Indian Summer

by Eve L Mitchell

  “I am so very sorry to have heard about the unfortunate passing of your father Arielle. He was a wonderful man.” She squeezed my hand and I nodded in recognition. I felt tears threaten and she squeezed my hand again. “Matthew told me I should not upset you by mentioning it. However, I just cannot sit here and not acknowledge it.” I made some form of noncommittal reply. She withdrew her hand. “Now, let us not dwell on sadness. Matthew said you reserved us quite an eventful day. I am very looking forward to it. What time is lunch set for?”

  An eventful day? Lunch? Now I was going to scream.

  “Mom, I sent you the itinerary. It’s on your phone,” Matt chided “Did you forget how to look up attachments again,” he teased his mother. She flushed and handed over her phone. Matt leaned over to show her how to open it at the same time as I felt my phone vibrate. I looked at it discreetly, he had just sent me the itinerary too. Holy crap this really was going to be an eventful day. We had lunch reserved for five people, at one. Coffee was to be taken just after eleven in the Leeds Building where most of Matt’s classes were.

  The driver pulled us up to the library where the exhibition was being held. I scrambled out of the car and then watched in quiet envy as Mary Ellen exited the car with the grace of a queen. Matt stood at the car door to give his mom his arm. I watched him with her. I smiled softly as I saw how much he doted on her and she him. I felt a twinge in my chest and looked away. An arm around my shoulders made me look up and I felt my anger at Matt fade as he pulled me into a side hug.

  The exhibition was fascinating. Mary Ellen and I chatted comfortably as we walked around it. I was quite sad it was over when we got to the end, I wanted to go back round again, but the schedule said we had to go for coffee. I am quite sure Matt had been in hell for the past hour and a bit so I did feel slightly bad for him.

  As his mom excused herself to use the restroom, I was finally alone with him. I swatted his arm. He grinned at me.

  “You couldn’t give me a heads up before you arrived outside my apartment this morning? I look like I’m homeless next to the both of you,” I whispered.

  “Relax, you look amazing. I wasn’t giving you the chance to come up with an excuse not to come,” he shrugged. He wasn’t even apologetic.

  “I wouldn’t have done that, you know that. The truth is I forgot all about it. I could at least have known what to wear and had my hair brushed and not in a nest on top of my head!”

  Matt shook his head. “I didn’t know that, we left things pretty rough.”

  I looked at my feet.

  Oh my God.

  I was wearing two different shoes. I had thought I’d put on my black flats and I had, but only on one foot. The other was the exact same shoe only in navy. I looked at Matt. He frowned at my expression.

  “What is it?”

  “Look at my feet!” I whispered at him furiously. He looked down and burst out laughing. This wasn’t funny. Oh my God his mother would have known. I was going to die.

  “I need to change,” I fretted. Just then Mary Ellen walked towards us.

  Matt was still laughing. She smiled at seeing her son so gleeful. She didn’t have one hair out of place. She was immaculate. I felt like a drub.

  “Mary Ellen. I um…I need to go home,” I said reluctantly. The smile turned to a frown. “I um…wasn’t ready this morning and I just realised…”

  “Do not ‘um’ Arielle, it’s not becoming,” she interrupted me. “Did you just realise you were wearing odd shoes? I am so pleased that you are mentioning it, I really was not sure if it was a fashion statement, a terribly bad one mind you. Come let’s have coffee. Amy Louise is sending clothing, it should be here whilst we have our refreshments.”

  Matt hugged his mom and told her she was the best.

  “How?” I wondered aloud, as we took our seats and were handed a coffee morning menu, Mary Ellen smiled at me.

  “My dear, I have known you for a few years. Your fashion sense has always been conservative and appropriate. When you got in the car this morning in a sundress and odd shoes, I knew you had no idea you were being picked up. I realised Matthew and yourself must be at odds. I do not get involved unless invited, I opted to let you sort out your differences.” She smiled as a waiter approached the table.

  I looked at her and then took in the room. It was obviously a canteen of some sorts, but they had spaced out tables with white tablecloths and put fancy chair covers over normal canteen plastic chairs. It was nice.

  “Mom, if you weren’t going to interfere, how were you going to approach Ari with the clothes?” Matt questioned. His mother shushed him as she ordered a coffee and pastry. Matt ordered the same. I opted for a black coffee and a scone.

  “Well?” he persisted when the waiter had gone. Mary Ellen rolled her eyes. How very unladylike I noted.

  “I don’t interfere unless invited. However, I do have some standards and I was not meeting any of your professors Matthew with Arielle in mismatched shoes.” She turned to me as if explaining herself. “I mean, Arielle, a mother can only abide so much.” I couldn’t help it, I started to laugh. Matt threw his head back and laughed too. His mother smiled widely.

  “It is good to see you are not out of sorts anymore,” she commented and I noticed she was looking incredibly pleased with herself. I couldn’t help it, I smiled at her and then because it was kind of funny, I started giggling again and so did Matt.

  When our order arrived, I sat back and listened to Matt and his mom catch up. She briefed him on his two older sisters, who were apparently fighting again. They were a couple of years older than Matt and were still happily living at home, but not happy that this meant they were still living together. Margaret May was being courted. I grinned inwardly as Mary Ellen said courted she was so properly Southern. However, it seemed that Matt’s other sister may be a little too interested in Margaret May’s suitor and it appeared world war three was threatening to start in the Landers household.

  Matt suggested his mother kick both of them out. His observation being that they were in their early twenties, Margaret May was almost twenty-five. They needed jobs and homes of their own. I did shuffle in my seat uncomfortably when Mary Ellen reminded her son that this is why her daughters were trying to make good matches, so their husbands could supply them with a home that they could then manage.

  Despite my own appearance this morning, and the fact his mom was bailing me out of a terrible wardrobe mishap, I did have an overwhelming desire to burn my bra in protest to the nineteen-fifties attitude his mother was displaying.

  “You cannot be serious mom, look at Ari for goodness sake, she has her own apartment, she manages her own school fees, she’s eighteen. My sisters should be trying to set a good example for Amy, instead Amy looks at Ari as a role model. Waiting for a husband? You cannot support that, not in this day and age. Half of marriages end in divorce. Is that what you want for them? To be married to losers and then divorced, with children no doubt, and no skills?”

  Mary Ellen frowned at her only son. I wasn’t looking forward to this. This was not the first time they had this ‘friendly’ debate over Mary Ellen’s aspirations for her daughters. Matt was gearing up for battle. I saw the equal determination in his mother’s eyes, she was about to hunker down for a siege. Oh lord, this was going to be messy.

  I glanced at my phone with the itinerary that Matt had sent me earlier in the car. Oh, look at that, we only had thirty minutes for coffee. I was just about to remind them that we needed to move out when I saw the driver from earlier come into the room. He was carrying a bag and I sighed in relief.

  Mary Ellen noticed him at the same time as I did. “Ah good, the driver’s here with the package from Amy Louise.” Matt glanced over his shoulder and grinned at me.

  “Seems like a full bag for shoes mom,” he commented slyly. His mother glanced at him sharply and then stood.

  “Come Arielle, I secured a changing area for you earlier.” A changing area? My earlier relief at her saving
my day turned to trepidation. I reluctantly stood and followed though, it wouldn’t be polite not to.

  Mary Ellen motioned to a gentleman in the corner and he scampered off at speed. I looked over my shoulder to Matt who was on his phone. This was his fault, I was about to be subjected to who knows what in that bag and this was because he hadn’t reminded me that we were doing this today. Ok I was being slightly mean and hypocritical, his mom was helping me, which I was grateful for really. Yeah, just remember this when she unveils the bag, I thought to myself.

  We were shown into what was obviously a staff room, the gentleman from earlier had seemingly been checking it was unoccupied and now stood guard outside. Mary Ellen was unpacking and I caught site of some material before she turned to me. Her smile was indulgent.

  “I am sorry for that Arielle, Matthew is so strong minded and forgets he should not discuss his disappointment in his sisters in company.”

  I didn’t say anything, I didn’t want to say Matt discussed his disappointment about his sisters on a regular basis with whoever would listen. I must admit I also found it baffling that the two girls were happy to just secure good matches and be housewives for the remainder of their days. However, maybe they thought that way about me? That I was baffling for not waiting for a man to provide for me. I mean I had been so desperate to leave Big Sky and get to college not only to learn – but to get away from my mother – that I had never considered anything other than making a life for myself.

  Maybe if you were in a family that actually liked all its members then the desire to run far away from it wasn’t so strong? Matt was different but that was accepted as he was a boy. My irritation at the whole situation rose again but then I reminded myself that this was not my business, nor my family.

  I merely smiled at his mom in what I hoped was a non-committal way and waited to see what Amy Louise had sent by way of shoes. Mary Ellen produced a neatly folded pair of black capri pants, followed by a form fitting black blouse with a small nondescript flower printed on it. A pair of matching black flats were also produced. I looked at the items of clothing and then I could feel my eyebrows reaching my hairline as a bra and panties were handed to me.

  “Ah there’s a note,” Mary Ellen murmured. She hadn’t been able to hide her confusion at the underwear either. She nodded as she read it.

  “Theo,” she said as she looked at me. I must have looked completely blank as she handed me the note.

  Lil Bit, texted Colton, he told me what to get in your room and I helped Amy pack. We didn’t know what you needed so he said just to put a whole outfit in, but to make sure we sent you pants. Amy picked the blouse. I’ll bring a jacket with me later when we meet for dinner.

  T x

  PS I didn’t touch your underwear, Amy picked it out.

  I smiled at the last bit, I wonder who that was for, me? No. I shook my head, that was for Matt’s benefit. Not mine.

  I looked at Mary Ellen, so Colton had told them what to send me. I worried a little at the ‘your room’ and she was going to wonder why I had a room and clothes. I didn’t know why I had a room and clothes, so I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to explain.

  “I think you should just change,” she said. “It will be easier and it means that you will be dressed for dinner later too, what do you think?”

  I nodded mutely. She inclined her head in acknowledgement and turned to leave the room to let me change. I quickly pulled out my phone and texted Theo.

  Me: Thank you for the clothes x

  I slipped off the clothes I was wearing and slipped into the underwear. I noticed the tags were still on them. I shook my head in bewilderment. I don’t know who had bought them, but I needed to have the conversation with them all to find out. I put on the pants and buttoned up the blouse. My phone buzzed, it was Theo.

  Theo: Don’t thank me, thank Cole, he knew exactly what you would need. How is your day going? Did we pick the right things for you to attend?

  I read the message twice.

  Colton.

  It always came back to Colton didn’t it? My stomach fluttered. He had picked out the clothes. He had told them what I would need and I had no doubt standing there as I slipped the shoes on, he would have planned the weekend. He always had me covered. I don’t know when he paid so much attention – but it was obvious he did – I just wished I could catch him at it. I mean, wouldn’t it have made sense for them to ask Connor? It was Connor who had been my boyfriend for over two years, not Colton. How was it that they all turned to Colton when it came to me?

  I smoothed my blouse down as I took a deep breath. I would thank him but maybe I was reading too much into this. After all, if this had been Matt or Theo in this predicament, he would have done the exact same thing. Was I overthinking? Was I looking for more than there was here? A slight knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts.

  Mary Ellen entered as I shoved my phone into my purse, grateful it was black. She nodded in approval as I folded up my dress and my mismatched underwear from earlier. I put everything into the bag and we went outside to meet Matt.

  We went to the Leeds building next. I loved CU, the gorgeous predominant red brick buildings really stood out and I loved how the old buildings merged with the new. The CU colours of black, gold and silver were on display everywhere today. Parents and siblings milled around everywhere as families took part in the weekend. It helped that the college football team was playing at home today.

  I felt a dull ache inside, not having my own family with me. I missed my dad. He would have loved this. An arm slung over my shoulder, I leaned into Matt with no hesitation. He squeezed me softly to his side and I felt the ache dissipate a little.

  A warm soft hand clasped mine and I looked to Mary Ellen with surprise. She squeezed my hand and that’s how the three of us entered the Leeds Building – Matt with his arm round my shoulders and me holding his mom’s hand. I smiled in contentment. I was not alone. They simply wouldn’t let me be. How lucky could I be really?

  We sat through a brief seminar on the importance of business society and then mingled in the room with some of the professors. Matt genuinely seemed enthusiastic and I listened quietly while he and his mom chatted with his professor about how well he was doing. It seemed Matt thrived in class and I didn’t miss it when the professor questioned where Colton and Theo were. Matt covered for them, but Mary Ellen noted that the professor wasn’t either surprised or disappointed that they weren’t there.

  As we exited the building Matt’s phone rang. He hung back to answer it, I had recognised the ringtone so hadn’t slowed, knowing it was Colton. Mary Ellen and I descended the steps, we had a hike to the next event and I didn’t want to be late. Besides Matt had long legs, he could catch us up.

  “Do you think they hold him back?” she asked me softly, “Colton and Theo?”

  I was surprised she asked me to be honest. I thought back to the professor and shrugged.

  “Do not shrug Arielle, ladies do not shrug.”

  I laughed. I couldn’t help myself. I was nowhere near being a lady. She smiled at me indulgently but waited patiently for an answer. “No, I don’t think so. Matt’s smart and it was quite easy to see how much his professor liked him. I don’t think it is possible to hold Matt back.” I was truthful. Matt was properly smart, sometimes it irritated me how little he had to do to get through school, but I could hardly hate him for his IQ. He was just too darn likeable.

  Mary Ellen nodded thoughtfully then laughed a little ruefully. “I couldn’t split them up anyway. The three of them are like glue, always stuck to each other.”

  I nodded in agreement as Matt jogged up to join us.

  “Everything ok?” I asked softly.

  The arm was slung over my shoulder again. “Course Bit, Cole just checking in he wasn’t missing anything, you know what he’s like.” Yes, yes I did.

  The rest of the day flew by. We attended a few more seminars, I witnessed Mary Ellen interrogate one of my professors with alar
ming tenacity and I was pretty sure that I would forever be burned into his memory. Matt had grinned at his mom in action like he was the proud parent. We ate lunch in the canteen with the gentle reminder from his mom that we weren’t eating dinner until a while later. I had panicked again at the reminder, but she had brushed off my concern and my feeble excuses. The woman was as formidable as a natural disaster. She smiled and spoke softly, with all the southern charm and then when you got comfortable – bam – she had you in the crosshairs and there was nowhere to run.

  The day was finally over, it had been great fun. I was so very grateful that they had let me be part of it. I knew they had both enjoyed themselves too.

  Mary Ellen checked her watch. “Well the driver should be coming in five minutes. Arielle if you wish to freshen up then now is the time.” I couldn’t even take offence, she wasn’t being mean. She was politely letting me know I had five minutes if I wanted to check my appearance.

  “If you don’t mind, I will take advantage of that time.” She smiled at me, Matt beamed. All of our earlier tension had disappeared. He was my Matt and I was his Bit again. We were just too close to be at odds with each other. I knew we needed to have things out but today proved we could cope with a little fall out.

  As I stood in front of the mirror, I took my hair down from its bun. It was wildly curly because it had been up, but I had washed it last night and dried it properly before bed. I ran my fingers through it and searched in my purse for some hair clips. Finding four at the bottom I pinned the sides back and shook out the rest to hang down my back. I reapplied some mascara and tinted lip balm.

  I assessed my outfit. The pants and the blouse had been a good idea. I opened the top buttons of the blouse for a more laid-back look. I wish I had a necklace or something to wear.

  Just at that Mary Ellen entered the restroom to check on me. I looked at her in apprehension, half waiting for her to tell me to fix my hair. Instead she beamed at me and began fussing over the curls. She produced a small can of hairspray and gave me a couple of quick sprays. Then she reached under her blouse and unclasped a fine gold chain with a small gold bird pendant.