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Authors: Michele Kimbrough
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ex-husband — sounds lowdown,” Jess said.
“I’d been with Peter since I was eighteen years old. I met him at work. He frequented the restaurant where I worked. He was a sophomore in college, I’d just graduated high school.” She smiled at the memory. “He turned me out. I’d never had anybody love on me like that. I was hooked. Three years later, we went to City Hall to get married. Ten years after that, he threw me out like dirty bath water.”
Pru played a double-blank domino then got up to blend another batch of margaritas.
“I hope you took his butt to the cleaners, girl.”
“That’s another story, Jess. I just hired a new attorney my spons… a friend recommended.”
“I need a new man. I’ve been doing that online dating. Huge flop. These men are so needy. Not a masculine one in the batch. They are so emotionally weak.”
“I should introduce you to my brother, Jess. He needs a woman like you.”
“You have a brother?”
She nodded. “Idris. My twin brother. I might have a picture in my phone. I have to say, though, he’s kind of stubborn. He likes to be in control. And, he doesn’t have a romantic bone in his body. I think someone strong like you could mellow his behind out.”
Pru returned with a tray of margaritas. “Set them up, Iris. Jess needs a man in her life.”
“I need a man . Not a project. Idris sounds like a lot of work. No offense, Iris. I dunno.”
Pru sat down and nudged Jess to take her turn.
“My sweet, darling Holly’s been giving me the blues. It seems like ever since she turned thirteen, she’s been giving me a hard way to go,” Pru confessed. “It’s making it so difficult for me. There was a period of time where I actually thought about not marrying Richard. It would just be too problematic. The girls are getting old enough to understand what happened to their mother. To them, it looks like I’m trying to take her place. These days, Holly resents me for being there most of the time.”
“Those girls love you, Pru,” Jess said.
“They loved me when they were younger and when I was
Auntie
Pru, not soon-to-be
stepmom
. Holly is very vocal about me not being her mother. I keep telling her I’m not trying to be her mother. She’s so combative right now.”
“Well, isn’t that the nature of teenagers, especially girls?” Iris asked.
“Yes. But Richard won’t do anything to help the situation. He acts like nothing is going on. So I’m a surrogate mother of two daughters who resent that I’m about to be their stepmother. Well, Shannon isn’t so bad. She seems okay with it when Holly’s not around.”
Iris nodded. “That must be tough. But it will be worth it, Pru. You’re marrying your best friend, the love of your life. And you love his children. Despite their current behavior, they love you, too. Hang in there. Just be sure to enjoy your honeymoon because… well, you know.”
“Let me see a picture of Idris,” Jess said.
Pru shook her head. “It’s all about you, huh, Jess?” she said, laughing.
“You all are talking about men and children and whatnot. So, I want to exercise my options. Let me see this man.”
Jess slammed a blank/five on the table and Iris pulled three dominoes from the boneyard.
13
She awoke to the phone ringing. It was him — Preston. He wanted to see her again. It had been four weeks since they’d met, and he called nearly every day wanting to see her. Of course she obliged him. Even though she never had plans, she’d always give him a little bit of a hard time, pretending to be busy. She didn’t want to seem too anxious.
She rolled over in her bed, wrapping the covers around herself like a cocoon. His voice was familiar, heavy but soft. Although she liked the way he said her name, she loved when he occasionally called her Wildflower. He had a seductive way of rolling it off his tongue.
She looked forward to seeing him this evening, more so than previous nights. To begin with, each
“I’d been with Peter since I was eighteen years old. I met him at work. He frequented the restaurant where I worked. He was a sophomore in college, I’d just graduated high school.” She smiled at the memory. “He turned me out. I’d never had anybody love on me like that. I was hooked. Three years later, we went to City Hall to get married. Ten years after that, he threw me out like dirty bath water.”
Pru played a double-blank domino then got up to blend another batch of margaritas.
“I hope you took his butt to the cleaners, girl.”
“That’s another story, Jess. I just hired a new attorney my spons… a friend recommended.”
“I need a new man. I’ve been doing that online dating. Huge flop. These men are so needy. Not a masculine one in the batch. They are so emotionally weak.”
“I should introduce you to my brother, Jess. He needs a woman like you.”
“You have a brother?”
She nodded. “Idris. My twin brother. I might have a picture in my phone. I have to say, though, he’s kind of stubborn. He likes to be in control. And, he doesn’t have a romantic bone in his body. I think someone strong like you could mellow his behind out.”
Pru returned with a tray of margaritas. “Set them up, Iris. Jess needs a man in her life.”
“I need a man . Not a project. Idris sounds like a lot of work. No offense, Iris. I dunno.”
Pru sat down and nudged Jess to take her turn.
“My sweet, darling Holly’s been giving me the blues. It seems like ever since she turned thirteen, she’s been giving me a hard way to go,” Pru confessed. “It’s making it so difficult for me. There was a period of time where I actually thought about not marrying Richard. It would just be too problematic. The girls are getting old enough to understand what happened to their mother. To them, it looks like I’m trying to take her place. These days, Holly resents me for being there most of the time.”
“Those girls love you, Pru,” Jess said.
“They loved me when they were younger and when I was
Auntie
Pru, not soon-to-be
stepmom
. Holly is very vocal about me not being her mother. I keep telling her I’m not trying to be her mother. She’s so combative right now.”
“Well, isn’t that the nature of teenagers, especially girls?” Iris asked.
“Yes. But Richard won’t do anything to help the situation. He acts like nothing is going on. So I’m a surrogate mother of two daughters who resent that I’m about to be their stepmother. Well, Shannon isn’t so bad. She seems okay with it when Holly’s not around.”
Iris nodded. “That must be tough. But it will be worth it, Pru. You’re marrying your best friend, the love of your life. And you love his children. Despite their current behavior, they love you, too. Hang in there. Just be sure to enjoy your honeymoon because… well, you know.”
“Let me see a picture of Idris,” Jess said.
Pru shook her head. “It’s all about you, huh, Jess?” she said, laughing.
“You all are talking about men and children and whatnot. So, I want to exercise my options. Let me see this man.”
Jess slammed a blank/five on the table and Iris pulled three dominoes from the boneyard.
13
She awoke to the phone ringing. It was him — Preston. He wanted to see her again. It had been four weeks since they’d met, and he called nearly every day wanting to see her. Of course she obliged him. Even though she never had plans, she’d always give him a little bit of a hard time, pretending to be busy. She didn’t want to seem too anxious.
She rolled over in her bed, wrapping the covers around herself like a cocoon. His voice was familiar, heavy but soft. Although she liked the way he said her name, she loved when he occasionally called her Wildflower. He had a seductive way of rolling it off his tongue.
She looked forward to seeing him this evening, more so than previous nights. To begin with, each
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