by DW Cee
Friday—I woke up to a complete zoo in our house and backyard. It was worse than Emily’s wedding because this was even more short notice than the three weeks Jake gave Mom. There seems to be something about shotgun weddings and the Reid family.
“Will you make it to the tea this afternoon?” I called Max, on my way into work. Gimpy and I were taking a half day. Gimpy had no reason to go in today, but he said it’d be much easier to work than to watch the chaos at home.
“Good morning my precious gem. Yes, I’ll make it. I switched with a buddy, so he’ll do my rounds and I’ll take his late night one. What time should I get there?”
“I’ll be home by 1:00, so come as soon as you can. We can hang out till the tea begins.”
“So what happens at one of these rehearsal dinners?”
“It’s always done in some sort of theme. When Jake and Emily got married, Aunt Babs turned her backyard into a Moroccan paradise with food, belly dancers, and music to harmonize with the theme. Today, in honor of our ancestors, we are going to be in an English garden with scones, sandwiches, clotted cream and chocolate fountains. And since it is a late afternoon party, I’m sure there will be heavier dinner items as well. After the food and entertainment, Gimpy has to follow tradition and get Gram something from the...” I stopped mid-sentence and turned to Gimpy to ask, “Whose tradition do you follow? Jake’s, Uncle Henry’s, or my grandfather’s?”
“I may start my own tradition,” he gave an evil laugh, then added, “I’ll definitely outdo your brother’s paltry earrings.”
“Geez Gimpy, you and Jake are going to scare away any of our suitors with your high-rolling gifts.”
“Max, you can find out for yourself what the entertainment is. I don’t want to frighten you off. I’ll see you this afternoon?”
“Definitely. Love you, my beauty.”
“Love you too.” I blushed saying this because Gimpy was giving me his English smirk.
“He’s a good man, Janey. Take care not to scare him off.”
“Scare him off??? Gimpy, you have so little faith in me.”
When Gimpy and I got home, the backyard had been magically transformed into an English garden. Normally, our backyard is a huge parcel of grassy lot with a play structure for the twins, a gated pool in the furthermost back part of the lot, and a tennis court off to the side. Today, the play structure disappeared to who knows where, and a small pond sprouting irises, daylilies and other greeneries showed up in the pool. The gate protecting our little ones from the pool also disappeared. How they transformed a pool to look like a “pond” with flowers and green shrubbery, I could not tell you. There was a beautifully rustic wooden bench facing the “pond,” and there were several swinging benches under wooden gazebos, off to the side. The tennis court was overflowing with tables ready to accommodate the catered food, and cute round and square four-tops with garden-themed chairs filled the middle of the yard.
“Wow, Gram. This looks beautiful!” Emily commented, while walking with her two little imps in tow. The imps were pushing a shopping cart into the house and “running” as fast as they could. Since James was pretty adept at walking, he led the way. Elizabeth wouldn’t lose out to her brother and did her best to keep up, even though she kept tipping over. The mean aunt that I was, I laughed every time she fell over.
“This reminds me of our country home.” Gram commented.
“You have another home?” I asked. “How come we’ve never been there?”
“It was a childhood home. My parents sold it.”
“Shall we get the show on the road? I think tea is about to begin.” Gimpy put out his arm so Gram could walk out with him.
“Is Max coming?” Emily asked.
“He should be here any minute now. You need help corralling the two outside?”
Emily only smiled as she gazed at the beautifully dressed boy and girl who pushed as fast as they could to catch up with the senior citizens.
“Hello, Love.” My brother came over and greeted his wife with a tender kiss. “How’re you feeling today?” He rubbed her barely-there stomach.
“I feel fantastic. No more nausea. I hate feeling nauseous. Did you see our babies?”
“Yeah. They clean up nicely, huh?”
“They sure do. They’re so sweet when they play together, though I think we need to make sure they don’t fall into the pond/pool.”
“With all my cousins chasing after them, I don’t think we have any worries, Love. You can relax tonight. I’ll ask Laney and Nick to be in charge of the babies.”
“Hey, big brother. I’m standing right next to your Love, but you’ve yet to greet me.”
“Hey there, Brat. Where’s Davis?”
“Right here. Hello, Gem!” He kissed me, both hands on my face, hot and heavy on the lips.
“You two need to get a room. That’s disgusting.”
“No it’s not, Jake. I think it’s sweet the way Max shows his love for our sister. I’ve always wanted one of those romance novel kisses.” Emily said in a dreamy but teasing voice. “Max, you’ve changed since we dated.” She giggled this time.
“Em...” he exaggerated the name Em. “Come here. Let me show Jake how it’s done.”
Max put out his arms and Emily did not waver in walking towards him. Of course my brother hooked his right arm around her stomach and pulled her back to him. Max laughed. Emily laughed. Even I laughed!
“You want one of those kisses? I’ll give you one of those kisses.” The love in my brother’s eyes for his wife was almost sickening to watch.
“Let’s get out of here. I don’t think I can stomach this before we eat.” I pulled Max out of the kitchen, but before Max left, he squeezed Emily’s arm and gave her the sweetest I’m-happy-for-you look. I must be growing up because this entire exchange made me dizzy with joy. Gram and Gimpy will finish their lives loving each other, Jake and Emily worked through their struggles and would live a lifetime of happiness, and I was with a man who was capable of loving deeply. No matter the environment he grew up in, his tenderheartedness always shined when he dealt with his close circle of friends. Lucky girl—that’s me!
We went outside, chatted with the family, played with the twins, and got our meal. “The ladies in your family are incredible! How did they get this done so quickly and beautifully?” Max and I decided to sit on the lovers’ swing under the gazebo. “It feels so authentic.”
“You should have seen Jake and Emily’s rehearsal dinner. Aunt Babs has a thing for themes. She’s obsessive about getting every detail on the mark.”
“So...have you thought more about getting a place with me, come June?”
“Yeah...” I smiled.
“And?”
“I’d love to live with you, but...what about your plans to go away this summer?”
“Crap! I forgot about that.”
“Are you going?”
“Would you be okay with me leaving you for a month?”
“Max. I was dead serious when I told you that I didn’t want you to miss out on any opportunities. I will be a good girl and wait for you to return, hale and whole.”
“I don’t want to leave you, but I’m leaning towards going. It’s only a month and I figure it’ll be good for us to miss each other.”
“I think you should go and help as many children as you can. They need you. But, make sure you come back to me because I need you more.”
That sweet remark earned me a serious make out session under the gorgeous gazebo.
“Ladies and gents! Let’s all gather around the stage. Grab a chair and we’ll see what surprises Roland has for our beloved mother and grandmother,” Uncle Henry called us all to the main event. “I think everyone here knows about our wedding tradition. If you don’t know—i.e. Max Davis—ask your neighbor.” Everyone chuckled. “Roland...take it away!”
Gimpy walked up to the stage while Nick and Doug trailed right behind him carrying a beautiful pirate treasure chest.
“When I
approached Estelle’s five sons a few months back and told them about my intention to marry their mother, they told me about the long-standing tradition you have in the Reid family. Though I’m not a Reid, I was told that I couldn’t marry Estelle unless I agreed to honor and continue this tradition. Now, I don’t quite fit into any category since I’m not the first child of any of your generation. Jerry picked the tradition of something old and started with a pearl necklace. Henry, the cheap bastard...” we all died laughing when Gimpy called out Uncle Henry, “picked something blue and gave his wife a blue garter. Jake, with the help of his gracious grandmother, gave his lovely wife not only the prize ring, but also a pair of diamond earrings.” Of course my brother gloated and waved Emily’s hand in the air to show off the stunning ring. “Since I needed to best the young man who robbed the Reid family coffer, I brought the Ascot family jewels to refill what’s been plundered.”
Nick and Doug carried the table that the chest was sitting on, front and center, and opened the surprise. There were aahs and oohs and whistles galore.
“You Reids don’t kid around with this whole family tradition, do you? I don’t think we’ll ever be getting married if I need to follow after Roland.” I think Max was kidding?
“Many of these jewels date back to more than a century ago, and many others were added since. Some are expensive, many are not, but they are all a piece of my family history and precious to me. What your grandmother and I decided to do was to allow each female member of this family to come up and pick the jewel of their choice.”
That announcement got Gimpy an even grander standing ovation than Jake got when he gave Emily more diamonds. Jewelry was not my thing, but if you’d seen all that glittered in that chest, any girl would have been tempted.
“We’re going to go from oldest to youngest, starting with...Elizabeth.”
What??? Why did that imp get to choose first? She’s barely a girl.
“Yes, Elizabeth is a female member of this family, and since she has no idea what she’s choosing, Estelle and I thought she should go first.”
Jake strutted up to the stage with his daughter and had that annoyingly smug grin. “Princess, which jewel would you like?” Jake placed his daughter on the table in front of the treasure chest and she, just like her father, was in heaven with all the sparkly toys. “You can pick any one you like,” he encouraged her.
She stood up on the table with her hands on the chest, and Jake caught her a split second before she fell into the chest, head first. That brought about a horrified gasp from the ladies, and a light chuckling from the men. When her head came out of the chest, little Ellie had chosen her prize.
“Damn! That girl picked the most expensive thing in the chest,” I muttered.
In her hand was a glittering diamond tiara. Who the hell wore a tiara in this day and age unless you were royalty? Father and daughter had identical smiles as my brother crowned the tiara on Ellie’s big head.
“Leave it to Jake’s child to grab the grandest treasure in this chest. Well, done, Elizabeth!” Gimpy announced.
Everyone clapped for Ellie who showed her dimples, her two front and bottom teeth, and lots of gum surrounding the teeth as she smiled. I clapped too, kind of.
“Hey,” Max whispered to me after I chose my cameo pendant, “I have a surprise for you. Let’s get up to your room for a few minutes.”
Ooh...I liked the sound of that.
There was an Amazon box waiting for me on my bed, and I had no qualms about ripping it open. What I saw made me blush—and I’m no blushing-type.
“What on earth? How’d you know about these? Did you read the book?”
“Hell no. Do I look like I have time to read erotica? Since you seemed to be so into this naughty-girl sex, I thought I’d be obliging and buy you a few toys. Shall we give it a test try now?” he said while taking out Mr. Ben Wa from its packaging and walking into my bathroom to wash it clean. “I believe Google told me to take each ball and insert it into your treasure chest?”
I was getting so hot and bothered; I started doing a little hop from one foot to another.
“Gem, I can’t insert these into you if you keep hopping around. Now stay still,” he ordered and slapped me in the ass.
This is the only man ever, to put his hand on my rear end with the intent to hurt (or pleasure). And damn, did it pleasure. He put both balls deep inside me and his fingers made sure (many times over) that they would stay there. Of course we couldn’t just stop there, even with a huge party taking place underneath my bedroom window. There was no time to get undressed so Max lifted up my skirt, I unzipped his pants and gave the wall a thorough wipe down from my backside.
“I can’t believe these balls stayed intact while I was having vertical sex.”
“Did it do anything for you?”
“Don’t know. The jury’s out on this one. I’ll let you know after we try it a few more times.” We rushed to right ourselves before rejoining the Reid family. “I have a question for you...” I cringed at whether or not I should ask him this personal question, but I was curious.
“Yeah?”
“If you and Emily never had sex, was Jennifer your first?”
“Um...no...” He wouldn’t expound.
“Then...who...was...it...?”
“Do we have to talk about this? Do you really need to know?”
“I don’t have to know, but I’d like to know.” Now that you’re evading the question, I MUST know. “Why do you hesitate telling me who it was? I’ll tell you who my first was if you’re interested.”
“I’m not interested in knowing the name of the man you lost your virginity to...”
“Well, I am interested in knowing the name of the woman you lost your virginity to...just tell me!” Then it dawned on me as to why he couldn’t spit out a name. “Do I know this woman? Is that why you’re so cautious about giving out a name?”
Max sighed. “Yeah, you know who she is. It was...”
March 14, 2013 Shocking(er) Confession‼
“Did you just tell me you lost your virginity to Hannah??? The girl living in your parents’ house right now. The girl who hugged you back at the restaurant like you were the greatest thing since sliced bread, Hannah?”
“Yes.”
“How old were you? You met Emily when you were eighteen or nineteen, as a freshman in college.”
“If you must know, Hannah and I were high school sweethearts and she and I started dating when we were sixteen.”
“And...?”
“Gem, is this really necessary?” Max was super uncomfortable talking about his horn-dog teenage years. I was willing to wait it out the whole night to hear this story.
“Oh yeah, it’s necessary, Buddy. You need to tell me all about you and Hannah.”
He sighed some more. I didn’t know what the big deal was. Lots of kids had sex in high school—not that I would want my high school son or daughter experimenting at that age.
“We had sex for the first time when we were in our junior year of high school.”
“That’s it?”
“Yeah, that’s it. What else is there to say?”
