginia."

   Marty thought about it--not for the first time.

   "Do you think they'd go for USC?" he asked.

   "USC?  Why USC?"

   "Well, it occurred to me--just now, in fact--that USC is a good, private
school, with a solid academic reputation.  And it's close enough to the
ranch that I can get home summer and Christmas.  Otherwise, it's far enough
away from both our homes that our parents would have to agree it's equally
a pain in the ass for both families. ...  And the weather is better in the
winter than either Oregon or North Carolina." The last part was with a sly
smile.

   Adoré hugged him tight, then rolled on top.  Starting gently to rock on
his hardening erection, she agreed that maybe he'd found the solution for
them.  What they hadn't counted on was that using a condom twice doesn't
work real well.



   -- + + + + + -

   Starting her senior year of high school--late because of her
participation in the Games--Adoré wondered why she didn't feel well.  She
should have been full of euphoria about her Olympic medal and charged up to
get her last year done.  She experienced a few days of morning nausea and
was struck with a fear of pregnancy, until she had her period.  It wasn't a
normal flow, but close enough to relieve her fears.  She and Marty had been
careful, anyway.  It was probably just a flu bug.

   Two weeks later, she complained of feeling really 'drug out'--then she
collapsed in the school hallway between classes.

   At the hospital, the first thought was appendicitis.  When that was
ruled out, pregnancy was examined.  But a detailed pelvic exam, including a
'scope' uterine exam, showed no sign of pregnancy.  Finally, after various
indignities were performed on her body, it was determined that she was
indeed pregnant with an ectopic pregnancy, where the embryo had attached
itself to the wall of a fallopian tube, rather than in her womb.

   There was no choice but to operate.  The hemorrhaging would certainly
have taken her life.  When they were done, Adoré had functional
reproductive organs on only one side--and the doctors told her bluntly that
there was damage on that side, too.  It would not be impossible for her to
have children, but would be unlikely.

   Mrs.  Parmentier had called Hazel as soon as they had some idea of what
was wrong with Adoré, so Marty had been on the phone daily with his
fiancée. They cried on each other's shoulders, via long distance.  And
cried doubly when they knew that they'd lost this baby, and would probably
never have another.

   "Will you still love me if it turns out I can't have children?" Adoré
wailed.

   "I'll love you regardless of what you do--as long as you don't put on a
gorilla suit," Marty said, trying to make her laugh.  When that didn't do
it, he added, "I don't like kissing moustaches."

   That did make her laugh, briefly.  Laughing HURT.

   "Dory?" he continued.

   "Yes, dear?"

   "Can we get married as soon as we graduate?"

   "I thought you'd never ask," she said, breathlessly.  "I'll see what mom
has to say."

   "Me too.  Talk to you tomorrow.  Love you."

   "Love you, too, darling.  Good night."

   Hazel thought it was a good idea and Adoré's mom agreed.  A big family
wedding was planned for mid-June.

   Christmas, Adoré came to the ranch, and Easter, Marty visited Richmond.
He met with the Parmentiers' pastor, who would tie the knot, and they
agreed that the wedding would be in the big church in Richmond.

   The doctors had done a bit too good a job of convincing Adoré that she
was unlikely to conceive again.  She told Marty there was no need for
condoms and they hadn't used any protection.

   A week before graduation, a subdued but enthusiastic Adoré called her
fiancé.  "Darling, do you love me a lot?"

   "What a question.  Of course I do."

   "Well, I'm afraid I'm going to test that."

   "Huh?"

   "Honey, we're pregnant...  Are you mad at me?"

   Marty had to take a minute to let that sink in, during which, Adoré's
emotions plummeted.

   "Are you sure?" he finally ground out.

   "Yeah.  No question.  The froggy died...  And the doctor says it's a
normal pregnancy this time.  The embryo is in my womb, where it belongs."

   "Well then I'm tickled.  I didn't expect this so soon, but I'm surely
happy we're having a baby.  I was afraid we'd miss out on that and I really
wanted one...  Though I'll settle for you, children or no."

   Happy tears were running down Adoré's lovely face.  "Thank you darling.
This is hard for me.  I hadn't planned on children before we were done with
college.  But, dear one, I LIVE to carry your babies!  Thank you for making
it so wonderful."

   Two days before her graduation, Marty was on a plane for Richmond.  Ad,
Hazel and Rick would follow a couple days before the wedding.

   Adoré and her mother assured Marty that this did not affect the wedding
plans.  "So you have a 'premature' baby.  So what?" she asked Marty when he
raised the issue.  "That's not unusual.  I guess the only concern I have is
how it will affect your college plans."

   Adoré jumped in.  "Mom, I want to go to college.  But I don't think that
graduating is that big a deal.  USC is a great school, but it's in a pretty
tough part of L.A.  I'll be having this baby during the school year. 
Personally, I think I'd be more comfortable, not to mention safer, if I'm
in Corvallis.  And Marty could go to Oregon State and take the animal
husbandry and agriculture courses he really wants."

   Mrs.  Parmentier smiled a tight, motherly smile and allowed that
Virginia offered courses in agriculture--knowing it was a lost cause, but
needing to get on record.

   Knowing her mother well, Adoré smiled back and said, "Well, you know,
mom, OSU is better suited to agriculture in Oregon...  where I will
live--with my husband."

   Gracefully accepting defeat, Mrs.  Parmentier allowed that would be just
fine, if that's what they wanted.  The look on their faces assured her
that, yes, it was.  She made a mental note to ask her husband to see what
he could do through his connections to get Marty a scholarship of some
sort--and to arrange suitable housing for her daughter, son-in-law, and new
grandchild in...  just where, exactly, is Corvallis, Oregon?

   The wedding was everything one would expect when the "princess" of a
wealthy establishment family married.  Hazel had a great time, greeting
friends from her childhood, and laughing at their horror at the life she
led on the remote Oregon ranch.

   Adoré was stunning in her gown and Marty stumbled over his lines--and
the steps, getting down from the platform at the church.

   The reception was elaborate and extravagant.  Adoré's parents agreed
that they would go all out for her--rightly suspecting that they would not
see much of her in the future.

   Their honeymoon was at an exclusive resort in Cancun--before that area
became a cliché.  They enjoyed the pampering of the resort staff and
frolicking in the gentle surf on the warm beaches.  Of course, Adoré was
spectacular in her bikini, her pregnancy not yet visible.

   *(c) 2001 Extar International, Ltd.  All rights reserved.  Single copies
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