Bulky & Beauteous

by Mary E Thompson

“She can stay with you.”

  “Where?” Cass knew Sam and I shared a two bedroom. We didn’t have an extra bedroom like she did. Hell, when Cass ended up at our place it was on the couch, where did she think we’d put Mom?

  “She can’t stay here!”

  I shrugged again, not knowing what Cass wanted me to do about it.

  “Do you need help settling in, Mom? Cass said she’s thrilled to have you here.”

  Cass shot daggers at me, but I just grinned back. The new Addi was coming out to play, and I was going to like her.

  “Oh, yes, honey, that would be great. I’m so lucky to have two daughters who care so much. If only your father was the same way,” she trailed off, leading the way down the hall toward Cass’s guest room.

  “What is wrong with you?” Cass hissed from behind me. “I can’t have her here.”

  “Why not? Maybe she can go out with you, you know be your designated driver or wingman or something. And think of all the fun you’ll have. She can tell you what to wear to work every day, cook you dinner each night, and instruct you on how to live every aspect of your life.”

  Cass nearly growled at me. “You’re enjoying this.”

  “A little bit.”

  In the guest room, now Mom’s room, I found Mom with two huge suitcases side-by-side on the bed. Both were open with clothes pouring out of them. Mom had two of her big coats laid out of the bed, a black one and a brown one because you never knew when you’d need one of each, and more shoes than most women owned on the floor of the open closet.

  “I see you’ve already started unpacking,” I snickered.

  “Yes, well, I have to be ready. If your father shows up he needs to know I mean business when I say I’m not going to go back to how things were. If he wants me back in his life, he’s going to have to prove it.”

  Cass rolled her eyes. Apparently it wasn’t the first time Mom had said something like that. I almost felt bad for Cass, living with our mother, but then I recalled the countless nights I’d been woken up to drag her out of one bad situation after another. Maybe I’d finally get through a full week, or God help me, a month, without having the phone wake me up from a dead sleep.

  Or maybe my dad would show up and take Mom home that night.

  Damn, I was a little bit torn.

  “Are you going to get a divorce?” I asked, saying the word out loud for the first time. As a kid, having divorced parents always seemed like such a horrible thing. As an adult, I couldn’t imagine it would be fabulous, but it wasn’t as crippling.

  “I guess we’ll see,” Mom trilled.

  She almost seemed happy. Like she was glad to be rid of him. They’d been together 35 years. How could she be happy that the man she’d loved could dismiss her so easily? How could he dismiss her? None of it made sense to me, but I knew one thing… I wasn’t going to let it happen.

  They were my parents, dammit, and they belonged together. Who cared if he left the toilet seat up more times than down, or if they fought. They were meant to be together. And as daddy’s little girl, I was going to find out what happened and fix it.

  By the time I headed for home that night I was exhausted. Mom never told Cass and I what really happened with Dad. I figured I’d go see him the next day and pry it out of him. What Mom did tell us was she wasn’t giving up on our double date until it was set. She stood over Cass while she sent a text to her friend Alec to set up a date with him and his friend, Noah for Saturday. I was less than thrilled.

  ~*~

  When Saturday rolled around I knew the whole thing was a bad idea. I’d never gotten ahold of my father, so I was no closer to patching things up with my parents than before. Cass called me every day to complain about something Mom moved in her house, or something Mom said, or Mom’s latest plan for her life. The only thing that didn’t change in those few days was that Cass and I were still going on a double date.

  Mom insisted I pick up Cass before our date. I felt like it was the prom all over again, except I was wearing a purple sweater dress instead of black taffeta. Mom took pictures of us, no doubt Facebook evidence Cass would destroy later, and nearly cried when we walked out the door together.

  "I never thought we'd get out of there," Cass grumbled as soon as we were outside.

  "She's floundering without Dad. Has she said anything else to you this week?"

  Cass shook her head as I started the car. "Nope, not a word. All she's done is try to change my life. Jeez, she's like you. It's driving me nuts."

  "Gee, thanks. I love you, too."

  I could practically hear her rolling her eyes.

  "You know what I mean. I can't have her living with me forever. I'll lose my mind!"

  "She won't be there forever. Just until we can get her and Dad back together."

  "Are you sure that's the best thing? I mean, she won't tell us what actually happened. How do we know he didn't hit her, or cheat on her, or something?"

  I scoffed, wondering how she could ever think such things about our father. He was sweet and kind and never acted harshly toward any of us. Why all of a sudden did she think he could do something like that? Unless…

  “Did Mom tell you that? Do you know something you don’t want me to know?” I stammered, terrified that I was about to find out something horrible.

  “No,” Cass admitted. “Mom didn’t say anything. I just don’t get why she won’t tell us. I feel like she’s hiding something, and I don’t want to push her back into a bad situation if she just finally got free.”

  I breathed a temporary sigh of relief. She didn’t know anything. Dad was still Dad. Mom wasn’t an abused wife, or running away from him, or in danger. They just needed to remember what they loved about each other. Then they’d get back together. I just knew it.

  Cass had chosen Blizzard Beef and Brew for dinner. As we pulled in she pointed out Alec’s car, not that I really cared. Of course, knowing the guys were there sent butterflies fluttering in my stomach. I was going on a double date. With my gorgeous sister. And two guys who probably both wanted her.

  Yep, it was going to be a fun night.

  Not.

  Inside I pushed away thoughts of my parents and their issues and focused on the restaurant. The smells were intoxicating… seared meat, beer, roasted veggies, and a hint of something sweet. If the aromas weren’t enough to indicate the place was expensive, the chrome chandeliers and leather booths tipped you off. We followed the hostess past intimate seating for two, booths for four, and a few curtained off private rooms that looked ideal for a proposal or other such special occasion.

  I wasn’t really ready for the date. I smoothed my hand over my dress, wishing I had the power to smooth out my belly with it. Cass looked perfect, as usual, in a sleek black dress that barely covered her ass. The flirty skirt turned it from a simple little black dress into something that teased at her playful side and invited all the men in the room to check her out.

  And they certainly did.

  Heads turned to follow us, or her, really. Cass had always been a show-stopper with her inky black hair and pale skin. She played up her brilliant blue eyes with just the right amount of make-up and finished off her look with pale pink lips that never failed to make me jealous. From the looks she got when she went out, I wasn’t the only woman jealous of Cass’s natural beauty.

  And dammit I wanted to leave. Going on a double date with my sister was the dumbest thing I could have ever agreed to. At first I thought Cass would never follow through. She probably wouldn’t have if it hadn’t been for Mom pushing it. Why they thought I needed to redo my whole life was beyond me.

  Oh, yeah, I thought the same.

  I needed to learn to keep my big mouth shut when I was in a shitty mood. Add it to the New Addi checklist.

  When we finally reached the booth with Alec and Noah I knew I couldn’t back out. Alec stood to kiss Cass, drawing her into an embrace that left me feeling awkward and out of place. I looked down at my feet, hoping their kiss would be sh
ort-lived, and afraid to watch if it wasn’t. Damn, the guy was serious.

  I finally braved a look at my date, figuring I should at least introduce myself. His boots were well broken in, but still in good shape. His jeans hugged his thighs and curved around his hips to a narrow waist. A green sweater hid his stomach, but did nothing to disguise the thick wall of his chest or the bulk of his arms. When I finally looked up past his chiseled jaw and dimpled cheek I nearly fell over.

  “Joey?”

  Seven

  “Uh, no, I’m Noah,” the lookalike said.

  Holy crap, the man looked just like Joey. How was that even possible?

  It was the eyes. Those same eyes that looked at me five days earlier and seemed to know exactly what was going on inside my head. Those eyes that haunted me and made me want to rush back to Winter Ridge just to find him. Those eyes that made me afraid to go back because I didn’t know what he’d see.

  It was the eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” I stammered, trying to recover from my shock. “You just look like someone else, I guess.”

  Noah laughed. “I get that a lot. It’s strange, but I must have one of those faces.”

  “Something like that,” I muttered.

  How the hell was I going to make it through the night staring at a guy who reminded me of someone else? Someone I was trying desperately not to think of.

  “You must be Addi,” Noah said. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  He held out his hand to shake mine. I stared at it, afraid to touch him. Would touching him make me want him the same way it did with Joey?

  Jesus, I was being ridiculous.

  “Nice to meet you,” I said as I placed my hand in his.

  No sparks.

  No fireworks.

  No pent up desire blasting to the surface.

  It was a fucking handshake.

  And I was losing my damn mind.

  “Are you okay?” Noah asked, our hands still clasped together.

  I quickly removed my hand from his, my cheeks burning. How do you tell the guy you’re on a date with that you were waiting for your panties to dampen and that they didn’t? I needed to quit spending time with my sister.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” I said as we sat. Noah slid in and nodded his head toward Cass and Alec, who finally seemed to be slowing down on the tonsil hockey. “Hey Cass, who’s your friend?”

  They broke apart and Cass glared at me. “This is Alec. Alec, my sister, Addi.”

  “Nice to meet you,” he said with a leer. His eyes focused on my 36D chest, even though I was careful to wear something that kept the girls well covered. I immediately hated the guy, filing him along with all the other guys Cass usually spent time with. At least I knew this guy had a job, and wasn’t as likely to drag Cass home if she was passed out.

  “Uh, yeah,” I responded without a touch of enthusiasm, or amusement. His eyes finally met mine and he offered a shrug, whether of apology or admission, I wasn’t sure, but at least he quit staring at my breasts.

  “How about a round of beer?” Noah asked, coming to his friend’s rescue.

  We all agreed and ordered beer and appetizers to get started. I looked over the menu, trying to decide exactly what I was in the mood for. Jade green eyes and a sexy smile came to mind, but I shoved Joey’s face aside to think about dinner. I was out with Noah, and his own pair of green eyes, and thinking about Joey was going to get me nowhere, fast.

  Our beer arrived and Cass toasted to a night of fun and freedom. Alec pulled her back in for another kiss and Noah and I were on our own again. “Cass tells me you’re a teacher?”

  “Yep. I teach high school science.”

  “I hated science. It was always my worst subject. That and math.”

  Oh, boy. This wasn’t going to end well. “I hear that a lot. What classes did you enjoy?”

  Noah droned on and on about his love of history and his need to work with his hands. He was apparently a master woodcarver, never knew there was such a thing, and he fashioned himself a pretty handy mechanic.

  “I bought a 1962 Corvette a couple years ago. I’ve been working on it ever since. You should come over sometime and see it,” he declared.

  Did he just ask me out? For a second date? Before we even got dinner?

  “Um, yeah, maybe.” He was not that interesting. Cars? Not my thing. Give me chemical explosions, fire, and molecules any day. Add an engine and I’m lost. I barely even know how to check the oil in my car. Not that I ever do it, but I probably could in a pinch.

  “She’s a real beauty. Gorgeous car. I bet you’ll love her,” Noah continued.

  I wanted to stop him, but really, I didn’t care. He could go ahead and talk about his car all night long if it made him happy. I was happy to just stare into his beautiful eyes and daydream about Joey.

  Shit.

  No.

  I could not daydream about Joey.

  I shook my head and focused back on Noah. And his car.

  “I had to rebuild the entire engine. Man, it was in horrible shape. I thought I was going to have to buy a new one at first because it was so bad, but I was able to save it…”

  He had a great voice. Deep and rich. Smooth like a great bottle of wine. Even something as boring as his car sounded good when he talked. Maybe the date wasn’t such a bad idea. I should thank my mom.

  “Ow,” I yelped, something digging into my shin. I looked up and saw Cassandra disappearing under the table. Oh, my God. She had to be joking. She was not going to crawl under a fucking table and give the guy a blow job. No way.

  Right?

  Nope.

  Wrong.

  “Cass,” I whispered, not daring look under the table. “What are you doing?”

  “Ema wuttel buzzy,” came the muffled response.

  “What?”

  “I’m a little busy,” she hissed. “Maybe you should join me.”

  My cheeks flared and I nearly choked. She was joking, right?

  Right?

  Damn. What was wrong with my sister? She was like a fucking teenager. I mean, seriously, could they not keep it in their pants through dinner?

  I risked a glance at Noah, who had fallen silent during our exchange. He raised his eyebrows at me and shrugged a shoulder.

  “You’re kidding, right?” I deadpanned.

  He was kidding. He had to be kidding.

  “You are sisters. And it’s not like she hasn’t seen it. It’s kind of hot.”

  Oh dear God. I was going to be sick. Not only did Cass set me up with someone she’d already screwed, but he was ready to whip it out for me before dinner arrived because Cass was on her knees for Alec.

  I was way too old for that.

  “You know what, I’m good. I think I’m gonna go. Cass, can you get a ride home?”

  “Oh, I’ll give her a ride,” Alec said, his eyes rolling back in his head. Cass just mumbled something around the cock in her mouth.

  Gross. Absolutely gross.

  Why did I ever think going on a double date with my sister was a good idea? Or doing anything with my sister? Did people actually do this sort of thing? I mean, really, a blow job in a restaurant?

  I darted through the restaurant, anxious to get the hell out of there. I was looking forward to my steak dinner, but it wasn’t worth that. I’d pick up takeout on the way home. At least I could get it without having to perform first.

  The cold air blasted me in the face and made me realize exactly what the hell was going on. I’d just left my sister. In a restaurant with two guys who were more than content to have fun in public places. And she was happy to oblige.

  There was seriously something wrong with her.

  And them.

  Right?

  I pondered the thought the whole drive home. With a steaming bag of Chinese food, I entered the house, finding Sam on the couch, watching Never Been Kissed. “Bad date?”

  I rolled my eyes, hung up my coat, and dropped down next to her. “He wanted a blow job in t
he restaurant before dinner arrived.”

  “Excuse me?” Sam nearly yelled.

  I shrugged. “Cass was down there already and told me to join her. My date said she’d already seen it so I was free to go ahead. I left.”

  Stunned, Sam gaped at me.

  “I wish I could tell you I was joking. Do people do those things?”

  “Blow jobs?” Sam teased. “Yes, the female population does perform them. Sometimes they’re even enjoyable.”

  I smacked her shoulder and laughed. I guess I was that big of a prude.

  “Let me get this straight. Cass set you up with one of her exes and he was perfectly content to have you on your knees in the restaurant because Cass was doing it?”

  I nodded. “Basically. Am I the screwed up one here? Because the three of them were acting like it was no big deal. I wanted to vomit.”

  “I don’t know, Ads. I’m not really a big fan of anything Cass does, so I’m a bit biased there. At the same time, remember Mandy telling us about her first date with Xander? They were fooling around in the booth too. Heads up, hands down. A part of me sort of wished I was that into someone that I couldn’t wait until we got home. With Cass though I just think it’s… ick,” Sam shuddered.

  I laughed. She was right. The whole situation was just ick. Disgusting.

  But Sam had a point. Mandy and Xander were perfect for each other. Every time I saw them together they were all over each other. Hearing about their first date, where they not only had play time under the table, but Mandy also went home with Xander, made sense. They loved each other, maybe before they even met. But on their first date, they weren’t any different than Noah expected me to be.

  Maybe there was something wrong with me.

  “I’ve never met someone I was willing to do anything like that with. I guess the whole risk of getting caught adds a certain element, but I’m not an exhibitionist. Never have been. I don’t need anyone seeing more of my jiggly parts than necessary,” Sam explained.

  “I’ll never be like Cass. After seeing her tonight I’m not sure I want to be. It feels so gross to me. Sleeping with strangers, crawling around under tables, not caring about who I’m with or what I’m doing. I just don’t know if I can do it.”