Thursday is the day I post a bit o’ fiction.
If you would like to play along, please write your version of the below prompt and post your link in the Mr. Linky. Anything goes – whatever inspires you. Me? I like to write about relationships, fictional or otherwise. 🙂
Write fast and furious – don’t edit – don’t think, just do.
This week’s prompt: “Your mother is the deal breaker.”
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A Matter of Time
Marylyn:
“Well, it was nice to meet you, my dear. Thank you for coming over. I hope the chicken wasn’t too spicy?”
The 19-year old young woman politely shook Marylyn’s hand. The girl’s grip was weak, the palm of her hand slick with moisture. Marylyn carefully kept her expression neutral even though her instinct was to jerk her hand back and wipe it against her corduroy slacks.
“No, it was delicious. Thank you for having me over,” Kellie responded. Her smile was bright, if not a tad insincere.
“Any time, any time,” Marylyn quietly echoed before turning to her son. “Britt, it was so nice to see you. You need to come over more often.” She lightly kissed his cheek before pulling back. “You’re not eating enough; you’re way too thin.”
Britt chuckled and lightly rubbed his flat stomach. “I’m a poor college student, mom. What did you expect?”
His grin triggered Marylyn’s heart to twitch. How she missed having him around the house to fuss over.
“Well,” she fought to control her emotions and issued an enthusiastic smile. “You two take care. Drive safely.”
Britt shook his father’s hand and the couple smiled as they exited the house.
Marylyn and Dave watched their son and his girlfriend walk down the front steps. When they were nearly to Britt’s ’98 navy blue mustang, Marylyn muttered under her breath while keeping a tight smile pasted to her face in case the young people turned to look back at them.
“I despise her.”
Dave chuckled, though maintained his stoic expression. “You’d say that about anyone he brought home.”
Marylyn waited until the young couple had driven off and they had closed their door to respond.
“Probably,” she shrugged. “But seriously. A cheerleader?” She rolled her eyes. “That girl doesn’t have a brain in her head.”
Dave grinned while steering her back to the kitchen. “Let’s have a nightcap. I know I could use one.”
Marylyn continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “Seriously. Obama?” She snorted. “She probably doesn’t even realize that that man has grandiose ideas of controlling our country. He thinks he’s the next Jesus Christ, for heaven’s sake!”
Dave gently pushed her into a chair at the kitchen table before moving to pour them each a small glass of sherry. “You can’t fault her on her political views.”
“Like hell I can’t,” she grumbled back. “And when I made that joke, about the … the …” she waved her hand around, her thoughts tumbling over one another in her agitation.
“The pharmacist?” Dave provided.
“Yes!” She raised a hand in gratitude before slapping it back on the table. “That was a funny joke. At the very least, it warranted a smile, not that … that …” she snorted, “look of utter confusion. I’m telling you, Britt could do a lot better.”
“She was nervous, Mary,” Dave said gently while placing her glass in front of her. “Give the girl a break.”
“Oh, I’ll break them all right,” Marylyn growled before taking a quick swallow of the drink. “If it’s the last thing I do.”
Marylyn raised her glass and issued a silent cheer to her husband before taking another swallow. Stupid girl, she thought. Kellie had no idea what she was capable of. She gave the relationship six months, tops.
Kellie:
“No, it was delicious. Thank you for having me over,” Kellie said, her tongue still stinging from the spicy chicken. Geez, could that woman PUT anymore cayenne pepper in that dish?
“Any time, any time,” Marylyn quietly echoed.
Kellie turned toward Britt’s father. Her plastic smile softened into genuine pleasure. “Thank you for having us over, sir.”
“Sir? Please, call me Dave. Sir makes me feel like I should bow or something.”
She released a soft laugh and shook his hand. She really liked Britt’s dad. He seemed like a genuine person, someone who didn’t judge people but who accepted them for what they were.
Unlike his mother.
She overhead Marylyn’s comment to Britt about him not eating enough and it took nearly all of her will power not to roll her eyes. Geez. The woman didn’t know her son at all. She had no idea how many weeks it had taken Britt to shed the extra 50 pounds he had gained while living at home with his parents. Marylyn had no idea how hard Kellie had to work at transforming her overweight, geeky son into a man who turned nearly every female’s head on campus.
She smirked inside. The woman was seriously clueless.
Britt gently took her arm and guided her out to his mustang.
“Well, I think that went pretty well,” he said while holding her door open for her.
Kellie folded her long, trim body into the car and waited for Britt to join her before responding.
“She’s a heartless Republican,” she ground out while lifting a hand to give a little wave to the older couple standing on the porch.
Britt laughed as he backed out of the driveway. “You can’t fault her on her political views. She is who she is.”
“She’d kick orphans out on the street!”
Britt frowned at her as he signaled to turn left at the corner. “Don’t say that. She’s not like that at all. She just thinks people need to take responsibility for their lives, that’s all.”
“But not everyone is as well off as she is. Some people truly need help. I can’t believe she’s going to vote for McCain. That man seriously scares me.”
Britt shrugged and Kellie squashed her irritation. His carefree attitude really got on her nerves sometimes. Where was his passion? His convictions?
She sighed and glanced out of the window. She mentally ran the dinner over in her mind. After several long, silent moments, she said, “And what was up with that stupid joke?”
Britt chuckled softly. “I thought it was funny.”
“I thought it was inappropriate.”
“She was just trying to make everyone laugh, to ease the tension.”
Kellie studied her boyfriend’s face in the passing street lights and decided it might be wise to back off criticizing his mother – for now.
She had thoroughly despised the woman on sight. From her carefully styled helmet hair and brash lipstick, down to her corduroy slacks and sensible loafers. Everything about the woman got on her nerves. She seemed cold and entirely too superior for her tastes.
Britt didn’t know it yet, but his mother was the deal breaker. If she couldn’t distance Britt from his mother, their relationship wouldn’t last.
She thoughtfully chewed her lip before changing tactics. She lightly placed her hand on Britt’s thigh and issued a sexy smile when he glanced over at her.
“Guess what I’m in the mood for,” she purred and Britt’s smile widened.
Kellie kept her hand on his leg and swallowed her self-satisfaction. It was just a matter of time before she turned Britt against his mother.
Marylyn had no idea who she was dealing with. She’d have her completely cut out of Britt’s life in six months, tops.
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Feel free to take any of these graphics to post in your own blog entry:
Thursday Thread “mending fictional relationships”
Thursday Thread “mending relationships”
Thursday Thread – sidebar button #1
Thurdsay Thread – sidebar button #2
Write From Karen 