Missy Loves René

by Judy Fischer

  “Missy, where are you from?” Michael asked in a soft voice.

  “We are from Montreal, Canada.”

  “Are you and René in a serious relationship?”

  “Serious, yes, but our relationship is not what you think. We are merely friends,” I told him honestly, even though the knowledge was irrelevant to him, so I thought.

  I stared at him as he engaged with Rufus, who was soaking wet by then, and I saw a young man who was full of life, yet there was a hint of sadness hidden behind his guise. Michael seemed to be an athlete, his body was in perfect condition. I took notice and heard during the previous breakfast chatter that he was a freshman at the University of Maryland, studying Animal Sciences. He was tall but not as tall as his brother or his dad. He was of a fair complexion compared to the bronzed godlike body of his older sibling. He was handsome and polite as well and not as conceited as the other members of his family. He almost appeared to not belong in the same gene pool as them.

  “You know, Missy. You are so beautiful,” he said, catching me totally off guard.

  “Thank you, Michael, you are not so bad looking yourself,” I said shyly but with resolve.

  Suddenly, after he threw the ball as far into the distance as he could, he turned toward me, leaned in and kissed me. I was too surprised to have stopped him and besides, the attention felt good. I looked around to see if anybody had seen the act and luckily, we were still the only two people on that stretch of sand.

  I never gave myself the chance, since I met René, to be the subject of someone’s flirtatious advances. The sensation felt quite exhilarating and instinctively, I leaned in for more kisses. There was a trace of guilt in the bottom of my thoughts, but I pushed those feelings aside in a hurry. I allowed myself to indulge in some human pleasures I was missing and delaying, for some time.

  I had always hoped René would be the one to fulfil those natural needs but as Irma had said, it might never happen.

  Michael and I sat secretly on that sandbar, as if it was a deserted island in the middle of the ocean, heedless of the world existing around us. We relished our impulsive and sensual encounter, so much so, neither one of us wanted it to end.

  However, as abruptly as it had begun, it had to stop too. For a split second, I found myself forgetting where I was, who I was with and what my chores were. Then I came to my senses. I was needed back at the house to start the daily duties. I stood up first and then Michael followed.

  “Michael, this was yummy, but you must promise me this stays here, at this spot. Let this be our secret place. No need to tell anyone, promise?”

  “Sure, Missy,” he agreed.

  He whistled to Rufus who had run off toward the sand grass at the crest of the dune behind us. I started my return jog toward our property and Michael and Rufus stayed behind to continue their play and to give me a head start to maintain the sanctity of our secret.

  The American Thanksgiving gave Irma and me a big challenge for that day. We had a very big turkey to roast with all the trimmings. Irma had prepared meals as festive as this for her own family in the past and for other renters such as the Roberts in the years prior to this particular one.

  When I got back, I first went to shower and change before going to help with the continental breakfast which was on the menu for the day. I noticed René had left, and I only found out later he had gone into Hampton with Fred to pick up fresh cranberries from the local market. As I entered the main house, Irma was already stuffing the oven with the baked goods I had brought home from the bakery a week ago. There was no sign of any Roberts’ family members lurking around, waiting for their breakfast.

  As the days passed, the formality of the meal service had become softer because each guest started having different schedules. They stopped coming to breakfast as a unified group.

  Bob and his father had signed up for scuba diving lessons at the dive shop in the marina and Sally and her mother went every second day to the spa in Hampton. Fred drove them there in the Land Rover that morning and I was on the roster to pick them up before the Thanksgiving meal that night. We were also booked for our first fire pit celebration, which everyone, including Fred and René, was looking forward to.

  I worked with Irma in the kitchen, but my mind was still on the kissing sandbar, kissing Michael. It was amazing how my sexual desires had erupted because of a few kisses from a strange boy whom I had only met a couple of days before.

  “Missy, where are you? You seem to be lost in your thoughts, girl.”

  “Yes, Irma, I started writing the other day and I am lost in those words.”

  “Good, I’m happy you have started your book. I hope to read it someday soon.”

  “You will be one of the first, Irma, and if you don’t like it, you might be the last,” I told her honestly, because as a novice writer, I was afraid of a negative evaluation.

  Michael was waiting for me after breakfast by the side of the house, eager it seemed, to continue our morning amorous adventure. The only person who stayed behind was Irma and she was half asleep on the couch in the den when I left the house. Knowing René and Fred were not going to be returning anytime soon, I found the thought of kissing Michael again, tantalizing.

  “Would you like to go for a walk with Rufus and me?”

  “Yes, Michael, I would, but a much shorter and slower one than this morning. I am a little tired.”

  We took a right turn as our feet hit the sandy shore and we walked toward the southern direction, in the opposite direction of the morning run. Michael took Rufus off the leash and let him have the full freedom of sniffing wherever he wanted. Other dog owners who frequented that part of the Virginian coast often brought their dogs to enjoy a good romp and/or a swim.

  Michael took my hand in his as soon as he felt we had left the scope of possible scrutiny. He turned a few times before he finally made his move. I appreciated his candour and his zeal to pull me closer to him. There was a real attraction between us. I was ripe for it and Michael was over ripe. He was too clutching and grabbing too. Yet, right or wrong, I loved it.

  Michael became my muse for the duration of his stay and I looked forward every day to his advances and his relentless kissing. Other than a few touches to my breast, Michael never crossed the line. He allowed me to choose the degree of our physical contact and I never gave him the consent to take our play to the ultimate level. No one uncovered our secret, even though Sally had almost caught us together one morning at our usual secluded location.

  Thanksgiving

  My innocent affair, with Michael, if it can even be called that, went unnoticed mostly because we did not dare to stand or sit beside each other during social moments. It was somewhat awkward, not acknowledging our friendship at the amazing fire pit inauguration following the Thanksgiving feast.

  Our fire blazed toward the sky. The flames reached so high we were sure people down the beach for miles could see it. We had a big cooler of beers, imported and domestic brands, to meet everyone’s taste. Irma brought down a tray of wieners and marshmallows to roast on skewers by the fire for the Roberts family, who were having more fun than can be described. Sally had started to mingle and interact with everyone more than at the start of her stay with us.

  “Let’s tell ghost stories,” she screamed out loud, knowing those types of tales were to be expected at a bonfire. Everyone laughed and ignored her demands and continued to guzzle down the beers, begging for attention.

  “I know what we should do,” Sheila added, “it’s Dad’s birthday next week. Let’s sing a happy birthday to him.”

  She was ignored as well. It appeared the ladies of the Roberts family had many suggestions but little or no clout.

  “Let’s drink the beer and be quiet,” Bob said, finally claiming victory.

  They sat there by the fire until all the beer was consumed, and the fire became only smouldering timber. Only when the smoke started to bring tears to their eyes did they get up to leave.

  Fred and Irma ha
d left much earlier but René and I stayed to make sure the fire was well extinguished, and that only happened at three in the morning. Michael also volunteered to help us, but I think only because he wanted to keep as close to me as possible. Thanks to the beer, René didn’t notice Michael’s mission.

  Once we retired for the night, René came to my side to talk.

  “I think Michael has a crush on you.”

  “Don’t be silly,” I made light of his comment.

  “No. Missy, I see him looking at you all the time.”

  “He’s a young man, René, and I’m the only girl here.”

  “Maybe. But I still think he likes you.”

  “Never mind, I’m so tired, let’s go to sleep,” I kissed him tenderly on his cheek and went to my bed.

  My relationship with René had stayed the same, we still loved each other as before but during the time when I was busy kissing and fondling Michael, René’s lack of romantic feelings toward me didn’t bother me. Irma’s words had shed some light on the relationship I was desperate to have with René. A little sabbatical from my unrequited love-life was a blessing. Additionally, we were kept too occupied in making the Roberts family happy; we didn’t need to entertain each other.

  René did a lot of reading, which was a good thing. Although I put my writing on hold, I still encouraged our private time apart. I needed my space and René was happy to be left alone at those times, too.

  With Thanksgiving over, the daily tasks became very routine and much less time consuming. We had changed the time for breakfast to ten in the morning and dinner was also pushed forward to seven in the evening. The new timetable gave everyone the freedom to choose their daily activities in a more flexible fashion. Going deep sea fishing, for example, involved a full day and David, Michael and Bob had a passion for the adventure that the boat captain had promised them. There was a variety of fish in the oceans off the coast and they were known for their fighting spirit. The day they chose to participate, Fred and René decided to tag along. It made sense, for they were to drive them there anyway. The cost of the day’s undertaking was pricey, but the thrill was something no one wanted to pass up. They each paid their own way.

  Sheila and Sally left with them early in the morning and as the men were dropped off at the marina, the ladies took the Rover and went shopping in Hampton. There was a mall in Hampton with many top-brand boutiques.

  With the exception of Irma, I was alone. The alone time I had craved for ever since I first arrived was finally mine. The beach was mine, the birds were mine, the wind and smell of seaweed was mine. Mine alone, to enjoy. The gentle waves were beckoning, enticing me to swim and the typewriter also needed my attention. First however I went to see Irma. I wanted to hear from her mouth the words to set me free for the day.

  “Irma, do we have anything pressing to do?”

  “No, child, do your own thing today. You have earned this day. I will even take Rufus for a long walk in the opposite direction if you do go to the beach. Now that ‘the Roberts’ are staying until Christmas, we will try to offer them a more relaxed service,” with that said, she looked calmer and left to find the dog.

  I walked back to my quarters but as I was about to go through the doorway, I heard a very loud sound of a truck’s engine making its way toward the property. I stood there watching to see what the truck was delivering to us or if it was picking up the garbage, but I knew the refuse pickup was not for another few days. The county only offered a one-day once a week sanitation run when they drove down along the seaside stretch of road to collect the waste materials from those who lived along those remote areas.

  An 18-wheeler red rig pulled in carefully onto the grounds as I watched, still not recognizing who it belonged to. The driver sat high up in his cabin and I couldn’t identify his features from where I was standing. As he stopped his engine and slowly eased his way down to the ground, I saw a man who resembled Irma; however, it was a masculine version of her, wearing blue jeans a plaid shirt and a full beard. He looked Scottish.

  “Hey there. Is Irma around?” he sent his question my way.

  I walked closer to greet him. He appeared to have arrived in a friendly place, his actions indicated he knew my friends.

  “Good morning. I’m Missy, a friend of Irma and Fred’s. Irma is walking on the beach with our visitor’s dog. May I help you?”

  “Nice to meet you, Missy. I am Larry, Irma’s handsome brother. She mentioned you on the phone, but you are much more attractive than I had imagined. Are you married?” I ignored his silly question and replied instead with a more civilized question of my own.

  “May I offer you some coffee, Larry?”

  “You sure can. I’ll go to the house and freshen up. I’ll wait for you there,” he said.

  Intending to go about my initial plans, I went into my cottage and changed into the beachwear I laid out. Then I hurried back to the main house. Larry was nowhere to be found when I entered but I was not worried about his whereabouts, he was family after all. I started brewing up some fresh coffee and placed a few baked goods into the toaster oven too. I knew Irma would be doing the same had she been the one to greet her brother.

  He appeared a few minutes later, looking quite handsome in his clean shirt and navy, blue shorts. His face was shaven, and his blue eyes sparkled with mischief under the smile he gave to me. The beard too was gone.

  “So where is everyone, I thought the house would be packed by this time of the year?” he claimed.

  “Everyone is involved in some special activities today. There is no one home today, except Irma and me.”

  “And now me, Larry Marshall, the handsomest guy in Virginia,” he started to laugh as he looked at me, expecting to hear me join in.

  Just then, Irma emerged from the patio door.

  “Larry. Larry, what are you doing here?” she ran into his arms, apparently very happy to see him. I did find relief in her outpour of affection toward him. I had visions of having allowed some person of non-grata into the sanctity of Fred and Irma’s home.

  “I’ve just finished a long haul and before returning to Richmond, I decided to stop in and visit my favourite little sister.”

  “You mean, your only sister,” she laughed, obviously enjoying his sense of humour. I went to get the coffee and Danishes that were smelling so good and ready. I could hear their conversation from where I was moving around.

  “Larry, how long are you staying, please stay a few days,” Irma begged.

  “I could stay till tomorrow, that’s how much time I have but I could come back and spend Christmas here. But only if you put out the invitation in such a way that I can’t refuse,” he winked at me as I was coming in with the mugs of coffee.

  “OK, Larry. Would you do us the honour of being our guest for Christmas?” Irma played his game of seduction.

  “Well, if you put it in those words, Irma, how can I refuse?”

  So that was that, another guest was put on our list for Christmas dinner.

  “Irma, I’m having a hard time finding help with my hauls, would you know anybody who is looking for a job and some fine wages as well?” he looked at his sister while downing a few gulps of black coffee. I couldn’t help but join into that conversation.

  “Excuse me, Larry, what kind of job are you offering?” I asked, timidly.

  “I’m taking a truckload to Toronto from Richmond. The company I work for prefers two guys in the truck on long hauls. Having another person in the front compartment helps the driver to focus. And at the finish line, I need a person to unload the truck, as well as reload the cargo coming back. Why, do you know someone? Maybe you? I can picture myself in my truck with you by my side,” he winked at me, but I knew he was pulling my leg.

  “Larry. Stop with your flirting. I know exactly who Missy is thinking of. Personally, I think it’s a great idea. Larry, it’s René, Missy’s friend. He is just the person who you are looking for. He is young, virile, strong and unemployed at the moment. Why don�
�t you talk with him? He will be back at dinnertime.” Irma went to the kitchen for more coffee.

  “Larry, if I may please say something. When you talk to René, please do not mention we had talked about this without him. I really want him to sense that he made this decision on his own, without my influence or interference. It will be his final say, anyway.”

  “Sure, Missy, tell me about him, is he reliable?”

  “Reliable, he is; experienced, he is not. You can ask Irma and Fred, he’s been someone whom they have counted on in the last week and some. René has had some bad luck in his past but nothing that would interfere in being your second in command. However, he doesn’t drive a car and definitely no trucks.”

  “That’s fine, I’m the one who does the driving. I have the qualifications, experience, and I am a bonded driver. I just need a helper. It pays very well, I must say,” he said to console my fears.

  “Do you live around here, Larry?” I asked.

  “No. No, he has chosen to live as far from us as possible,” Irma added. She was on her way back with the carafe of coffee and sweets.

  “I live in North Hollywood, Florida, Missy. I live alone, no wife, no mistress, no dog,” he said proudly.

  “He’s never home, what woman would put up with a man who roams the country and is rarely home?” Irma said sadly.

  “I’m happy doing just that. The open roads, the freedom of the highway, what a life I have,” Larry said. “My truck is my wife and I take good care of her.”

  “Many people choose to become truck drivers, Irma. I think if you like that sort of lifestyle, then it’s okay,” I wanted to show Larry I thought his job was a valuable one. A terrible but clear comparison, however, developed in my thoughts. Being a truck driver and never being home was as close to being homeless as one may dare to presume.

  “If you ladies will excuse me for now, I will get some serious zees before dinner.” He stood and made his way to the guest room he had used often in the past.