Page 14

Chapter Thirteen

M et with a sea of brake lights, I joined the evening chaos chaperoning the highway. I could have left earlier and avoided the stop-and-go of workers fleeing the city after a day at work, but the accompanying dread of heading home always saw me leaving later. The less time I spent in the place I called home for seventeen years, the better.

I tried using the trip to prepare responses to the predictable barrage that was my well-meaning but intrusive mother. Eva would do her best to take the heat off the fact that I was visiting again without any relationship prospects but it didn’t stop Mum pestering. Tonight was going to be worse than a regular family dinner though, because apparently I was meeting another new boyfriend.

This one was different, as they all were, and genuinely made her happy and feel loved . Again, so had the last five men I was forced to meet before they called it quits, leaving a broken version of the woman who raised me in their wake. As I usually did, I hoped this time would be different and he would stick around long enough to see that despite her intensity, she had a pure heart. But I was getting tired of the pressure it placed on Eva and I when we had to put her back together. It meant more trips home and a truckload of stress my sister didn’t need.

Exiting the highway, I drove through the familiar run down streets that indicated I was nearly home. Life wasn’t easy for the families living in Moorway and I felt fraudulent when I subconsciously worried about parking my Mercedes. I used to be one of those kids who was outside running around long after dark. Throwing little firecrackers on our neighbours’ porches and watching from afar as they blasted through the streets. But, I’d also been the child who spent many nights hiding under the covers while the neighbours screamed at each other, flinching at the backing track of slammed doors and breaking glass. I was only six when my father left after another loud argument where he blamed Mum for all of his weaknesses. I watched through my opened curtains as he swerved down the street and he never once bothered with Eva or I after that. Hence, the memories were bitter and coming back to the last place I saw him sometimes felt stifling.

As I grew older though, I was the teenager who dreamed of more while simultaneously feeling grateful for the support and care that Mum always provided. She did her best to raise us on a single income and her love was always reinforced with her us against the world mentality. She sometimes still referred to us as the three Micalleteers and while I would openly groan and mock her, the sentiment reminded me of the times we were lucky enough to live in a house where the love was both unconditional and plentiful. Which was a lot more than many of the other residents in the dilapidated suburb received.

Once I arrived, I didn’t bother to knock, opening the familiar door and giving the chocolate-brown poodle a quick pet.

“Hey, Bud.” Eva and I bought him for Mum’s birthday a few years back when she was in one of her darker periods after another of her boyfriends disappeared without so much as a goodbye. Buddy provided a reason for her to get out of bed each day and now, with Eva often occupied working or studying, it was comforting knowing she wasn’t alone.

My sister sauntered down the stairs, her curls wrapped in her green satin bonnet, only adding to the sleepiness of her avocado pyjamas. “Thanks for dressing up for me, Sis.”

“Of course. Only the best for you, Sebs. Did you bring Marlee for dinner too?” Her tone was light but when I glared at her, her shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. Until now I’d been so focused on Mum giving me grief about my continued singledom I hadn’t even considered how much Eva would be itching to grill me.

“Don’t start. Nothing is going on,” I whispered. “If Mum gets a whiff of anything I will never hear the end of it and she will have a wedding planned for spring. It was a coincidence we saw them at the game,” I lied.

“Bullshit,” she whispered back, as Mum’s voice floated through from the backyard. “You better fill me in or I’m going to out you at dinner. PS – wait until you see Toby’s–” she was interrupted as Mum waltzed through the door, followed by a man who scarily resembled Humpty Dumpty.

My mother was quite beautiful and generally prioritised her health resulting in her looking much younger than her sixty years, however, she had a history of choosing men who did not afford themselves the same level of care. Toby, as Mum introduced him to me, appeared to be at least ten years older than her and definitely did not share her love of fitness. He thrust his hand out to me and I shook it in greeting, ignoring the soft grip, and reminding myself that he was making her happy.

For now.

“, good to meet you, mate, your mum has told me a lot about you,” I nodded politely and did my best not to stare at the large gap that sat where his front tooth should have been. Eva was standing behind him, slightly higher as she moved to stand on the bottom stair giving her a clear view of my face.

She was grinning like the Cheshire Cat as she pointed to her own teeth. Again, her shoulders shook with what had always been her silent belly laugh and I bit the insides of my cheeks, doing my best not to upset my mother within the first five minutes of arriving.

There was still plenty of time for that.

“Good things I hope,” I replied, before kissing Mum on the cheek and embracing her.

“Hey, honey,” she said, her hands still on my waist as she assessed me like only a mother can.

“You look tired, are you sleeping?” Her eyes crinkled with concern. I wanted to feel annoyed at how she was constantly treating me like a child, yet I was overwhelmed with a sense of thankfulness that despite not seeing me in a few months, she never held a grudge.

“I’m fine, Ma. The club has just been busy,” I lied, knowing if I told her I had been spending my nights researching a woman I barely knew and a man she used to date, she would be all over me like white on rice.

She tsked , appraising me, before, to my relief, changing the subject. “Dinner is ready. Get the drinks while Toby and I grab the food. Eva, set the table.” My stomach growled in response. My mum was an incredible cook and tonight would be no different. I headed for the fridge, stocked full of our favourite drinks; a supply of sparkling water with lime for me and a cola for Mum and Eva. I noted there was now a neat line of beers and knew it must be Toby’s drink of choice.

“It smells good, Mum, definitely better than the tuna and rice I would have eaten at home.” Handing Eva her soda, I placed a couple of the beers in the middle of the table and sat down with the water I grabbed for myself.

“Well, if you actually came to dinner when I invited you, you could eat my cooking more often,” I walked right into that one and didn’t bother to broker an argument.

Ever the saviour, Eva jumped in, preventing Mum from continuing with the onslaught.

“How’s the club going? Has it been busy? Do your friends come in there often? I really want to come in again soon but uni has me in a vice.” She shovelled in a spoonful of Mum’s fried rice as she spoke, table manners never a concern for my little sister, especially when she was locked and loaded with questions.

“Any more questions and I'm going to need a note pad,” I joked. “It’s good. Fairly busy on Friday and Saturdays but Sunday also pulls a good crowd these days. Sometimes the boys come in, I guess,” I said, my confusion with that question apparent.

“Give me a heads up before you come, yeah?” If my sister was coming in I would need to make sure I had a private area secured. Last thing I needed was trouble at the club with Eva, especially considering I was still reeling over the last incident with Marlee.

Even more so since I’d tasted her, my hand still tingling at the memories of the way it felt wrapped around her throat. What I wouldn’t give to have her at my mercy.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, distracting my inappropriate thoughts and as I glanced down at the notification it was as if fate itself had read my mind. Marlee’s name illuminated across my screen.

“ John, you know there are no phones at my table. There is nothing urgent enough that you can't wait until after you’ve eaten,” Mum allowed no room for argument.

I was a thirty-two year old man and I was still a little scared of my mother’s reprimands. She was likely to throw a bread roll at my head if she caught me again, plus, I didn’t want to ruin this dinner which was planned solely for me to meet her new boyfriend. But the need to check the message I’d waited two days for…

“So Toby, how did you and Mum meet?” I asked, before I risked another verbal barrage. Leaning forward, he confirmed my earlier suspicions that he enjoyed a beer, opening one and taking a sip, as I discreetly unlocked my phone.

He grinned towards Mum, causing Evangeline to choke on her drink as I did my best to maintain a straight face. Eva stilled and given that I felt something scrape my leg, I knew Mum had kicked her under the table. She was glaring right at her with the no nonsense eyes she had perfected during our childhood. Toby continued, unaware of the silent conversation Mum was having with both of her children while I reached for a serviette to cover my laugh.

“We met in the waiting room at the local dentist, actually. She was there for a clean and I was there for a consult,” he said, pointing to the salient opening in his top teeth. “They were so far behind, weren’t they, Judy, giving us plenty of time to chat.” He turned back to me, smiling expectantly. I wasn’t sure what it was he wanted me to say as I bit the insides of my cheek to keep the grin from escaping.

Eva pinched me under the table and I cleared my throat, buying myself time before answering.

“Guess it was meant to be then?” My interest for the details was tentative at best but Mum seemed genuinely content and this automatically gave him some leeway in my mind.

Mum and Toby quickly became lost in the memory of their first date, and I advantageously checked my phone where I was greeted with a photo of a bag of chocolate coated coffee beans in a trolley with the caption because I ate yours . I stared at the screen, oblivious to anything else other than her message and tried not to let my face crack into the smile it was desperate to do. This was the first time she had voluntarily contacted me.

I wondered on more than one occasion, if I was the only one who felt a connection when I mapped her features, committing those emerald greens and the tiny freckle beneath her mouth to memory. Or perhaps I imagined her reciprocating lustful eyes or the way she pressed herself into me ever so slightly.

When I closed the door of the bathroom, narrowly escaping Arna catching us, I was overcome with an insatiable need to breathe her in again. To wrap my hand around her throat a little tighter while driving myself in and out of her.

Eva reaching over to grab a bread roll startled me and I spotted her trying to read the message. Hastily locking my phone I shoved her back and she laughed silently, raising an inquisitive eyebrow in my direction as she tossed a segment of the roll into her mouth.

“Any new ladies in your life, Sebby?” She asked coyly.

Mum chimed in before I could answer. “Actually, Seb, do you know who works at the dentist behind the reception desk, Clara Hocking. She was telling me how she wants to move to the city and I told her you owned a club there. You should give her a call, maybe you could get her some work behind the bar.” To Toby she then added, “Seb and Clara dated in high school.”

Toby raised his drink in my direction. “Good for you. She seems like a lovely girl.”

“We never dated, Mum. She was a friend. But I can probably get her some work if she does need something.” I had zero energy to cater to this not so subtle attempt at match-making when a woman with succulent lips was currently sequestering all of my attention. Standing and excusing myself to use the bathroom, I opened my phone and re-read the message, smiling like a damn idiot.

Did this mean she wanted to see me again? Wanted to continue what we started?

Should I ask? Or was she sending me this because she found them and it reminded her of being at my house and eating my food. I liked that idea regardless because every time I looked at my lounge or bed I thought about her lower lip trembling as she breathed out when she was deep in sleep, or how a soft moan left her lips when I picked her up to carry her to bed.

Thoughtful. When will I get to enjoy them?

I wanted to ask her to have dinner with me tomorrow or to come over tonight – both of which I wouldn’t actually do because it would result in another conversation with Andy, threats from Arna, or worse, the potential of her saying no.

Returning to the table, my mother’s no phone rule had never bothered me as much as it did right now because a reply buzzed before I even sat down and the urge to rip it from my pocket was difficult to ignore.

With Eva watching me like a hawk it was out of the question so I quietened my features and did my best to ignore the insane pull. I thought about anything other than how much I wanted to escape this dinner and gorge her reply like a bear waking from hibernation. Impatience was never an ally of mine but right now, I couldn’t escape the magnetic pull begging me to respond in case she became disinterested or grew tired while I sat here trying to listen.

It turned out letting Mum and Toby dominate the conversation hadn’t been difficult and I was able to zone out while they relayed stories. I wasn’t required to do much more than nod and smile and that suited me perfectly. I avoided my sister’s microscopic assessment and kept my hands away from my phone despite the magnetic compulsion to risk my mum’s backhand.

I also promised Mum I would come back soon, which I genuinely meant, however, when I finally got in my car I had never been more grateful to be alone. I waited until I left the street and was out of view before immediately pulling over. It had been almost an hour since she replied and I was unable to hold back the grin that split my face so it was a good thing I was no longer near my intrusive family.

Marlee

Hopefully soon. As long as I don’t eat them prior.

No promises.

I chuckled, my fingers flying over the screen to reply in a move which felt foreign. I despised messaging, finding the time and effort useless when you could make a quick call and be done with it – yet here I was thinking of how I could best prolong the conversation.

They are pretty good. Do you prefer sweet or savoury?

I wanted to know what she had been doing in the three days since I last saw her.

I wanted to know if she had been thinking about me as often as I thought about her, if at all. But mostly, I wanted to know her - what she hated, what she enjoyed and what I could do to be near her.

Placing my phone into the holder, I began driving home. I hadn’t even left Moorway when her name again illuminated my screen. A slew of text messages before my car could even recite the first. I pulled over like a teenager who lacks all forms of self-control, grinning like a love-sick dickhead.

Marlee

Savoury.

Actually sweet.

Lies. Both. Combined. Like a caramel, macadamia nut ice cream.

You?

Chuckling in the empty car, I glanced out the window. Thankfully it was dark because I was smiling like nobody’s business and if someone could see me now, they would wonder why a bloke sitting alone in his car was looking so pleased. Or if I was some crazed stalker waiting for an unsuspecting victim.

Your coffee order makes more sense now. Savoury for me. Favourite colour?

I got back on the road, pulling onto the expanse of bitumen that would take me back to the city and promised myself that even if she replied I would wait until I got home. I contemplated calling Cooper to check-in as another message distracted me and I didn’t even make it three minutes before I pulled into one of the emergency shoulders along the highway.

The trucks and cars passing caused the car to tremble as I greedily unlocked my phone, hungry to read her words.

Marlee

Unsurprising. Why do you have caramel syrup in your pantry if your coffee order is so boring?

Green.

Yours?

Favourite song?

Her eyes flashed in my mind and I wanted to reply that green was my new favourite colour too. This woman had me by the balls. Her consecutive messages were consistent and another thing I found I liked about her.

You’re observant, Marlee. My Mum has it in her coffee too. Hmmm, probably black.

No favourite, it depends on my mood. Different songs for different occasions.

Driving the rest of the way home had taken much longer than normal because I'd pulled over another seven times to devour her preferences and was not in the least bit disappointed. I couldn’t read fast enough, smiling ridiculously hard as I learned she loved watching romantic comedies from the 90s, singing and sunflowers. She shared that her parents died not too long ago in a car accident and how difficult it had been for her – the sadness behind those eyes making a little more sense.

I’d thought she was an introvert and that she would keep her cards close to her chest, however, she surprised me with her candour. She made me laugh on multiple occasions and I spent more time on the side of the road than I did driving because my thirst for her was unquenchable.

When I finally did make it home, my nightly routine included an extra long shower, my release pouring out of me to images of her bent over my desk at work while I fucked her hard and fast. The insatiable drive to take her and claim getting harder and harder to ignore.

But as I lay in bed that night, it was her mind I wanted to delve inside. It was her quintessential ability to make me eager for the unexpectedness of her retorts which was the greatest surprise. She was sharp, quick witted and unique – all things I was discovering were bringing me a startling amount of joy.