by Deena Bright
Without hesitating, I shimmied my bottoms down and threw them on the side of the pool. I stood up and relished in the look on his face. I loved the way Leo looked at me. Nobody had ever looked at me the way he did. Leo reached for me. Without missing a beat, I completed my utmost polished back dive into the icy water. Once I resurfaced, I looked at the diving board. It was still bobbing and springing, but Leo was nowhere in sight. Seconds later his arms were wrapped tightly around me as he too resurfaced. Wrapping my legs around him, I realized his swim trunks were missing.
“What’re you? Fucking Superman? How’d you change that—”
Leo’s lips cut me off in mid-sentence as his tongue continued to explore my mouth, neck, and chest. His hands began an exploration of their own. His fingers journeyed and traveled to places that reminded me of why I loved a well-read and highly studious man. After his fingers did more walking than the yellow pages, and I was as limp and weak as those pages inside, breathlessly, I said, “Let’s go… in… my house.” My legs were wrapped firmly around him for support as I felt his desire against me.
Kissing me again, holding me tightly, he groaned, and said, “I’m sorry. I can’t.”
“Well, I get that you might have a bit of difficulty walking right now, but oh you can, you certainly can,” I said, tugging on his arm. “You have to let things settle and ummm… soften… a bit, but I’ll fix that right up once we get into my bedroom.” I walked up the steps to grab our towels. “Are you coming, Mr. Cling?”
“Janelle,” Leo whimpered. “I’m serious. I can’t.” He reluctantly pulled himself from the water as I tossed a towel to him that he immediately wrapped around his dripping wet waist.
“Alright hottie, start talking. What’s up?” I asked, slumping down on the chair, in no mood to get all serious and emotional right now.
“I have to go,” he admitted, walking over to retrieve his shorts from the bushes and then sitting down on a chair opposite me.
“Say what?” I asked, standing back up. I was certain that I hadn’t heard him correctly. “You’re leaving? Now? On our only night together… in almost two weeks?”
“GOD! I know… don’t remind me,” he whined. “Come… sit,” he said, tapping the spot next to him on the chair.
I sat down and immediately started talking, “Leo, I know this is hard, but I still don’t know what I want—”
Leo covered my lips with his one finger, “Shhh doll, I’m still in this. You are seriously not getting rid of me that easily,” he said, kissing me tenderly. “But, I’ve already stayed longer than I should’ve… I’m sorry.” He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer to him as I laid my head down on his shoulder. “It’s just so hard to leave you.”
“Then don’t.” Seemed pretty simple to me.
“I have to. My sister’s flight got in three hours ago. I haven’t seen her two months. I promised my niece and nephew I’d watch a movie with them tonight,” he explained, looking remorseful.
“Leo Cling! You did not have to come here today if you were missing time with your family. I know how much they mean to you,” I admonished. “I would’ve understood… completely.”
“I know… I know… it’s… it’s just that you mean a lot to me too,” he said.
I loved how openly he always spoke, never holding back his words, his emotions, his wants. Leo wasn’t like any other guy I had ever known. It was so refreshing, so real, and so pure. “Well, when will I see you next?” I asked.
“Tomorrow. You know we have plans tomorrow afternoon,” he reminded me.
“Oh no, you are not missing any more time with them to be with me,” I confirmed.
“Oh, I know that. You’re coming over. It’s time you met the Cling-a-lings,” he said grinning, making me melt with those irresistible dimples.
“Cling-a-lings? Oh boy, what’re you getting me into?” I asked, chuckling.
“Oh doll, you ain’t seen nothing yet,” he joked, rolling his eyes.
“Alright, I’m in. As long as you’re sure that your parents still don’t hate me for that Howard Stern thing?” I asked, worrying about what they thought of me, especially now with the media shit storm regarding my sordid affairs.
“Nah, they’re over that. They’re more pissed off now at you for taking their only son’s virginity.”
“What? Are you fucking kidding me? There is no God damn way I am-”
“Kidding. Kidding. Kidding. I’m just screwing with you,” he said laughing and running his towel through his hair. “You should’ve seen the look on your face.”
“You know Cling, I’m older and wiser than you. You’re getting awfully cocky,” I said, glaring at him.
“I’m only cocky when I know what I want and when I’m sure I’m not giving up on it,” he said, winking at me as he stood up, pulling me up with him.
“Now Miss Garrity, I will see you tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. I’ll text you my address. Don’t wear something too sexy,” he said, kissing my forehead. “My dad’s a dirty old man.”
“No, he’s not. I’ve met him,” I argued.
“You’ve met him when he’s on his best behavior. A few beers tomorrow and that’s all out the window,” he admitted.
“Noted,” I said, exaggerating a check-marking gesture.
Leo grabbed me and kissed me, making me groan. I did not want him to leave. I didn’t care that his sister was in town. Fuck her. I wanted him to fuck me. “Are you sure I cannot persuade you to stay?” I asked coyly, batting my eyelashes, as my hands traveled a very unladylike trail down his chest and waist.
“You’re killing me, Smalls. I’ve got to go,” he said firmly and began backing away from me. “Aren’t you satisfied? I thought I took care of you in the pool,” he joked.
“Not even close… Bud,” I said in my best John Bender imitation.
Getting the reference and laughing, he said, “Hmmm… who knew Judd Nelson could be so hot?” he said.
“Molly Ringwald.”
“Touché Claire, Touché,” he said, nodding.
I walked Leo to his car, refusing to believe that he was really leaving. I pulled out all of my most feminine persuasion. I knew that I’d never be able to relay this story to Char or she’d go ballistic, claiming that Leo was gay or a pansy or a Mama’s boy.
Hell, I was starting to question his actual interest in me. How could a man walk away from a night of hot, sweaty passion to hang out with his sister and her kids? Family. Fuck ‘em.
Women, we’re ridiculous. We want a man who values family and relationships, but we don’t want him to value them too much, especially over us. How could a man ever win if he has to try to figure out how a woman thinks? For God’s sake, we don’t know what we’re thinking most of the time. Or why we’re thinking it. Hell, we change our minds faster and more often than we change out of underwear during our cotton-stuffing weeks. How could guys possibly figure us out? Poor things.
As Leo humbled me by actually backing out of the driveway and waving goodbye, he stopped, put down his window, and said, “Just so you know, every part of my body is calling me a ‘dickhead’ right now and trying to revolt against me.”
“Good, because so am I,” I said, leaning in the window to kiss him again. Then, he really did leave. Backed right out of my driveway and went to see his sister and her kids.
Leo left me quite amorous, but I opted out of calling Briggs to come over to fill my void… voids… fill whatever he wanted. I went to bed crabby and frustrated, looking forward to seeing Leo the next day. I wanted him to feel as frustrated as I did, so I snapped a rather lewd and provocative picture of myself. It was pretty hot. I was even impressed to be honest. Granted, I took about nine of them until I was happy with the result, but he didn’t need to know that. I hit send feeling very vindictive and validated.
He sent a text immediately back:
LEO: Sweet dreams Janelle
I wasn’t happy with his standoffish attitude or with the fact that he left me tonight to h
ang out with his family. And now, now, not even a cute, witty, flirty comeback? No, this was not how things were going to roll. Apparently, Leo Cling and I were going to have our first fight as a “pseudo” couple. And believe me fella, it was not going to be pretty.
AFTER I GOT out of the shower, I moped on my bed, not having a clue as to what I should wear to meet the Clings. I should’ve cleared it with Char or Joz yesterday before they left, but I didn’t know about the plan until after they’d already gone. I knew Jocelyn was having the soccer team over for a Fourth of July family picnic, so I couldn’t call her. She’d be elbow-deep in potato salad and macaroni salad right about now. I knew better to call Char. She knew Leo stayed after the pool party, so she’d fish for details, details that I couldn’t provide, details that pissed me off. Nope, as far as my wardrobe went for the day, I was on my own.
I tried on a grand total of eight different ensembles, reluctantly deciding on tan shorts and a white and gold peasant blouse, hating that I didn’t have anything red, white, and blue to wear. My tan shorts were the only shorts I owned that seemed to be a “parentally-acceptable” length for a family picnic. I let my hair air dry in waves and secured it back with my sunglasses. I rarely wore sunglasses for their intended, God-given purpose. Every pair I’d ever owned were bought for the sole fact of how good they looked on my head as a summer hair accessory. I slid on my gold gladiator sandals and was ready for my afternoon with the “Cling-a-lings.”
As I was driving to the Clings, I slammed on my brakes, almost getting rear-ended by a pick-up truck, when I realized that I didn’t have anything with me. Fuck. Growing up sucked sometimes. I should have some side dish or appetizer or something! How could I be so God damn stupid? I should’ve made deviled eggs or potato salad or some dumb shit like that.
Potato salad!
Jocelyn!
She’d have shit for me to bring. Score! Goal!
“NO NELLE, I’M not budging. You cannot have it,” Joz said, blocking me from her beautifully cut and sculpted watermelon fruit salad creation. “Take the deviled eggs. Take potato salad. Hell, you can even take my trifle or the Better-than-Sex Cake, but you’re not taking the watermelon.”
I don’t know how in God’s name she did it. She sculpted a watermelon to look like half an American flag, carving out stars and stripes on the side of the melon. It was beautiful. It would make me look so good if I brought it. Where did Jocelyn find the time? She was a machine. Most mothers, especially mothers of four, did not pull themselves and things together as well as Joz did. Man, she was my hero.
“Five Saturdays?” I offered.
“Nope,” she said, shaking her head.
“Seriously? I’m offering to babysit… at your house… five Saturdays in a row and you’re still saying, ‘No?’ Are you high?” I asked.
“It took me forever. No chance,” she said.
“Five Saturdays and an entire weekend in August before the kids go back to school. They can even stay with me, so we won’t fuck up your house.” I upped the offer.
“Deal,” she said, smirking.
“Well that was fast,” I said. “Usually, you’re more stubborn and hold out for more than that.”
“I was waiting for the weekend. It usually takes you longer to put it on the table,” she grinned.
As we were walking to my car, Rick stopped and asked, “Did you get us a free weekend?”
“Yep, in August. Book Vegas,” she said high-fiving him.
“Vegas? I want to go!” I exclaimed.
“Sorry kid, you’ve got four kids now,” Rick said, taking the watermelon from me, and placing it in the back of my small SUV. “Jozzie, I’ll go get the other watermelon out now.”
“Other watermelon?” I asked, looking between the two of them.
“Oh yeah, didn’t I tell you? I made two. We’re going to have a lot of guests today,” she said giggling, as she put her arm around Rick.
“You guys are fuckers, you know that?” I bitched, getting into my car.
“Fuckers who are going to Vegas,” Rick said, kissing Jocelyn’s cheek.
“You’re welcome for the fruit salad,” Jocelyn yelled, as I backed out of the drive.
“Bonsai!” I screamed, flipping her off as I did so.
“MISS GARRITY, IT’S so nice to see you again,” Leo’s dad said, as I got out of the car.
“You too, Mr. Cling,” I said, shaking is hand, “but please, call me ‘Janelle.’ Thank you for having me today.”
“Lonnie, and it’s certainly our pleasure,” he said, taking the watermelon from me. “Well, look at this. Beautiful and talented. You’re a keeper.”
I followed Leo’s dad around to the back of their house, a little disappointed that we couldn’t go through the house. It was magnificent. I knew Leo’s grandma, Lonnie’s mom, passed away and left them a lot of money, but apparently money wasn’t tight anywhere in the Cling household. The house was huge. The lawn was perfectly manicured. I wondered if they hired a professional or if Leo did this lawn too. Surely, he didn’t have time to maintain both yards, work full time at the accounting firm, and woo me in his spare time. Maybe that was what last night was all about. Leo was possibly spreading himself too thin, and I was the priority that mattered the least to him. Unacceptable.
When Lonnie opened the gate, I gasped at the view before me. The Clings had the most beautiful backyard I’d ever seen. There were flowers and plants everywhere with a quaint gazebo in the back corner, covered in ivy and some type of stunning white flower that I’d never seen in bloom in Ohio before. Their back deck traveled the length of the house, but was created in soft curves, no straight-lined angles. The deck didn’t have rails and unsightly spindles, but was surrounded by steps that gradually made their way down to a gorgeous copper-colored stamped patio. There was a fire pit with cozy chairs in the middle of the patio, where everyone sat talking, unaware of our arrival.
Two little kids were whacking a ball around through the rings on a croquet game, while Leo sat with his family, talking and laughing. Leo was telling a story animatedly, making everyone laugh. I recognized his mom. His other grandmother’s wheelchair and back were toward us, and another man, presumably his brother-in-law was laughing while texting at the same time. I didn’t see his sister, Megan.
I was the most nervous about meeting her. I knew how much Leo valued her opinion and looked up to her. He’d written about her in his hero paper his senior year. He was awed by the fact that she’d gotten her college degree in three years and moved to Arizona to fulfill her dream of being a pharmacist. I knew it was important for Leo that Megan gave me her seal of approval.
“Look who I found,” Lonnie announced as all heads and eyes turned toward us. Leo jumped up immediately and came over to us. He kissed me on the cheek and grabbed the watermelon from his dad’s hands.
Walking over to meet them, my stomach flipped. I didn’t realize how truly nervous I was. My mouth dried up, and I had to move my tongue around to get some moisture in my mouth. Otherwise, I was going to sound like a garble-mouthed moron. Something that I doubted the Clings would find very favorable.
“Hey everyone, his is Janelle; Janelle, this is everyone,” he said, excitedly. His happiness caught me off guard. I wanted to be pissed at him for yesterday, but he was so genuinely joyful to introduce me to his family that I decided we’d only fight a little bit. But we were still fighting. Leo was not going to get off the hook that easily.
His mom got up and walked over to me, “Miss Garrity, it’s so good to see you again,” she said and hugged me. I was shocked by the embrace, but went with it. What could I do, smack her away?
“Hi Mrs. Cling, your house is amazing,” I complimented. “And please, call me, ‘Janelle.”
“Only if you call me ‘Maeve,’ and thank you. We unfortunately just put a lot of work into it. Leo’ll show you around later,” she said.
Unfortunately? I made a mental note to ask Leo about that later.
His brother-i
n-law walked over to me, offered his hand and said, “Cliff, good to meet you,” and went back to his phone. Charming guy.
I walked around to the front of the wheelchair and said, “You must be Leo’s—”
“Sister,” Megan said, glaring up at me. I looked at Leo, eyes wide. He averted my gaze. Megan’s small body was under a thick blanket. Her head was covered in a pale yellow scarf.
“Megan, this is Janelle. Janelle, this is my big sister, Megan,” Leo stated.
“Hi teach, by the look on your face, my little brother didn’t tell you that I’m dying, did he?”
“Megan!” yelled four voices (Leo, Lonnie, Maeve, and Cliff) from all around.
“Well I am. It’s no big secret here,” she said matter-of-factly.
But it was. Leo had never said one word to me about his sister being sick. Actually, he hadn’t said anything about her this past month at all, other than she was in Arizona still. However, every time his niece and nephew came up, he did get a faraway, saddened look on his face. Wow. I couldn’t believe he’d been dealing with all of this and never mentioned it to me. I felt like a total shit. Oh fuck, I’d tried to get him to stay with me yesterday when he could’ve been here with her, spending precious time with his only sibling. I was going to rot in Hell for sure.
“Apparently you didn’t do your homework, Miss Garrity. Or is my brother just an extra-curricular activity for you?” she said, with venom in her voice.
“Megan!” came all four of the voices again.
“I swear to God sis, I am going to wheel you into a closet and leave you there if you keep this up,” Leo warned.
“I can use my arms, you asshole. I’d wheel myself back out,” she said, looking at Leo.
“Not if I tie them to your chair. Stop being a bitch or I’m telling Avery and Austin that you’re taking them to Disney tomorrow and let you deal with the disappointment when they find out you’re not,” he teased.
