gift giving between me and my new beau open ended. I was going to see him tonight after a long few days of us failing to connect. I was kept late showing houses and Bryce had caught a cold. Rhys didn’t want to chance us both getting sick. I eyed a bottle of men’s cologne on the counter, wondering what type he used.
“So what are you getting him?” I looked up to see Molly smile at my mom who was questioning me and then eyeing me with interest.
“Mom, I swear, please go read someone else’s mind. Does this ever bother Dad?”
“Are you and Rhys exchanging gifts? Are you thinking cologne? Is that his style?” Molly piped, amused at my discomfort. I looked to her with narrowed eyes. She knew more about the nature of my new relationship with Rhys due to a near full confession from me the week I got back from Grand Cayman, a confession I was regretting at that very moment. The tone in her voice mocked the manner in which her question was asked. What I heard from her was “Wouldn’t he much prefer a new whip?” Molly was a petite brunette with big blue eyes. She looked far more innocent than she was, and played it to her advantage.
Molly smiled as she lifted a shirt off a rack and I shook my head at her. Her tiny frame glided quickly through the aisle as I picked up the remains of the end caps I knocked over as I passed through, my ass having a mind of its own. The store was a madhouse and I was thoroughly unnerved at the goings on. My mother seemed fit for the race, and Molly appeared oblivious. My mother lifted a man’s sweater and I shook my head again.
“Mom, I don’t really know if it’s appropriate yet.”
“It’s a sweater, Violet,” she said, giving me a strange look, “and honestly, I don’t know why you mask your feelings for him. The feeling is mutual between the two of you.”
“That’s just it, Mom. I mean, I think so, but I’m not sure.” I shrugged my shoulders as they both eyed me.
“Then take a chance and buy him a noncommittal sweater.” She moved her eyebrows up and down as I yanked it out of her hands. It really was a nice sweater, grey to match his eyes.
“So what’s the hold up, dear daughter?” she continued, plucking clothes off the rack to eye them. “At Thanksgiving you couldn’t live without him.”
“There’s no hold up. He’s just not very vocal with his feelings and I have been nothing but. It’s humiliating but I can’t shut up. I assume he will tell me how he feels when he is ready and in a way he already has—”
“In many ways, I’m sure,” Molly added then held her hands up defensively when I took a step toward her, my eyes saying as much as my body language. I sighed as I addressed my mother again. “Anyway, I would just feel better if I knew for sure he was feeling the same.”
My mother looked to Molly then to me, as if she needed back up. “Men are always slow to come around. You have only been dating a few months. He loves you, and I know it. Just give it a little time.”
I put both hands on my face, embarrassed at the conversation. “God, it’s disgusting. I’m being needy. Two weeks divorced and I’m needy.”
“Your mom is right, Violet, but don’t beat yourself up. You are a woman. The minute we meet a decent man and have a good orgasm, we start planning the wedding. Whoops, fuck, I’m sorry, Mrs. Hale.”
“About which part?” she said, grinning at Molly. She knew better than to get through a day with Molly unscathed.
I shook my head at the both of them. “Let’s talk about something else.”
“No,” Molly said, looking pointedly at me, her lips pursing. “You are the only one who has a new hot boyfriend.”
“Amen,” my mother said in agreement as they looked at me expectantly.
“I’m leaving,” I decided quickly. “Why don’t you too speculate on my life while I go live it?” I snatched Rhys’s new sweater and Bryce’s toys out of the cart as they both protested my announcement.
They shared a smile,
“So what are you getting him?” I looked up to see Molly smile at my mom who was questioning me and then eyeing me with interest.
“Mom, I swear, please go read someone else’s mind. Does this ever bother Dad?”
“Are you and Rhys exchanging gifts? Are you thinking cologne? Is that his style?” Molly piped, amused at my discomfort. I looked to her with narrowed eyes. She knew more about the nature of my new relationship with Rhys due to a near full confession from me the week I got back from Grand Cayman, a confession I was regretting at that very moment. The tone in her voice mocked the manner in which her question was asked. What I heard from her was “Wouldn’t he much prefer a new whip?” Molly was a petite brunette with big blue eyes. She looked far more innocent than she was, and played it to her advantage.
Molly smiled as she lifted a shirt off a rack and I shook my head at her. Her tiny frame glided quickly through the aisle as I picked up the remains of the end caps I knocked over as I passed through, my ass having a mind of its own. The store was a madhouse and I was thoroughly unnerved at the goings on. My mother seemed fit for the race, and Molly appeared oblivious. My mother lifted a man’s sweater and I shook my head again.
“Mom, I don’t really know if it’s appropriate yet.”
“It’s a sweater, Violet,” she said, giving me a strange look, “and honestly, I don’t know why you mask your feelings for him. The feeling is mutual between the two of you.”
“That’s just it, Mom. I mean, I think so, but I’m not sure.” I shrugged my shoulders as they both eyed me.
“Then take a chance and buy him a noncommittal sweater.” She moved her eyebrows up and down as I yanked it out of her hands. It really was a nice sweater, grey to match his eyes.
“So what’s the hold up, dear daughter?” she continued, plucking clothes off the rack to eye them. “At Thanksgiving you couldn’t live without him.”
“There’s no hold up. He’s just not very vocal with his feelings and I have been nothing but. It’s humiliating but I can’t shut up. I assume he will tell me how he feels when he is ready and in a way he already has—”
“In many ways, I’m sure,” Molly added then held her hands up defensively when I took a step toward her, my eyes saying as much as my body language. I sighed as I addressed my mother again. “Anyway, I would just feel better if I knew for sure he was feeling the same.”
My mother looked to Molly then to me, as if she needed back up. “Men are always slow to come around. You have only been dating a few months. He loves you, and I know it. Just give it a little time.”
I put both hands on my face, embarrassed at the conversation. “God, it’s disgusting. I’m being needy. Two weeks divorced and I’m needy.”
“Your mom is right, Violet, but don’t beat yourself up. You are a woman. The minute we meet a decent man and have a good orgasm, we start planning the wedding. Whoops, fuck, I’m sorry, Mrs. Hale.”
“About which part?” she said, grinning at Molly. She knew better than to get through a day with Molly unscathed.
I shook my head at the both of them. “Let’s talk about something else.”
“No,” Molly said, looking pointedly at me, her lips pursing. “You are the only one who has a new hot boyfriend.”
“Amen,” my mother said in agreement as they looked at me expectantly.
“I’m leaving,” I decided quickly. “Why don’t you too speculate on my life while I go live it?” I snatched Rhys’s new sweater and Bryce’s toys out of the cart as they both protested my announcement.
They shared a smile,
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