Sure, it was easy for her. For me, on the other hand, it was Heaven and Hell meeting for the first time without being allowed to explode. I discreetly nudge myself behind the zipper, grab the shampoo and head for the door, putting my back to her.
“I’d say she’s all good now; I think she is out of the woods. So sorry I can’t help you clean up, but I really must run to my next appointment,” I call over my shoulder. “And, Roxy, you need to stay out of Romi’s way. Don’t go playin’ in the paint anymore. It was nice meeting you, Romi. Good luck with your project here.” I stroll out of the bathroom with quick steps. I’m reluctant to leave her behind, but I have other patients to care for. As always.
I make it outside safely, without her noticing my indecent bulge. The minute the air hits my face, I suck in a much-needed lungful of air. Damn, that was a close one. What the hell is wrong with me?
If word got out that I was perving over the pretty ladies, I’d fuck up everything I’ve worked so hard to establish. Then again, that's never happened in my life, because I ain’t seen a woman like her before, ever.
6
My parent’s house is where traditional meets contemporary with everything anyone would need to be happy to live there. It’s got more than enough space to stretch out and relax in spacious rooms, beautiful indoor and outdoor living areas, including a pool and spa outside, and complete with a winding staircase and luxurious finishes throughout. Only problem is, it never really felt like home to me. It feels too big and cold, too white. I didn’t realize this until I worked on the Winters’ house.
That project took me three weeks of ten-hour workdays, but seeing their faces light up when the room was completed made it all worth it. The day I left there with a check in hand and the job complete, they had me join them in the den for a cup of coffee. We were sitting back in the oversized dark worn leather couches sipping our coffee and having good conversation when Roxy jumped up on the couch and snuggled next to me. She rested in my lap while we talked, and I stroked her soft fur. The Winters never once winced or cringed, afraid that Roxy would spill my coffee or get dirt on the furniture with her cute little paws. They just looked on lovingly, watching their dog, their family member, be happy and enjoy herself. That was my epiphany moment when I knew that was the kind of life I wanted. Relaxed, comfortable and not afraid to just be.
As I walk into my parents’ house, I have the exact opposite feelings. Don’t get me wrong, I had an amazing childhood. My parents are loving. My dad is a hardworking man who provided for his family, my mom was always involved with the socialite events and not so much the typical PTA mom, and my younger brother was the normal bratty sibling, always up in my business and picking on me. Now that we are older, my father expects my brother to pick up the torch and carry on his business, with Marty becoming the new CEO.
The huge dining table is full of side dishes and a roasted duck ready to be cut and served, yet I am certain that she did not cook an ounce of food sitting on display. If anyone walked in right now, they would think we are having a Thanksgiving dinner, and it’s nowhere near the holiday. That’s just how Mom is. My parents and I are sitting around the table, and Marty and his girlfriend Sara, walk in to join us. They both have shit-eating grins on their faces. What are those two up to?
“Glad ya’ll could make it, son,” my dad welcomes them. “You are just in time to eat. Everyone, dig in.”
The next hour is full of the sound of silverware hitting plates and bowls and a lot of business talk between my father and Marty. All I hear is blah, blah, clang, clang, then an odd giggle from my mother and Sara, laughing at a few of the men’s words, as if they are fully engaged in the conversation. I never noticed how alike these two women are with their mannerisms, and now that I look at them intently, they look alike too. This new knowledge startles me, and I have to take a break from eating to sit back in my chair and just watch the show before me. Holy hell, another realization makes me gasp a little. I look like them too. Shoulder length blonde hair, blue eyes, slender figure and right down to our clothes that we are wearing. The attire that I chose because I knew this would be acceptable in my parents’ eyes for a family dinner. All three of us have our hair fixed the same way, worn down in big waves, our back straight, a fork in one hand and the other sits in our lap on top of the cloth napkin that we placed their when we began our meal. All of this is a slap in the face. Realizing what I am destined to be, the food I just ate turns in my stomach.
“Marty, you said you had some news. We all look like we are finished eating, so go ahead. Tell us what’s going on.”
“Thanks, Dad. Okay, well...” He looks over to Sara with a huge smile, and I instantly know what he’s going to say before he even opens his mouth. “I have asked Sara to marry me, and she accepted.” Claps and cheers from around the table erupt, and my mother comes around the opposite side to excitedly give Sara a hug while Dad gets up to give my brother a manly embrace and a congratulatory big slap on the back.
“Well done, my son. I’m so proud of you.” Words I have not heard my father say to me since I graduated high school. Everything from that day on has been a struggle between us.
My hands twitch to be up and doing something, anything other than sitting here in front of all these people with their own agendas. Which the things they want in life are fine, it's just not what I want. “Congratulations to you both.” The chair underneath me scrapes across the floor as I back away from the table and stand. “I’ll get dessert.”
“And, I’ll get champagne. It’s a time of celebration,” I hear my dad say as I walk through the kitchen doors.
The glass cake holder clinks as I remove its lid, preparing to serve it’s contents.
“How about that? Your brother popping the question, making the big move to the next step.”
“Yes, Dad, that’s lovely,” I respond, trying and failing to hold my annoyance in.
“Romi, why don’t you stop wasting time with this little hobby you call a job. Come back to work at the office, then you will have time to go to even more social gatherings, have some fun and have time to find a good man for yourself.” He actually thinks I have fun at those snooty events. He really doesn’t know me at all.
"I'm not interested in the social scene or finding a man to settle down with, I'm interested in building a business," I say.
"There is a business already built. All you have to do now is come sit in the chair and push buttons on the computer. I just don't understand why you want to go around and be in people's houses doing manual labor, when you don't have to. Both your brother and Allen are doing it right and moving forward with their lives, while you are stagnant, stuck in one place and not going anywhere fast. Come back to work for us." There it is. Same story, just a different day. I’ve had enough of this never-ending, relentless conversation that he keeps coming back to.
I think my mom understands what I want, to a point, within her circle of influence only, outside of that she thinks it’s petty work and a waste of time. That’s why I didn’t tell any of them about the Winters’ house, and why I’ve been dodging them all for the last three weeks. Well, Mom is finally fed up with it and called this mandatory family dinner at their house tonight.