We finish up and dry off. Annie tosses on my T-shirt, and I love the way it clings to her damp skin. Just when I think she couldn't get any hotter, Annie Edwards proves me wrong.
She flashes her phone at me. I'll make you breakfast, under one condition.
"As long as you're cooking-anything." I mouth the words slowly. It seems unfair that she has to go the extra mile to communicate with me, and all I have to do is measure my words out a little slower.
You stay naked. She bites down on her lip mischievously.
A wicked laugh drums through me. "Done." And how did I meet the perfect girl again? Who knew it was going to be a blessing and not a curse the day I went to Whitney Briggs to inform my counselor that I needed to drop my classes.
Annie is the blessing, and Olivia is the curse.
Now there's something to chew on.
And I've yet to tell one about the other.
Family Matters
Annie
Whitney Briggs is bathed in rich November golds and auburns as the leaves rain over the cobblestoned walkways in a show of rich fall color. There's always been something about fall, but this fall in particular will stay with me forever. Each year when I see the trees in their dying glory, it will be like a secret whispered straight to my heart.
Coeds bleed out of Prescott as I run up to my dorm to change while Blake waits in the lot. He spotted one of his band mates, and I told him I'd meet him back down in a few minutes. As soon as I open the door, I find Marley sprawled on her bed, face down, her hair splayed all over in thick, matted chunks. She's still in her robe, and her back is bucking in a lively manner. She's crying.
I flick the lights on and off, and she turns, exposing her tear-stained face.
"He's coming later so we can talk." She says talk in air quotes. "This is getting stupid."
Come with me. I'm bringing Blake home to meet my mom. I could use a buffer.
"Are you sure?" She scoots to the edge of her mattress. Marley looks as if I just told her I was headed to Mars on a no return mission.
Yes, I'm sure. Besides, I need you.
She picks up her phone. Can I ask what happened between you and Blake last night? She bites her lips, making her brows rise and fall like an innuendo.
I go to type out my answer and pause. What happened between Blake and me was private, intimate. It feels strange exposing all the dirty details. Oh, what the hell, just one.
Everything.
"Everything?" Her fingers stomp into her phone. You didn't need to tell me that. Your ear-to-ear grin said it all! She pulls me into a hug before leaning back so I can see her lips. "I am so happy for you!"
Thank you. It was magic. So you'll come to my mother's?
"Let's get out of here."
Marley and I put ourselves together and rush downstairs. We hop into Blake's truck and head for the country.
The evergreens line the road like faithful servants stoically awaiting their assignments. It takes almost forty minutes before we finally pull into my mother's driveway. For a brief moment, I thought of inviting my father to this odd menagerie of a family get together, but that tragedy was quickly averted when I realized I don't need to make things more uncomfortable than they already are. My father might be harder to impress than my brothers. I know he will be. When I was little I had his heart on a string like a simple helium balloon, and, the day he moved out just prior to the divorce, it felt as if I was forced to let that balloon go and watch my daddy drift away with it.
We get out and head on in. Mom meets us at the door. Nitro runs up to Blake barking and jumping.
"Hey, big boy." Blake scratches him behind the ears before smiling up at my mother.
"Please, excuse him"-Mom reprimands Nitro-"he's usually very good around people. He's very excited to meet you. As am I. I'm Miranda." She extends her hand, and Blake is quick to shake it.
"Blake Daniels. Very nice to meet you." He over annunciates to her as well, and I find it cute, like a nervous habit he seems to have picked up.
Marley greets my mother. They've already met several times, and, judging by the slight look of relief on my mother's face, she's glad I brought Marley along.
Baya, Bryson, Izzy, and Holt are already in the family room. A college game is on TV, and my brothers throw their hands up in frustration at the screen just as we walk into the room.
They all stand to greet us, and I see Bryson turning down the volume on the television. Mom moves us to the veranda out back where she has the patio table set with gold chargers and crewel embroidered napkins in an array of autumn colors. If my mother is about doing anything right, it's the holidays. You can bet she has a box in the attic for each one, always adding new things to her collection as the years go by.
It's icy out, so much so that the crisp air actually stings my lungs, but the outdoor fireplace burns bright, looking magical with the butter yellow maples lining the farthest side of the yard.
Marley looks to the spread laid out before us. "This looks amazing."
My mother is a master chef. I flash the phone to both Marley and Blake as we take our seats next to each other.
Bryson and Holt seem on their best behavior. A little quieter than usual but God knows I don't mind. And just when I was thinking of gifting them both a muzzle for Christmas. Baya and Izzy stream a steady conversation regarding Izzy and Holt's upcoming wedding. Every now and again they shift their heads so I can't make out the entire conversation.
We start in on Mom's five course masterpiece, kale and walnut salad, smoked chicken, savory yams, cranberry stuffing, marinated mushrooms, and, let's not forget, the Moscow hot chocolate-wherever it hales from, it's delicious.
"So Blake"-my mother sets down her fork and signs for my benefit-"tell me about yourself. I'm dying to know everything. Please fill in the blanks. I don't even know what questions to ask."
My face heats twelve shades. My body still burns from having him inside me. I'm not sure why, but it feels like I'm wearing a neon sign that reads I gave away my virginity last night! His penis was much bigger than I imagined. Nobody warned me I might need a cane to get through the first day. I make a face at my mother as if she consciously let me down in that arena. Sex isn't exactly a topic she's shied away from.
Blake stirs in his seat a moment. I really didn't tell my mother much about him other than the fact he's in a band. I'm pretty sure my brothers have filled her in on whatever it is they find repulsive about him-most likely the exceptionally large penis they suspect he has. I bet you could boil down all this tension to a severe case of penis envy. I'm sure if they knew he spent all night impaling me with it, they'd die on the spot with their heads flopping down into their mashed potatoes unable to recover. Despite their imaginary misgivings, Blake is a saint and an excellent boyfriend. Not that I have a long line of boyfriends to compare him to, but next to poor Marley's longtime boyfriend, William, or any of the turkeys Kaya has wasted her time with, I can easily verify his sainthood.
"I'm in a band." Blake smiles angling his body so I can see his lips. "The 12 Deadly Sins. I'm the lead singer. On occasion I play guitar."
"Fascinating." She leans in a little too excited. "I've always been drawn to men who can sing."
That explains a lot. Bryson once told me that our dad couldn't sing a note to save his life.
She nods for him to continue. "Are you also a student at Whitney Briggs? Annie mentioned she met you on campus."
"No, actually." His features dim as he glances around the table. "Unfortunately, I had to drop my classes this semester. I'm a junior, on ice for now." He teases.
That smile my mother has plastered to her face slowly slips away. "What brought you to that decision?"
The Edwards family in general stems from a long line of academic worship. It sounds almost hedonistic to abandon the ritual of learning for life on the mean streets of Hollow Brook, or, in his case, Jepson.
"My brother." Blake grimaces a moment, and the deep commas in his cheeks cave in. "One of my brothers passed away last summer. It's been tough." His chest expands. "I needed to get my bearings and square some things away. Plus, we were sharing an apartment, and I couldn't afford the rent without him. My other brother, Wyatt, has a horse ranch. That's where I'm staying now."
"We know." Bryson offers a sterile nod. It's clear the war is still on-even though it's entirely one-sided.
Mom flicks a finger. "Excuse my sons. They're very protective of their little sister."