So Twisted

by Melissa Marino

“Tell me,” I pleaded.

  She took a deep breath. “This is all so…” She trailed off.

  My heart sank. “Look, I know this all happened fast, and we haven’t really had time to talk it all out. I’m sorry if you thought I was pushing or if it’s all too much.”

  “No, no,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s not that.”

  “Then what?”

  Her stunning green eyes tore right into me. “What I was going to say was, this is all so new to me and…”

  “I totally get that. I feel…”

  “Will you let me finish?” she said, raising her voice. “This is all so new to me, and sometimes I wonder what the hell I’m doing here. You can have anyone, and you’re choosing me. I look at you and lose part of my head because I don’t know where this is going, and I don’t want it to stop.”

  When she seemed finished, I held still until I saw the hint of a smile.

  She moved closer and placed her forehead against mine. “It’s all so surprisingly wonderful,” she whispered.

  And with that…

  I came undone all over again but in a totally different way.

  I didn’t know how to respond to her because I was afraid if I said anything, I would tell her in that moment I realized I was falling in love with her.

  Instead I held her while our foreheads still touched. We got lost in simple silence and just being for a while. Unspoken words were said with subtle kisses on necks and hands. Such simple gestures, which were able to convey what we couldn’t say or didn’t want to. And for now, that was enough. It was more than enough.

  I didn’t know how long we stayed like that, but when I looked at the clock on my nightstand, I noticed it was no longer morning, but afternoon. While I would have stayed like that all day, I knew I had to get Delilah off my parents’ hands.

  “Will you come with me?” I asked her, breaking the silence.

  “Where?”

  “Well, into my shower first,” I said, grinning. “But then to my parents’ to pick up Delilah.”

  “I’d love to, to the first, of course, but no way I’m going to your parents’.”

  “Why?”

  “Why?” she shrieked. “How the hell do you think that would look if you and I came waltzing in together?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t think it would look like anything more than the nanny and me coming to pick up my daughter.”

  “You don’t think it would look a little odd?”

  “No.”

  “Well, what did you do in the past? Did nannies or babysitters or other randoms go with you there?”

  “Okay, first off, you aren’t someone random. Furthermore, I never had a nanny or babysitter around to take to my parents’.”

  “Oh.”

  “Come on,” I said, tugging on her arm. “Let’s go take that shower.”

  She followed me into the bathroom, and I went to the shower and turned the hot water on. When I turned back around, she was standing behind me pulling her tank top off over her head. She tossed it to the floor and went for her panties; she started to ease them down but looked up at me just short of showing her goods.

  “Like staring much?” she asked.

  “Very much so.”

  Once in the shower, it was so hard to keep my hands to myself, so I didn’t.

  She didn’t seem to mind.

  Once we finished up our shower and dressed, she went to her room to blow-dry her hair. I went downstairs, made some coffee and toasted some bagels. By the time she came down, I had two mugs ready to go with coffee—hers in her Tinker Bell mug—and a baggie filled with the bagels that I figured we could eat on the way to my parents’. She mumbled something about me being too much when she saw what I had ready for us and walked down the hallway for her coat.

  It was a short drive to my parents’ who lived in a high-rise near Navy Pier. We were quiet, drinking our coffee, eating our bagels, and probably a little distracted by our own thoughts.

  Once I parked, we exited together and walked around the building to the front entrance. At one point, I grabbed for her hand with mine, which she swatted away.

  “Knock it off. They could be watching,” she said.

  “I assure you they aren’t, and even if they were, they wouldn’t know it’s us from how high up they are.”

  “As long as they don’t figure out you’re banging the nanny, then everything will be fine.”

  “Do you have to be so crude? You make it sound so dirty…so…wrong.” I barely got the words out before I busted out laughing and she kicked my shin.

  It was funny, in the context that it was, but she was thinking exactly what I was. How were my parents—hell, the world—going to react to us? There was going to be a lot of opinions, and before it came out, we’d have to figure out how to handle it. Together.

  We took the elevator up to the forty-ninth floor, and I snuck one final kiss before the doors opened. After walking down the red-carpeted hallway, we reached my parents’ condo, but before I even opened the door, I heard Abel’s voice bellyaching about something.

  “MAAAA,” Abel shouted.

  “What?” Mom replied.

  “This orange juice?”

  “Yeah?”

  “It’s got too much pulp in it,” he whined.

  We stepped inside, and as I closed the door, I heard Mom’s footsteps coming down the hallway. “What do you want me to do about it, Abel?”

  “Can you strain it like you did the last time?”

  “No, because your father likes that kind of orange juice.”

  “But I don’t, and why do you buy the kind that only Dad likes?” he continued to complain.

  “Because he lives here, and you don’t, sweetheart.”

  “Don’t you want me to…” Abel walked into the hallway carrying a Minute Maid carton where we were standing. A broad smile stretched across his face. “Well…well…well…look who’s here.”

  Callie flashed him the look of death, and before I could harm him physically, Mom’s head poked around the corner.

  “Hello there, darling,” my mom said. She approached us and gave me a warm hug while Abel started drinking from the orange juice carton, obviously no longer concerned about the pulp factor.

  “Mom, this is Callie. She’s the nanny I hired for Delilah.”

  “Of course,” Mom said, taking Callie’s hand in her own. “I’m Leslie Matthews. Delilah talks of nothing but you. Have you settled into Aaron’s well?”

  Abel started choking, and orange juice spewed out of his mouth everywhere. I made a mental note to have a little talk with him later and threaten him with any means possible to keep his comments and actions to himself.

  “I have. Thank you. It’s so nice to meet you,” Callie responded. “You have a beautiful home.”

  “Thank you. Come on in.”

  She followed Mom toward the living room, but Abel grabbed her, mumbling about having to talk to her for a second.

  I looked at Callie as he pulled her away.

  She looked at me.

  Mom looking at the both of us.

  Shit.

  Chapter Seventeen

  CALLIE—

  I was walking down the hallway to greet Mr. Matthews when Abel jumped in front of me and grabbed my arm, pulling me into the kitchen.

  “Well, well, well,” Abel said, leaning up against the counter.

  I rolled my eyes at him. “What?”

  “Remember what I told you? That I knew Aaron better than anyone else.”

  “Yeah.”

  He stepped away from the counter he was leaning against. He crossed the kitchen and stepped in close to me. “I was right, wasn’t I?” he whispered. “I saw it and called it from the very beginning. And judging by how you both looked when you walked in here, I know exactly what’s going on.”

  “You’re being creepy,” I said. “Besides it’s really none of your business.”

  He stepped back. “Listen, if you want my advice
. Tread carefully. He’s all or nothing. He’s obviously all in now, and I want it to work out for you both, but you need to be smart about it.”

  “I’d ask you what you meant by that, but I don’t think I asked for any advice.”

  He opened the refrigerator and stuck his head in. “You want my help,” he mumbled.

  “Whatever,” I replied.

  He emerged from the refrigerator with an apple and took a large bite of it. “Es oh mo hal,” he responded with a full mouth.

  “You think you can stop eating that for a second, and for the sake of trying to be polite, swallow before you start to talk?”

  He swallowed what was in his mouth and then snorted. “That’s what she said,” he chuckled.

  I walked over and punched him on the arm. “Will you get serious?” I hissed. “Jesus. It’s a wonder you can function as an adult at all.”

  He smiled. “That’s debatable.”

  “That’s great. Can we get back on topic?”

  “Right. I realize this,” he said, waving his arm around, “isn’t conventional, but if it’s going to work, you’re going to need to tread carefully before things get too serious. I’ve seen Aaron really unhappy for a really long time. I think you could change that. Win-win for the both of you.”

  “It isn’t like that. We’re just having fun,” I said.

  “Good. Have fun. And if you need any advice on how to keep having fun, let me know. You have my number from the other night, right?”

  Aaron poked his head in the kitchen. “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” I said. “Your brother needed girl advice.”

  “Ahh. Well, we should probably go get Delilah and be on our way,” he said. “As long as Abel is done with you.”

  “Done,” he said, winking at me.

  I followed Aaron down the carpeted hallway and small set of stairs to the living room. As soon as Delilah saw Aaron, she ran into her father’s arms. “Daddy!”

  Cinderella was playing on the television, the room scattered with Barbies and accessories.

  “Hi there,” said the man I assumed to be Aaron’s father. He was tall, like Aaron and Abel, but with gray hair and a round midsection. He stood from the sofa and extended his hand. “I’m Daniel Matthews,” he said warmly.

  I shook his hand. “Callie. Nice to meet you.”

  “Yes, this is my Callie!” Delilah said. “Papa, she lives with me now.”

  Mr. Matthews let out a deep laugh. “I know, darling.” He directed his attention back to me. “I trust my son is making you comfortable.”

  Abel snorted loudly from the kitchen before he segued into a coughing fit.

  I felt my cheeks heat up. “Oh yes, very comfortable. Thank you for asking,” I said.

  “Delilah, go clean up your things. We have to get going,” Aaron said.

  “But Papa said we were going to go to the park,” Delilah pouted.

  “Maybe we’ll go to the park later, baby doll,” Aaron responded. “But for now, I want you to pick up your Barbies so we can go home.”

  “I can take her to the park and drop her off later, Aaron,” Mr. Matthews said.

  “I appreciate it, Dad, but she’s been here since yesterday. We have some things to take care of today.”

  Mr. Matthews nodded his head, but Delilah, in all her four-year-old glory, was not having any of it.

  “I don’t want to go home,” she shouted while pounding her feet. “I want to go to the park.”

  “Delilah, I’m not going to ask you again,” Aaron said in a tone that told her, and everyone else in the room, he was losing his patience. “Now, pick up your things, or we won’t go to the park at all.”

  Delilah burst into tears and ran to me. Looking up at me with big, fat tears streaming down her face, she grabbed my hand. “Callie, tell Daddy he’s being mean.”

  “I think you need to do what your dad said,” I responded.

  “But…but,” she tried to say through her hysterical sobbing. “I don’t want toooooo.”

  “Delilah Leslie Matthews! That’s enough!” His voice was loud enough to make me shudder. Although there were times when he raised his voice to her, I’d never heard him shout at her so loudly.

  Before anyone could say anything else, Aaron picked her up, kicking and screaming, and carried her out of the room. Abel and Mrs. Matthews heard the commotion and entered the living room from the other side, looking at us for answers. Mrs. Matthews was stunning. She was petite, with short blond hair that was cut close around her face. Her face was nearly flawless, even with minimal makeup on, but it was her eyes that made me pause for a second. They were the exact same shade of blue Aaron and Delilah shared.

  “She’s just having a tantrum. She doesn’t want to leave,” I explained.

  “Oh dear, poor thing,” Mrs. Matthews said, concerned. “Maybe I should go check on them?”

  Mr. Matthews shook his head. “She’ll be fine. Just let Aaron handle it.”

  “Man, she’s got a set of pipes,” Abel said. “Then again, her mother has a big fucking mouth.”

  “Abel…,” Mr. Matthews warned.

  He shrugged his shoulders, but continued. “Well, she did, or I’m sure still does. It’s not something likely to disappear, or cured even if she found some magical antifungal to help.”

  The room grew quiet, and I was suddenly feeling very uncomfortable and very out of place. I wanted to look at the others and study their expressions, but I decided that avoiding everyone else’s eyes was my best bet. I stood there biting my bottom lip, feeling myself begin to perspire and silently praying for Aaron to come back in the room. Everything stayed quiet for what seemed like hours until Aaron and Delilah walked back in, hand in hand. Aaron looked stressed and tired, and Delilah, her skin blotchy from crying, was sniffling.

  “Go ahead,” Aaron said, nudging Delilah forward.

  “Sorry,” she said softly.

  Aaron nodded his head. “All right, now go clean up.”

  She obeyed her father and returned to her Barbie belongings to pack them away while Aaron gathered the rest of her things. I was relieved when we left because while his family was extremely cordial, it was a painful experience.

  Reality gave me a big slap in the face. The last few days had been a fairy tale, but what was happening now was real life. As we quietly drove home, I had a few minutes to consider what it all meant. What I concluded was…

  How was I going to do this, balance sleeping with Aaron, being the nanny, and perhaps anything he expected of me in between?

  Was I going to step into a girlfriend role I wasn’t sure I could measure up to? His age, situation, and maturity was no match for the insecure undergrad twenty-four-year-old me.

  Was I going to be expected to then step further into this ready-made family and take on a mom role? Was I ready for that?

  I didn’t have a clue about any of it, and I was too scared to even question Aaron about it.

  Once home, Aaron sat down to watch a ball game on television and Delilah went to her room to play. Feeling overrun by emotion, I texted Evelyn.

  Callie: Where are you?

  Evelyn: The apartment. Why?

  Callie: I’m coming over. Be there soon.

  Evelyn: Are you okay?

  Callie: I’ll tell you everything when I get there.

  I threw my phone into my purse, and walked into the living room. “Hey, I’m going to head out for a while.”

  “Yeah?” Aaron said. “What’s up?”

  “Nothing.”

  He laughed. “I mean, where are you going?”

  “Just to Evelyn’s place for a while.”

  “Will you be back in time for dinner? I thought maybe we’d go out.”

  “I don’t know.”

  His eyes narrowed at me, carefully taking in my face. “Is something wrong?”

  I shifted uncomfortably. “No. I didn’t know I needed to tell you everything I did, and everywhere I was going.”

  I
immediately regretted what I’d said. Before I could even apologize, he shook his head and returned his attention to the television.

  “Of course. It’s your day off, Callie,” he said. “You’re free to do whatever you want.”

  A cold chill ran through me as his flippant words hit me. I felt like such a jerk.

  “Aaron—”

  “See you later,” he said, cutting me off and not looking at me.

  I quietly left the room, and then the house, with my jackass tail between my legs.

  * * *

  “Holy shit! You fucked him?” Evelyn shouted.

  I was sitting on the couch in my old apartment with Evelyn, a bottle of wine opened in the middle of the afternoon for the occasion. “Can you be any louder? I don’t think the neighbors heard you.”

  “Tell me everything,” Evelyn said, settling back with her wineglass.

  Okay, so I didn’t tell her everything, but I did divulge pertinent information that any good girlfriend would share with her best friend. Of course, this included how the whole sexcounter occurred, size of penis, how well he knew how to work said penis, if he visited the little lady and how his technique was, how long he lasted, and how long it took him before he could go for another round. When I’d finished recounting, we sat quiet for several moments, taking sips from our wine and waiting for one or the other to say something.

  “Shit, sweetie,” said Evelyn. “That’s a tall order for a girl that doesn’t get laid regularly. How’s your little lady feeling?”

  I was sure my skin was blushing, even after everything I’d told her, because my lady parts had never been happier. “I thought the G-spot was an urban myth. Turns out I was wrong.”

  She raised her hand, and I slapped her palm. “That’s my girl.”

  “Seriously, though, what am I going to do?” I asked. “Am I already in over my head?”

  “Who knows and really, Cal, who cares? He’s obviously into you.”

  “But what do you think about what Abel said? That it’s all or nothing with him,” I asked.

  She took a sip from her glass. “Aaron doesn’t need to know that Abel is coaching you from the side. Plus, he’s only doing that because he wants what’s best for Aaron.”

  “But am I being deceitful?”