The Swear Jar (21 page)
Authors: Audra Osorio
Duncan packed his overnight bag.
They headed out the front door. Meara offered to drive her Jeep because they
could load it with beach gear and food. He agreed. Arriving at her house,
they parked the Jeep on the street. They walked up the driveway, hand in
hand. She swung close and bumped him with her hip. He grabbed her around the
waist, pulling her close. They were passing the Victorian house when they
heard Diana clear her throat.
“Isn’t the point of a walk of shame
to do it alone? I didn’t realize you were coming too, Duncan. Good morning,”
said Diana, shaking her head and laughing. “Anne’s inside and Ben’s holding
her down. She was asking about you last night.”
Hanging her head, Meara’s smile
faded. “I should have realized she’d be wondering. What did you tell her?”
“I told her it was Duncan’s
birthday. You went to his house for dinner. It got late and you stayed over.
It’s simple, truthful, and enough to satisfy Anne. She keeps asking if this is
a big change. Ben, you can let her go!”
Anne came running out. “Happy
Birthday, Mr. Phillips! Aunt Meara, I was so worried about you! Mom told me
about your sleepover. Did you have fun?”
Ben had a big smirk on his face.
Meara turned bright pink, but Duncan squeezed her waist.
“Thank you, Anne. I had a great
birthday yesterday. I’ve declared it my birthday weekend. We’re sorry we had
to postpone the birthday dinner. I want you all to know Meara and I are
dating, officially. She’s my girlfriend and I’m her boyfriend. Anne, I’d like
you to call me Duncan. I know you wish to be polite, but if I’m your Aunt’s
boyfriend, the formality is a little awkward. Is that all right, Diana and Ben?”
“That’s fine with us, Duncan.
Welcome to the insanity,” Diana said.
“Boyfriend! Aunt Meara has a
boyfriend! Are you sure? She can be a pain sometimes,” asked Anne.
“I’m sure, Anne,” Duncan replied.
“I’ll take my chances.”
Meara smiled. “Thanks, Anne.”
Meara squeezed Duncan’s hand. He
squeezed back.
“Have you two had breakfast yet?”
asked Diana, coming down the stairs.
“No, I was supposed to make
breakfast this morning, but I didn’t have the necessary ingredients,” said
Duncan. “Meara promised me breakfast here.”
“We haven’t had breakfast either.
I had a feeling your plans changed. How about a birthday brunch?”
“Thank you, that sounds wonderful
as long as Meara is all right with it.”
Meara nodded. “Thank you, Di.”
“Don’t thank me yet. I don’t have
any eggs. Do you?” asked Diana.
Meara nodded again.
Diana jumped into action. “Meara,
go cook up some scrambled eggs. Anne, get the pancake batter going. Ben,
those strawberries and blueberries need to be cleaned. Duncan, would you come
inside and help set the table?”
They all stared at Diana. They tried
not to laugh.
“Gee, you’re starting to sound like
Aunt Meara,” Anne said, retreating into the house.
“Well, Ems?” asked Diana.
Walking to her house, Meara waved
to Duncan from the porch. Ben stood at the top of the stairs, arms folded over
his chest. He wanted to hear what Diana was going to say to Duncan.
“Duncan, let’s get something
straight right now. Ems stands for Mother Meara. I love her fiercely. She’s
more of a mother to me than my own mother. She’s an adult, but I don’t want to
see her hurt. I hope she’s not going to get hurt.”
“Diana, I can understand your
concern. I love Meara. I have loved her for some time now. I was waiting for
her to feel the same way. I have nothing but the best of intentions. I would
never hurt your sister.”
Unfolding his arms, Ben smirked.
“Meara said she loved you?”
Duncan smiled. “Yes, she did.
Should I believe her?”
Ben replied, “Are you kidding? If
she told you, it’s the truth. My wife is going to kill me.”
“No, I’m not. If Meara said she
loves Duncan, then I’ll back down from angry, protective sister mode. Why
don’t you two go inside while I speak to my sister?”
Ben and Duncan retreated indoors.
Ben clapped Duncan on the back. Diana walked over to Meara’s house, knocking
on the door when she reached the porch.
“Duncan, is that you?” Meara called
out cheerfully.
“No, it’s me, Ems. How are the
eggs coming?” Diana asked.
“Fine. A few more minutes.”
“You love him? And he loves you?”
“Yes. And yes.”
“Are you sure you know what you’re
doing?” asked Diana.
“I think I can cook eggs,” replied
Meara.
“That’s not what I meant and you
know it,” snapped Diana. “If this doesn’t work out between you and Duncan,
he’s your boss. It could be awkward.”
“Who was the one pushing me to go
on the pill?”
“Let’s not fight. I like Duncan,
but don’t settle for the first guy who comes along and makes you feel good in
bed once.”
Meara scrambled the eggs. “Once?”
“It was more than once?”
Meara turned red. “None of your
business. I love Duncan. I’m not settling. He makes me happy.”
“So happy you forgot about
Yolanda?”
“I was supposed to talk to her last
night! Oh, crap. I’m sorry, Yoli!”
“When she couldn’t get you, she
called me. She was concerned. I told her you were with Duncan. She knew you
liked him, but she didn’t know it was this serious. I told her it looked like
you would be spending the night.”
“What did Yoli say?”
“She said life is short, you should
go for it. She wants you and Duncan to use protection. She also asked for a
picture of him, in case he breaks your heart. That way she knows who to look
for when she gets here to kick his ass.”
Meara smiled. “I love Yoli. My
two sisters are always looking out for me. Did you tell her I was sorry?”
“No, I thought you would talk to
her today. Since you’re probably leaving for the Shore after breakfast, I’ll
email her. I’ll let her know the plan changed. When are you coming back?”
“I don’t know. All I know is he
wants to take me away for the weekend.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“I like it. I want to make sure we
get to know each other and not just be intimate.”
“He’s okay with that?”
“Yes. He said this weekend has no
expectations.”
“He loves you. I can tell. No,
it’s more like he adores you.”
“Then what’s your problem, Di? You
push me towards him, and then you pull me back. Spit it out.”
“I don’t want to see you get hurt.
If it didn’t work out with Duncan, you’d be heartbroken. I don’t want to see
you like that, EVER again.”
“That’s a chance I’m willing to
take.”
“I said what I had to say. If he
does break your heart, Yoli won’t be the only one looking for him. Let me
handle the eggs. I put a pile of clothes on your bed. I couldn’t find any
lingerie. I didn’t know if you wanted any. Make sure you pack your birth
control pills. I’m not ready for a little Meara running around.”
“I’m sure I’m past that point.”
“Not until you hit menopause, my
dear. Miracles happen. Get going.”
Meara kept Duncan’s shirt on, but
changed into shorts as she packed her bag. Meara and Diana walked back to the
other house. As they entered the kitchen, Ben and Duncan looked up from their
tasks and smiled at the sisters.
“She survived!” Ben joked. “See,
Duncan? My wife didn’t kill Meara.”
“I’m glad to see that. I’d hate to
eat breakfast without her.”
“Very funny, you two,” Diana
smirked. “Where’s Anne?”
“She mixed the batter, and then the
phone rang. She took it into the living room. I have no idea who it is,” said
Ben.
Checking the caller id box, Diana
threw up her hands. “Oh, no.”
“Oh, no? Oh, crap. I’m not here!
I was eaten by a shark in the pool. I got severe paper cuts from library books
and I’m in the hospital,” Meara hissed.
Ben laughed. Duncan looked
puzzled. Anne came into the kitchen. Meara put her finger over her lips and
pointed at Anne.
“Nana, Mom’s here now. Do you want
to talk to her?” Anne asked.
She listened and handed the phone to
Diana. Meara grabbed Anne.
She whispered, “Did you tell her I
was here?”
“She asked for you. She called you
last night and you didn’t answer. She wants to talk to you. I told her you
were over at your house,” Anne said.
Duncan watched in amusement as
Meara fished in her shorts’ pocket. She found a dollar bill and handed it to
Anne.
“For the Swear Jar. I might as
well give it to you now. Duncan, I’m sorry you’re going to witness this. My
mother drives me crazy,” Meara sighed.
“Yes, Mom, Meara’s right here,”
Diana said loudly. “But we’re going to eat breakfast. You’ll need to make it
fast. The pancakes are almost done.”
Handing Meara the phone, Diana
whispered, “Behave.”
Rolling her eyes, Meara took the
phone. “Yes, Mother? How are you? I’m fine, Mother. Sorry, I wasn’t home.
The one night I’m not home and everyone, including my own mother, was looking
for me. Where was I? I’m an adult, Mother. I don’t need to tell you that.
No, I wasn’t out partying or crying home alone. Drop it Mom. I’m not going to
tell you.”
Meara waved her hand in the air to
get Anne’s attention. She fished in her pocket and handed Anne a five-dollar
bill. She shushed Anne away. Meara’s cheeks were turning pink. She closed
her eyes.
“She’s gonna blow. Duncan, stand
back over here. Being in the line of fire is not a good thing,” Ben said,
gesturing to a spot next to him in the doorway. “Always know where your exits
are.”
“Mom, what do you want?
Thanksgiving? I said I’d come. Who? Mom! You owe me. Now it’s eight hours
of labor? I thought I was indigestion due to red cabbage. Ma, I gotta go.
Breakfast is ready. Would you like to pick on someone else? Here’s Anne.”
Meara held the phone against her chest. “I’m going to kill you for telling her
I was alive. Get off soon, it’s Duncan’s birthday.”
Duncan moved, but Ben held his
arm. “It’s not safe yet. Just wait a minute or two.”
“What’s up, Ems?” asked Diana.
Meara hesitated. “Our beloved
mother has reminded me of my obligation to attend Thanksgiving dinner at her
house.”
“Not so bad. You were planning to
anyway,” said Diana.
“She’s invited my mother-in-law.”
“She didn’t!”
“Yes, she did. Dinner with the
mother AND the killjoy. Remind me to have my widow’s weeds cleaned and
pressed. Shit. Oh, sorry, Duncan.”
Duncan pulled Meara close and
kissed her forehead. “You handled it pretty well. I was expecting more
colorful sailor language. Anne owes you a refund.”
“Technically, the swears should be
spoken, but I had a few rolling around in my head. It’s a donation to a worthy
cause. She knows how to press my buttons. My mother-in-law, Jane, lost her
son, but she thinks I’m frozen in time with her. Well, it could be worse. I
don’t know how, but I’ll take it for now.”
“Who’s here? Mom, Dad, Aunt Meara
and Duncan. Who’s Duncan? That’s Aunt Meara’s boyfriend. He’s her boss at
the library and he’s her boyfriend now. He’s really nice. They had a
sleepover,” Anne chatted away. “It’s Duncan’s birthday.”
“And then the other shoe dropped,”
Meara said. “Di, I’m going to kill your daughter. I’ll give her a head start,
but she’s toast.”
Chuckling, Duncan held Meara
tight. She scowled at him. His eyes danced merrily, melting her anger.
Sighing, she relaxed in his arms. He kissed her dimple.
“Wait. How did you do that?” asked
Ben. “Duncan, dude, I’m calling you the next time she gets angry at me.
That’s so cool.”
Diana snatched the phone from
Anne. “Mom, it’s none of your business. Leave Meara alone. I’ll talk to you
tomorrow.”
Diana hung up. Anne was
speechless. Meara giggled.
“You’re in trouble now, Di,”
laughed Meara, still in Duncan’s arms.
“She’s a pain in the ass
sometimes,” said Diana.
“You owe me a dime!” chirped Anne.
Diana and Meara turned on Anne.
Anne threw up her hands.
“You’ve earned enough for today,
young lady,” Diana said coldly. “Breakfast, everyone, now. No more
distractions.”
The birthday brunch was a lively
affair. Blueberry pancakes, bacon and eggs were passed around. Coffee, tea
and orange juice flowed for everyone. The family sang ‘Happy Birthday’ with
strawberries and cream instead of cake. Smiling bashfully, Duncan held Meara’s
hand.
“Thank you,” Duncan said. “Thank
you for making me feel welcome and for a wonderful feast.”
“Are you and Duncan going to have
another sleepover?” asked Anne.
Meara choked on a sip of tea.
Duncan took away the cup and handed her a napkin. She stopped coughing.
Raising his eyebrows, he smirked at her.
“Anne!” squeaked Meara nervously.
“I was wondering if Duncan could go
in the pool,” said Anne.
“I’d be happy to hang out in the
pool some time, Anne,” said Duncan. “But we should be going soon.”
“We’ve got a lot packed for you,”
said Ben. “We decided it was better for you to use it than have it sit here
waiting for you to come back. That way, you don’t have to waste time food
shopping when you get there. We all know Meara hates to food shop.”
“Go get the Jeep, Ems. The boys
can load up the coolers. Anne, run over to her house and get her bag. We’re
kicking you out! Get going while I clean up,” ordered Diana.
“She really is getting pushy like
me,” Meara said to Anne.
“Duncan, right this way. We get
the hernias,” Ben chuckled.
Duncan laughed, following Ben to
the back porch. Two coolers filled with food sat waiting.
“Are you guys sure about this?
It’s a lot of food for two people.” Duncan pointed.
“Diana and Meara don’t pack light
when it comes to food. You’ll never go hungry in this family. While we’re
away from the womenfolk, let me welcome you to the family,” Ben said, holding
out his hand.
Duncan took Ben’s hand. “Thanks.
I’m lucky to be here.”
“You have no idea. Meara ran off
all the guys Diana liked, except me. It wasn’t a walk in the park. While
Diana was at college, Meara and I would wait separately for her at the train
station each week. Diana would get off the train, say hello to me, and ride
home with Meara. I wasn’t going to give up. One day, it rained and I brought
a huge umbrella with me. I made Meara stand under it. It was big enough for
the three of us. After that, Meara let me pick Diana up. She let me into the
family. If Meara said she loves you, don’t ever forget how lucky you are.
Diana’s not the only one protective of Meara,” Ben smiled.
“Understood,” Duncan said
solemnly. “I’ve never met anyone like her. I want to make her happy.”
“Then let Meara be Meara. It’s
worked for the rest of us so far!” Ben laughed.
With a well-packed Jeep, Meara and
Duncan were off to the Shore house. She drove while he navigated. She was
surprised he had never been to the Shore house. It made her a little nervous.
He was nervous they would get lost and never find the house. They were
overwhelmed as they pulled into the driveway. The bright white and green
clapboard house was three stories high. They peeked through the window in the
round wooden backyard gate to see a lush oasis. Just beyond the green lawn and
cozy pool was a little white and green cottage.
“This place is enchanting,” she
breathed, holding his hand. “If the backyard looks like fairyland, I can’t
imagine how the inside of the house looks.”
“I didn’t know the place was so
big. I can see why Mike likes to come here. It’s like a small hotel,” he
whistled.
The front door opened to a large
living room. The living room led to a dining room and an eat-in kitchen.
Beyond the kitchen was a master suite with a full bathroom. They ventured
upstairs to the second floor. There were three comfortable bedrooms and a full
bathroom. They climbed the stairs to the third floor. He opened the door,
letting her enter first. The sunlight-filled master suite spanned the entire
third floor. The king-sized bed looked inviting with soft, comfortable white
bedclothes. The front windows had an ocean view. The back windows had a view
of the cottage, the pool and hot tub. Lush green grass surrounded the patio
and outdoor grill.
“Duncan, did you see this?” She
pointed out the window.
He leaned past her to look. He was
impressed. He stepped back and brought her to the center of the room.
“Remember, no expectations. What
room do you want? You get first choice. Then I’ll pick,” he said.
The butterflies in her stomach
fluttered. She bowed her head. He raised her chin. If she looked into his
eyes, he knew she would speak what was in her heart.
She whispered, “I want the same
room as you.”
“What if I choose a bedroom with
twin beds?”
“Then I’ll sneak into bed with you
and cuddle up.”
“If we share a twin bed, you’ll
fall out. We need a bigger bed.” He put his arms around her waist.
She giggled. “You choose.”
“Let’s start at the top and work
our way down. If we do share a bed, there’ll be expectations.”
Squirming, her face clouded.
“Really?”
He held her tight. “I’ll expect
some cuddling, blanket snatching and some snoring. The last, mostly on my
part. Deal?”
“Deal.”
He kissed her. “Let’s get our bags
and bring in the food. March!”
As she walked by, he couldn’t resist.
He slapped her buttocks.
Laughing, she whirled around.
“Yes, sir!”
They spent the next hour
unpacking. They carried the coolers into the kitchen and he brought their bags
up to the bedroom. When he returned to the kitchen, they were amazed at the
amount of food Diana packed.
“Maybe she thought you were
kidnapping me for a month?” she grinned.
“It crossed my mind. I have a lot
of unused vacation time.” He nuzzled her neck. “Where’s all this stuff
going?”
“I’ll find room. Diana thought of
everything. She packed charcoal and lighter fluid. I hope you can grill
because I can’t.”
“Then you’re in luck, I’m an
excellent grill master.”
“We’d have to eat five times a day
to put a dent in this stuff. She even packed my homemade noodle and potato
salad. She’s trying to say my food is terrible.”
“I’ll be the judge of that. Remind
me to look up the nearest hospital, just in case.”
She slapped his chest. “Very
funny.”
They headed upstairs to unpack.
They shared a large dresser with six drawers. He unpacked Mike’s book and
placed it on the nightstand on his side of the bed. She placed her slippers on
the floor on the other side of the bed. Laughing, their choice of bed sides
mirrored Duncan’s bedroom at home.
“Habit or comfort?” he asked.
“A little of both?” she responded
shyly.
He had toiletries for the
bathroom. He placed the items on a corner of the bathroom counter. She
followed behind with her toiletries. She looked puzzled.
“Why did you shove your stuff into
the corner? Have they been banished to Siberia? There’s a whole counter. We
can share.” Meara frowned.
“I was expecting a multitude of
feminine products to take over the space.” Duncan shrugged.
Frowning, she stood with her hands
on her hips. She was silent.
“I’m mistaken. I was thinking of a
typical woman. You’re not in any way, shape or form a typical woman. You’re
extremely loving, kind, and willing to share. You don’t need any feminine
products to look this beautiful, ever.” He gestured towards her with open hands.
She was mollified for the moment.
She placed her things on the counter, leaving plenty of space for him.
He pointed to an item. “I haven’t
seen one of those in a long time.”
“Those, sir, are my birth control
pills. I’m not convinced I need them, but I’m on them.”
“You don’t need them because you
want me to use protection or you aren’t planning on being intimate anymore?”
“Oh, no Duncan! I want to. I
don’t want you to have to use, you know. I’m not convinced I could get
pregnant. I’m a little old for that.”
“Have you gone through menopause?
I love you, so I think I can be blunt.”
“I’m fine with blunt. No, I
haven’t gone through menopause.”
“Have you ever been pregnant? Or
tried to get pregnant?”
“No and no.”
“There’s always a chance. If you aren’t
comfortable being on the pill, tell me. I can get protection.”
“No. I’ve never been comfortable
with condoms. I know men sometimes don’t like them.”
“I’ll do whatever makes you happy,
but I confess I’m one of those men.”
“Then it’s settled. What do we do
now?”
“What do you want to do?”
“The pool is calling my name. And
we haven’t seen the backyard yet.”
“We should have a pool party. Why
don’t we change into our swimsuits and we’ll head out there?”
“Change? Here? In front of you?”
“Meara, you have to stop being so
shy. I’ve seen you naked. I’ll ogle you a little, but I promised no
expectations. If you want to change in the bathroom, go ahead.”
“No, you’re right. I can’t promise
I won’t sneak a peek at you either. You promised to behave, I didn’t.” She
giggled, taking her swimsuit out of the dresser drawer.
He froze. “That’s true. You never
promised. Only I did. Now I’m nervous. Maybe I’ll go change in the
bathroom.”
“What was it you had me do? Oh,
yes, close your eyes. If you’re quick, it’ll all be over before I start to
drool.” She took off her shirt.
He didn’t move. “My eyes are stuck
open.”
“Get your suit on or I’ll start the
party without you.” She growled.
He exhaled deeply, getting out his
swimsuit. He took off his shirt, shoes and socks. He faced away from her to
pull off his jeans and underwear. While his back was turned, she stripped and
quickly put on her swimsuit. He pulled his swimsuit up. She got a good look
at his buttocks and gave a low whistle. Grinning, he turned around.
“What do you think?” He turned in a
circle so she could see his black swimsuit and naked legs.
“Sexy legs! I love your feet.
They’re very cute. I guess I should give you a look. Don’t laugh,” she
grimaced.
She had on a deep blue, one piece bathing
suit with a skirt that twirled when she moved. It hugged the right places and
covered what she wanted to hide. To his delight, it pushed up her breasts. He
fought the urge to grab her and stuff his nose in her cleavage.
“Who’s laughing? If I take one
step closer to you, I’ll break my promise about no expectations. Can we amend
that right now?”
“We’ll renegotiate in the pool.”
“Grab your towel and flip flops,
woman. I don’t know how much longer I can last!”
Laughing, she picked up her towel.
He grabbed her hand and led her downstairs. On the back porch, they stood in
amazement. It was private, quiet, and green oasis. On the patio, a grill,
large table with an umbrella, and several comfortable lounge chairs were
invitingly arranged. The pool and hot tub were surrounded by grass and
pebbles. A path led to the cottage, a miniature version of the house. They
followed the winding path to the front door. The door was locked.
“I’ll look for the key later. Mike
said something about a key box,” he said.
She pointed to the side of the
house. “What’s that?”
“That must be the outdoor shower.
I was expecting a shower head with some walls around it. That’s an entire
room. Let’s check it out.”