by Mj Fields
- Tessa where are you? We���re worried!... Alex
- Hey Alex this is Lucas, she���s safe but a mess, and Jade is taking care of her now. Can you meet us at your camp alone? No parents in about an hour���Lucas
- I will���Alex
Tessa and Jade were hugging and Tessa began to cry. ���It���s going to be okay, Tessa. You���ll feel better in the morning.���
���No, I won���t.��� Tessa wiped her eyes as they walked toward the car.
���You okay?��� Lucas asked without looking at her as he pulled away.
���No, I���m not. You called me a bitch,��� she yelled at him and started hiccupping.
���I said not to be a bitch, Tessa. There���s a difference. And you slapped me.��� He continued to look straight ahead.
���You were sticking up for her and called me a bitch. Of course, I slapped you. Call me a bitch again and see what happens!��� Tessa yelled.
���Tessa, you���re drunk, stop,��� Jade pleaded.
���Jade, he loves her,��� she said sing- songly. ���He wanted to be her baby������
���Now you���re being a little bitch,��� Lucas yelled at her. ���Just shut up!���
CHAPTER SEVEN
No one said a word the rest of the ride home. ���Lucas, you missed the turn,��� Jade said, when he passed Tessa���s house.
���Alex is meeting us at camp,��� Lucas seethed.
���You called my brother?��� Tessa asked.
���No, I answered his text on your phone while you were throwing up on the side of the road,��� Lucas sneered.
They pulled into camp. Alex was standing there, arms crossed. He looked both concerned and mad ���You stay,��� Lucas said to Tessa.
Alex walked toward them. ���She okay?���
���Just let her sit there for a minute, Alex,��� Jade said. ���We went to dinner and she saw������
���I know what she saw, Jade. I���ve known for a week that Mom was seeing someone. Dad told me.���
Tessa jumped out of the car and ran toward him. ���You knew, Alex, and you didn���t tell me? Dad knew?��� she screamed. ���What the fuck is wrong with you two?��� She started crying, then tripped over a rock and fell. Lucas grabbed her and helped her up.
���Is she drunk?��� Alex yelled.
���Yes, I am! I���m loaded, Alex, and guess what else? I showed Lucas my boobs and asked him to bite them, and I wanted him to,��� she screamed.
Alex went to grab Tessa and Lucas said, ���Not now, man. Leave her alone, not now.���
���You need to leave, Lucas. I���ll deal with her, and you���ve done MORE than enough,��� Alex said through clenched teeth.
���Don���t talk to him like that. He was a good boy; you should be patting him on the back. He wouldn���t touch me,��� Tessa yelled back at him.
���Tessa, enough. I got this, man. Give it a minute, please.��� Lucas picked her up, carried to the other side of the car, and set her down.
She could hear Jade telling Alex the story about the restaurant and the wine and the way Tessa was coming on to Lucas and he was a perfect gentleman. She asked him about the man with her mother and he told her that he worked at the hospital with her.
���Tessa, drink this,��� Lucas returned, handing her a bottle of water as he sat next to her. ���I didn���t call you a bitch at the park; I said not to act like one. I trusted you with my deepest darkest secret and expected you to keep that secret. Now I���m not a Sadi fan, Tessa, but that was mean. Cruel actually. I have watched you for over a week. How you treat people, your softness, was what drove me crazy about you. I didn���t see that tonight. I know you���re hurting, and I���m sorry I can���t fix it for you, but don���t ever slap me across the face again. Got it?���
���You called me a bitch in the car,��� she whispered.
���You were way out of line.���
���Don���t call me that again, even if I deserve it. Got it?���
He stuck out his hand to shake. ���Deal?���
���Deal,��� Tessa smiled sadly.
���You ready to see your brother yet?���
���No,��� she snapped.
He pulled her against him, and she lay her head on his chest.
���Why didn���t you want to touch me tonight?���
���I wanted to Tessa; your breasts are beautiful, perfect actually. It just wasn���t right. I don���t want to have sloppy drunk sex with you, not for your first time,��� Lucas winked.
���Well, I wasn���t asking for sex, I was asking you to, well you know,��� she said shyly.
���Not when you���re drunk, Tessa. Only when you���re sober and very alert and not for a long time,��� he said, kissing her cheek. ���Drunk women are good for one thing, someday maybe I���ll explain why I feel that way. You are better than that, and I want no regrets with you.��� He kissed her head. ���Rest.���
* * *
Tessa squinted as she woke up still in the field in his arms. She immediately felt like her head was going to explode. She groaned as she sat up. ���How are you feeling, baby?���
���Like an elephant stepped on my head,��� she groaned.
���I guess you drank too much, huh?��� Lucas stood up, extending his hand to her.
���What happened? I mean, I remember drinking and seeing my mom, but the rest is a blur.���
���You really want to know?���
The sun stung her eyes. ���Ouch. I need to sit.���
���Maybe you should ask your brother ��� you told him everything,��� Lucas chuckled.
She sat back down and held her head. ���Or maybe you should just tell me.���
After Lucas recapped the events of the night Tessa sat wondering what she would do now. She also wondered why it was Lucas didn���t want to touch her. ���Are we okay?���
���Yes, baby, we���re fine.���
���You sure you liked your two new friends?���
���I can���t wait to meet them on a more personal level.��� Lucas smiled and kissed her head. ���You are relentless.���
* * *
Alex brought Tessa home. She couldn���t even look at him, let alone answer his annoying questions. It was still early enough that her father was still in bed. She snuck up the stairs and into her room and crashed.
At noon, she got up to go to the bathroom. Alex and John sat on the couch. ���Stomach bug?��� her father asked as she walked passed him.
���Uh- huh,��� she said.
After eating some toast she decided to soak in the bath. She stayed in until the water ran cold. She wrapped herself in a robe and headed back to her room. She was passing by the living room when she saw her mother sitting there with her brother and father. She walked past them.
���Tessa, we need to talk,��� her mother said.
���I���m going to get dressed,��� she said, stomping up the stairs.
She slammed the door and looked at her phone. She had missed a text from Lucas.
- hey baby, how are you feeling? If you���re feeling alright my mother would like to meet you tonight, she���s going to BBQ���.Lucas
- I just got this, just ate toast, don���t think I can handle real food, but would love to get out of here, Mommy is here to talk I will text you back when that hell is over
, got to get dressed and head down TTYL���Tessa
- Hmm Tessa where my mind is right now���you drive me crazy���Dinner is at 5, I���ll pick you up���Lucas
Drives him crazy, she thought. Good maybe he would act on it before she was ninety.
* * *
Tessa went downstairs and sat in the chair opposite her parents. ���Talk,��� she snapped.
���I have been on three dates with the man you saw me with last night. Your father knows everything about it. I don���t feel it���s something that you should be concerned about,��� Maggie said.
���Why do you need to go on dates, Mom? You���re married and have five kids for crying out loud!��� Tessa said, scowling at her.
���Tessa, this is an adult situation and you don���t get to make the decisions here. Things haven���t changed. We both still love you,��� John said.
���Thank you, John,��� Maggie said.
���Are you freaking kidding me? You���re okay with this?��� she yelled at him. ���Hey Dad, why don���t we set her up an online dating profile and start pimping her out?���
���That���s enough, young lady,��� Maggie said. ���I will see you at your game on Tuesday!��� She stood and hugged Alex.
���Don���t plan on it, bitch,��� Tessa screamed.
Her mother slapped her across the face.
Tessa stood up and ran to the bathroom. She couldn���t believe she had said that to her mother. Damn it, her face hurt. She started laughing and couldn���t stop.
���Tessa, you okay in there?��� Alex said just outside the door.
���Hell, yes,��� she said, still laughing.
���Open the door,��� Alex said.
���It isn���t locked,��� she said.
He walked in and looked at her. ���I���m sorry I didn���t tell you first.��� Alex eyes were sad.
She continued laughing. ���Don���t you see,��� she said ���this takes us off the hook. No more straight and narrow, Alex. Now we can let loose and have fun!���
���No Tessa, that���s not right, and you know it.��� He hugged her and she started to cry.
���Why, because she said so? Look at her now, Alex! All of our life we have done what she says, and now look at her. Seriously, we���ve been taught all our lives that God���s law and family are what matters the most, and we���ve done a real good job of it. And now look at her! Look at her,��� she screamed. ���I will not do a damn thing she says. She���s nothing but a phony. And what the hell is he doing? Letting her date other people? What is this? So no, Alex, I won���t follow their rules,��� she said. ���I���ll do what feels right and good,��� Tessa was sobbing. Alex held her tighter.
���Tessa, you���re their child, not their judge. Keep that in mind,��� Alex said.
Tessa went upstairs. She knew Alex was right. How could her Mother be so messed up when she was the one who had taught them right from wrong? She lay in her bed and cried herself to sleep. At four o���clock her phone chimed and woke her up.
- Hey baby I will be there in thirty minutes…Lucas.
- Ok���Tessa
She jumped out of bed and grabbed clothes out of her closet. She didn���t even know if it was warm or cold out. She ran downstairs and looked in the bathroom mirror. She was a mess, all puffy and red. She washed her face
���Alex,��� she yelled out of the room. ���What���s the weather like?���
���Sixty- five degrees and sunny. Why?��� he answered.
���I forgot I was invited to dinner at Lucas���s at five. He���s on his way, and I���m a wreck.���
���Did you ask Dad?���
���No, can you tell him for me?��� She put up the sides of her hair in a clip and combed her hair out, then added light make up to hide the redness in her face. She ran upstairs and threw clothes out of her closet until she found some black knee length shorts. She threw on a blue cami and a grey cardigan. She grabbed some black thong sandals and dressed quickly. She ran down the stairs to find Lucas sitting at the table with her father.
Where was Alex?
���Feeling better, Tessa?��� John asked.
Good lord, what had Lucas told him? She nodded.
���Lucas said he thinks maybe it was the food. His stomach has been off today, too. You���ll be home early, right? It���s a school night.��� Her dad stood up, kissed her cheek and walked in the living room.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
���You ready to go?���
���Yes.��� She headed for the door.
���Hey, you going to grab some shoes? I could carry you but������
���Ha- ha.���
���Grab a swim suit, Tessa.���
���Don���t you think it���s too cold?���
���Don���t sass me, girl.��� He smiled and she ran to get her stuff.
When she walked outside he was leaning against his car smiling. He was wearing jeans, a tee shirt and that damn white hat. Simple, nothing extraordinary but she honestly knew that in this case the man made the clothes.
���You gonna stand there all day Tessa?���
She shook her head no, and got in the car.
Once on the road Lucas asked, ���You feeling okay?���
���No, I feel awful, and I look like death.���
He grabbed her hand. ���You look great. How did things go with your Mom today?���
���Awful. I hate her.���
���Those are harsh words.���
���Sorry. I was just taught one way and they can act another all of the sudden. It���s not right. I called my mother a bitch today and she slapped me across the face. I know I deserved it, but it still pissed me off.���
���In less than twenty four hours we have both called someone a bitch and been slapped for it.���
���I���m so sorry. I don���t even remember.��� She grabbed his hand.
���I���m messing with you, baby. So you are about to meet my mother, a functioning drunk since I was three, who brings different men home all the time. I���m fine, haven���t always made the best choices, but I���m fine. I don���t like what she does, but I���m respectful to her and it has worked so far. Let this situation work for you, Tessa, and you���ll be alright.���
���I���ll try,��� she said. ���I am getting really nervous about meeting your Mom.���
���You���ll be fine. Just don���t judge me based on her.���
They drove up a big hill and passed a bunch of small homes. At the top of the hill was a newer colonial. It was magnificent, much different than her home. He pulled into the driveway and parked in front of the attached garage. She opened the door and got out, looking around. She loved how quiet it was.
���Come on.��� He took her hand and walked around back.
* * *
A sidewalk led through a flowery path, and Lucas opened the gate to the pool area. The pool was beautiful, the whole area was, and there was even a hot tub and an outdoor kitchen. His mom was standing at the grill cooking chicken. She had on a tank top with a wrap around her waist. She had long curly blonde hair and a perfect figure. She smiled and had perfect white teeth and full lips, just like Lucas.
���Mom, this is Tessa. Tessa, my Mom,��� Lucas introduced them.
���You are stunning,��� Tessa said and immediately turned red.
���That���s the plan, Mom,��� he said, smiling.
���It���ll be about 30 minutes. How about you two take a swim? The pool is nice and warm.���
Sounds great. Come into the house, Tessa. I���ll show you the bathroom,��� he said grabbing her hand and leading her in.
They entered through the family room, to the left was the kitchen, to the right a formal dining area. The front of the house was a large living room and the stairway. They went upstairs, and he showed her his mom���s room. It was huge, with a king size cast iron bed. The walls were a deep wine color. Her bathroom was also very large; a shower and separate Jacuzzi bathtub, granite countertops and double sink. The toilet was in a tiny private room opposite side the enormous walk in closet. It had light purple walls and stone colored tile.
There were two slightly smaller rooms with a bathroom between them. His room was identical to his mother���s in size, except the walls were gray and the room had wooden floors. His bedding and curtains were black. The bed was a king sized four post black bed. In one corner was a full trophy case with a weight bench in front of it. She walked around and looked in his large closet, which happened to be bigger than Tessa���s with more clothes than she owned. His bathroom was a bit smaller than his mother���s with only one sink. On his large black dresser were a couple pictures. Tessa assumed they were photos of his siblings. There were three prom pictures; one was with Sadi. His room was spotless, just like the rest of his house.
���Your home is beautiful.���
���It pales in comparison to you,��� Lucas said, raising his eyebrow. ���Let���s get dressed,��� he said taking off his shirt. She stared at him, and he laughed. ���You like what you see?���