Day, Xondra - Our Dirty Little Secret (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (2 page)

“
I
’
ll be along shortly.
”
He lit another cigarette.

She kissed him on the cheek, feeling the lump in her throat subside.
“
Don
’
t be long, or I
’
ll be forced to send
her
to come looking for you.
”

He faked a shiver.
“
You really know how to instill fear into a man.
”

“
Damned straight!
”
She turned to walk away and stopped to look back at him.
“
And don
’
t you ever forget it.
”

* * * *

“
Todd and Shanice are leaving. They
’
re hitting the road before the rain starts,
”
said Jeff, sliding one arm around her waist as she returned to the table where the cake was.

Together, they walked around the side of the house and down the driveway. They thanked their friends for coming, and Ann promised to call Shanice soon to make plans for a girls’ night out.

The first droplets of rain forced them to scurry to get everything inside.

Gwenn immediately took control of the unforeseen situation and held herself accountable for everything and everyone.

“
That came on rather sudden,
”
said Gwenn once they settled inside the house.
“
It
’
s a good thing we only had the cake out there and not the whole dinner. But the cake is fine, the little that remains of it.
”
She flicked at a piece with the knife.
“
Now to get everything cleaned up and put back in its place. We wouldn
’
t want the leftovers to spoil.
”

“
The leftovers will keep, Gwenn. But if you want to do something, I
’
m sure we
’
d all like coffee.
”
Ann looked to her left to see Jeff winking at her, his lips curled into a slight grin. He knew how she got when around her sister for too long.

Besides Jeff, her parents, Gwenn, and her niece, the only other guests were David and Helen. David was a coworker that Jeff had invited and Helen his somewhat annoying wife. Ann didn
’
t like her, and she guessed the feeling was mutual by the way Helen acted whenever they met.

“
We
’
re going to go,
”
said Helen.
“
The kids are home alone, and I don
’
t want to be out after dark.

David flashed them a half smile as they left and thanked them for the invitation.

“
That woman makes me feel downright uncomfortable,
”
said Gwenn.
“
Does she ever smile?
”

Jeff sauntered across the kitchen, grabbing a mug from the cupboard. He looked to Ann, and then to her father who had just come in from outside.
“
Coffee, anyone?
”

They both nodded while Gwenn went on about Helen being strange.

“
It isn
’
t anything personal, Gwenn,
”
said Ann.
“
She
’
s like that with everyone. David is nice and she just has her quirks like many of us.
”

“
David never complains,
”
added Jeff.

“
Most men don
’
t,
”
scoffed her father.
“
It
’
s suffering in silence at its best.
”

“
Spoken from the master
’
s mouth,
”
chided Jeff.
“
If anyone would know, it would be you, Frank.
”

“
Know what?
”

Ann inhaled deeply as her mother entered the kitchen.

As per usual, the woman looked immaculate with not one hair out of place. This was strange for someone who had spent much of the afternoon napping. Her once-blonde hair, now threaded with fine strands of silver, lay piled on the top of her head in a delicate French twist, her ears adorned with the diamond earrings given to her by her husband last Christmas. This was Ann
’
s mother. This was Judith Ann Witherston.

“
Well, don
’
t let me spoil the conversation,
”
continued Judith, her lips thin, her eyes showing their wisdom.

“
I thought you were resting,” said Ann’s father.

Ann watched her father move towards the woman.

“
I was. The rain disturbed me, and I heard voices down here.
”

Ann knew she definitely heard the tail end of their conversation, but her mother wasn
’
t letting on.
“
It
’
s good to see you
’
re feeling better,
”
she chimed in alongside her father.
“
Dad said you had one of your headaches.
”

“
Better, yes. Good? That
’
s always debatable.
”

“
Coffee, mother?
”
asked Gwenn, holding up an almost-filled pot.
“
It
’
s fresh.
”

“
No,
”
she snapped.
“
Caffeine isn
’
t good for you. It ages people before their time. It
’
s time we left, right, Daddy?
”

Ann sighed, as if her father would go against her when she was in this prickly mood.

“
Right,
”
he replied.
“
You
’
re ready to go now?
”

She nodded.
“
We
’
ll call when we
’
re home. Just to let you know that all is well.
”

* * * *

“
Don
’
t ever tell me that I
’
m like that woman,
”
said Gwenn once their parents had left.
“
How can Dad put up with her after all the years that have passed?
”

“
I have a theory about that.
”
Jeff sipped his coffee.
“
He
’
s either deaf or doesn
’
t give a damn anymore. If I was in his shoes, I
’
d pray for both. That or divorce would have come twenty years ago.
”
He turned to Ann.
“
It
’
s a good thing you and I have a great marriage.
”
He pulled her to him, causing her to stumble.
“
Ann has only ever been the one woman for me.
”

She blushed and pushed against him as he tried to kiss her.
“
How much have you been drinking today?
”

“
Three beers.
”
He winked, flashing one of his best smiles.

“
Take it upstairs, you two,
”
warned Gwenn, loading dishes into the dishwasher.
“
Once I
’
ve cleaned up, I
’
ll be on my way.
”

“
I
’
ll help.
”
She pushed away from Jeff again. This time he gave up and released her.
“
Two hands are better than one.
”

* * * *

“
Your mother wanted to spit fire when she walked in on our conversation,
”
said Jeff.
“
Did you see that look in her eyes?
”

Of course she did. It was typical Judith behavior to pretend she hadn
’
t heard a word but make it known that she had indeed heard everything.
“
Her blood pressure must have gone up on bust. She
’
d never allow herself to lose control, being the true Southern belle.
”
Ann unhooked her bra and tossed it on the floor.

The humidity combined with the midsummer’s heat filled the house and made it impossible to sleep in anything more than a pair of panties.