Something to Talk About

by Melanie Woods Schuster

  Adam smiled at her eagerness. “He has fourteen grandchildren. Benita and her husband have five children, Andrew has four, Alan and Andre each have two, and Adonis and his wife have a six-month-old baby.”

  Emmaline’s old eyes glowed with delight at the news. “And you and your lovely wife, when are you expecting?”

  Reba put one hand over her mouth and laughed heartily. “My heavens, your wife is going to think we are true barbarians! Child, forgive us, we’re just so excited at seeing our kin again we forgot ourselves. What is your name, dear?”

  Alicia patted the older woman’s arm to show she wasn’t offended in the least. “My name is Alicia Fuentes, but Adam and I aren’t married, we’re, um, business partners,” she finished lamely with a look at Adam, who was enjoying her discomfiture.

  He didn’t do anything to help the situation by giving her another blazingly hot smile and caressing her with his eyes. “Alicia and I are architects and we have a firm in Detroit,” he informed his aunts.

  Aunt Emmaline seemed possessed of the kind of insight that only very elderly women seem to have, for she just nodded and turned her gaze from Adam to Alicia.

  “Business partners. Is that what they’re calling it down state these days?” she asked archly. “Down state” was how people who lived in northern Michigan referred to the rest of the state. She gave Alicia a good look-over and commented that she’d heard the name Fuentes before.

  “There was a wonderful ballplayer named Jose Ernesto Fuentes who played for the Detroit Tigers back in the day. My goodness, that was a good-looking man!”

  Alicia beamed so brightly that all thirty-two of her perfectly white teeth showed. “That’s my daddy,” she said proudly.

  Reba laughed out loud. “Oh, well, now you’ve started something. Mother loves her some baseball. So you mean those two pretty Fuentes boys that play for the Tigers now, those are your brothers?”

  “Yes, ma’am, Raphael and Carlos are my brothers.”

  “Well, my goodness, isn’t that something? Please, let me get you all something to eat,” Reba suggested.

  “Only if you let me help,” Alicia said quickly. They rose from the sofa and Reba led the way to the spacious kitchen followed by Alicia, who heard Aunt Emmaline tell Adam that he’d better hurry up and marry Alicia because they were certainly going to have some pretty babies. Given the oddness of the day, it was an entirely appropriate remark.

  ***

  The Saturday brunch at Donnie and Angelique’s house was a huge success, as was any meal shared by the Cochrans. All the men loved to eat and were lucky enough to have found wives who loved to cook. Angelique Cochran, the newest bride, was a fine cook, but today she had plenty of help from her sisters-in law and her mother, Lillian, who was visiting from Atlanta. Working together they had prepared a southern feast of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, fried chicken, cheese grits, hash browns, tossed salad, fried corn, squash casserole, asparagus tips, fruit salad, hot biscuits, cinnamon rolls, and muffins. Everyone ate until they were satisfied and the men cleaned up the kitchen afterward with fulsome praise from the women. The children were playing in the family room and the smallest children were napping in the bedroom with the exception of Lily Rose, who was taking a nap on her uncle Clay’s shoulder. The adults had assembled in the living room at Big Benny’s request.

  He looked at his family scattered around the big living room of the Palmer Park home. He’d always taken great pride in his children, although he had his own ways of showing it when it came to his only daughter, Benita. He’d been too possessive of her, too controlling, and he’d almost lost her as a result Thank God he’d learned that loving meant letting go, and she was the one who’d taught him that. Benita was seated next to her husband, Clayton Deveraux, and it was obvious to anyone who saw them that they were more deeply in love than they were when they met and married. She hardly looked a day older although Clayton had a generous amount of gray hair now, due, he always said, to their lively boys.

  He proudly surveyed his other children: Andrew and his wife, Renee; Alan and Andre with their wives, Tina and Faye; and his youngest child, Adonis Cochran, with his bride, Angelique. Everyone was there except Adam, his maverick son. It was annoying that he was a no-show, but that was Adam for you; there was never any use predicting what he was going to do. Benny wanted them all together, but too bad. He had to get it said while the resolve was there. Despite his bombastic and brusque approach to life, this was one announcement he wasn’t looking forward to. It could mean the destruction of his family or signal a new beginning.

  In addition to the family, his oldest and best friend, Bill “Bump” Williams, was present with his wife, Lillian Deveraux Williams, who was Clay Deveraux’s mother and Benita’s mother-in-law. Bump was one of the five people in the room who shared Benny’s secret; another one was Ruth Bennett, sister to his late first wife, Lillian Bennett Cochran. He was grateful for their presence and only hoped that the repercussions from his words wouldn’t affect them negatively. He glanced at his watch and gathered his thoughts; it was time. Clearing his throat, he went to stand beside the big brick fireplace and smiled when Martha joined him.

  “I know you’re wondering what in the world I could possibly have to say that’s so important that I dragged you all in here. I have something to tell you all that’s going to change all of our lives permanently. You know me, I’m not good at being diplomatic or saying things in a nice way, so I’m just going to say it outright” He paused and took his wife’s hand.

  “A long time ago I did something that to this day I regret because it was something that never should have happened. I loved your mother very, very much, but I wasn’t always the best husband to her. I was not, I regret to say, the kind of husband that my sons are to their wives, the kind of husband that Benita has in Clay. I violated her trust in me by having an affair. And that affair led to a child, a son whom I’ve never acknowledged, ” he said solemnly.

  No one moved after he uttered the words, no one said anything. As the full weight of what he was saying began to sink in, the faces of his children reflected shock, surprise, and incredulity. Big Benny looked at each of his children in turn before speaking again.

  “I don’t think there’s anything any of you can say that can make me more regretful of my behavior, but I can’t spend time wallowing in guilt. What’s done was done years ago and what I want to do is set the record straight and try to make up for the sins of my past. My only hope is that you can forgive me and try to understand why I did what I did, which was keep this a secret for all these years.”

  Alan and Andre were the first to recover their ability to speak. “Pop, are you saying we have a brother out there somewhere?” It was impossible to say which one asked the question; their voices were as identical as their faces.

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying, son. You have another brother. Before you ask, let me explain. His mother died shortly after giving birth to him and I arranged for the baby to be given to a couple in a private adoption. As far as I know he has no idea that he was adopted, has no idea that I’m his birth father. He’s never made any move to contact me, nor has anyone else ever contacted me regarding the matter. He has no clue, no clue whatsoever that he has any tie to this family.”

  The siblings looked at each other and at their spouses and it was plain that all of them were trying to think of something to say. Clay’s arm was around Benita’s shoulders and unconsciously he pulled her closer to his side in a protective gesture. On the other end of the sofa, Renee clasped Andrew’s hand in hers and squeezed it tightly, giving him all her support and love. Alan and Andre were staring at each other while communicating silently, something they’d been doing since they were children. This was a moment for the archives; the normally voluble and expressive Cochrans were temporarily struck dumb.

  It was the uncharacteristic silence that roused Big Benny’s legendary temper. “Have you people all gone deaf or something? I just told you all the deepest secr
et of my heart and you’re sitting there acting like you’re watching TV! Doesn’t anybody have something to say?” he asked angrily. Martha tried vainly to calm him down, but it was useless.

  Andrew raised his eyebrows and said calmly, “Well, Pop, what is it that you want us to say? Do you want us to jump up and run out of the room screaming or something? You just told us that we have a brother out there somewhere. That’s a lot to get used to in the what, thirty seconds since you dropped the bomb? Give us a minute to absorb it, why don’t you?”

  Alan and Andre spoke in unison, something they always did in moments of crisis. “Look, Pop, we appreciate you leveling with us about a part of your past, but we don’t really know how we’re supposed to react.”

  Alan added, “It’s not like he’s here in front of us. That would be an entirely different set of circumstances.”

  Andre agreed. “If there were a possibility of locating him and the necessity of forming some kind of association, that would be different. Your telling us this, it’s kind of conceptual, really.”

  Instead of Benny’s being relieved that they were taking it so calmly, the children’s air of sophisticated acceptance pushed the button they all had learned to avoid over the years, the button that pushed the emotional elevator in Benny’s head directly to the floor marked rage.

  “What are you babbling about? I know who he is and where he is, and as soon as I tell him who I am, I’m bringing him here. And then your concept becomes reality, Mr. Harvard Law Review,” he snarled in the direction of Alan and Andre. “What the hell did you think, I was just going to pass a little information on to you and let it go? Of course not, you knuckleheads! I’m bringing my son home and you’d better get used to the idea.”

  By now his face was bright red with rage and he was definitely getting the reaction he’d anticipated. Everyone was talking at once now, hands were waving, voices were being raised, and chaos ruled. Martha sighed deeply and shook her head as she insisted that her husband sit down. Aunt Ruth dispatched someone for a glass of water, ignoring Benny’s suggestion that it contain bourbon. Meanwhile Lily Rose woke up from her nap and expressed her dislike for all the yelling with some high-pitched yelling of her own. Clay nuzzled her neck and crooned to her in his deep, gravelly voice and she calmed down immediately. Lillian merely looked sideways at her husband, Bump, who was pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head. Finally Benita got everyone to quiet down so she could address her father.

  “Daddy, I’m not even going to comment on your announcement. My brain isn’t working well enough for that. But just how do you plan to approach this man? You say you arranged for him to be adopted and he doesn’t know anything about it. This is going to be a huge shock for the man. What makes you think he’s even going to give you the time of day? That’s assuming a lot, even for you,” she said pointedly.

  Benny took a few grateful swallows from the icy glass Ruth handed him, frowning when he didn’t detect the bracing taste of his favorite libation and handing it back to her.

  “That’s where you come in, daughter. You’re going to help me with this,” he said with the benign, fatherly smile he employed only when he was trying to pull a fast one on her.

  “Me? What have I got to do with all this? Why on earth do you think I’m going to help you approach this man and turn his life upside because you’ve started feeling guilty about your past?” she asked with growing heat.

  Benny sat back in the leather armchair and gave her the coup de grace of smiles, the one she referred to as his “jackass eating briars” grin. “Because you know this man, Benita, and he thinks the world of you. His name is John Flores.”

  She instantly went pale with shock and couldn’t utter a sound.

  * * *

  Adam was quiet on the way back to the Pier Marquette Lodge, too quiet for Alicia’s comfort. When Adam was upset about something he withdrew from the world and internalized his anger, a process Alicia had become accustomed to over the years. She wasn’t looking forward to a long night of silence and brooding, especially after the day they’d had. His aunts were lively, funny old ladies and they seemed to be born storytellers. They told them about Idlewild back in its heyday, about Benny Cochran when he was a child, and about their lives in general, and Alicia was simply riveted. What Adam thought about the afternoon was a mystery since he’d barely opened his mouth from the time they left the blue cottage.

  She eyed him speculatively as they entered the cabin. If he was going to sit and mope all night, she wanted no part of it. She wanted to talk to him, to verbalize her wonder at all that had happened today, but she knew him well enough to know that he was overwhelmed by the unexpected reunion. Her best course of action by far was to leave him to his thoughts.

  While he sprawled out on the sofa in the living room, she announced that she was going to take a shower and went to do just that. She undressed in the bedroom they were sharing and donned a pale green terry cloth wrap before entering the spotlessly clean bathroom. After adjusting the water temperature, she put on a cute little green shower cap, took off the wrap, and got into the shower with her bottle of Algemarin bath gel. The clean scent of the gel rose as the hot water cascaded over her body and she began to relax in her enjoyment of the bathing ritual. Closing her eyes, she turned her face into the stream of water and sighed with pleasure, a sigh that turned into a yelp of surprise as Adam stepped into the tub to join her.

  “You scared me,” she protested even as she was admiring his long naked body. He traded places with her so that he could get wet all over, looking deeply into her eyes as he did so.

  “You left me,” he pointed out. He reached for her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her hard and fierce. “You know I’m a moody idiot. You’re supposed to love me out of it,” he growled, “not leave me alone in my misery.”

  Alicia giggled madly as their soapy bodies rubbed together, then protested as he pulled off her shower cap. ‘Thanks a lot, my hair’s going to be a mess tomorrow.”

  “I like it messy,” he murmured as the water slicked her hair back and filled her lashes with big drops. “You look so hot, baby, so incredibly sexy with your hair like that.”

  His big hands stroked her back, making firm circular motions on her bottom and anchoring her against his growing erection. She returned the favor, grabbing his hard, muscular rear end and treating it to the same caresses she was receiving. She looked up into Adam’s face and melted against him. The look of love he was giving her was so profound she forgot how to breathe. He leaned down and kissed her again, this time with tenderness and passion. As he gently parted her willing lips with his tongue, Alicia trembled with delight and slid her sudsy arms up around his neck. He pulled her luscious lower lip into his mouth and groaned with pleasure as she did the same. They continued to kiss, sucking on each other’s lips and gorging in the sheer taste of their passion.

  When they finally pulled away, Alicia sighed. “I love the way you kiss me.” She slowly removed her arms from around his neck and kissed it, then his collarbones, and began licking her way down his chest while the water continued to flow over their bodies.

  “I love the way you love me,” Adam countered. “And I want it right now, so we’d better get out of here before we welcome a bundle of joy in about nine months. Emmaline’s right, you know, we’re going to make some pretty babies.”

  Alicia’s tongue was circling his nipple with unerring erotic precision while her hands caressed his hips. His knees buckled under the twin assault and without another word he scooped her up and prepared to leave the shower with her in his arms.

  “The water, Adam, turn off the water, querida”

  He did so with a grumble, not caring about the stupid water at a time like this. Carrying her into the bedroom, he threw a large towel across the bed before placing her on it like a precious work of art. Alicia was about to ask for another towel when it became apparent that Adam had another idea. He turned to the small bag that contained her toiletries
and pulled out her blow-dryer, something that Marielle had insisted she take although Alicia had no intention of using it. He turned off the overhead light of the bedroom, leaving them in semidarkness with only the light from the bathroom showing.

  After plugging it in, he adjusted the stream of air so it was on a warm setting with medium force. With a smile Alicia was beginning to understand very well, he began to direct the warm air over her waiting body, which was already beginning to tingle with anticipation. The warm stream of air played across her arms, her neck, and her stomach, making her nerves dance with delight. When he started the soft stream over her breasts, she gripped the bedclothes and trembled from the unusual sensation, but he didn’t relent. Using the blower he stroked her entire body over and over, letting the heated air caress her like a lover, gently igniting a fire everywhere it traveled. When he let it play at the apex of her thighs, she gasped aloud, calling his name.

  “Adam, stop, that’s not fair,” she moaned.

  He knelt on the floor beside the bed and turned the blow-dryer off. “What’s not fair, my love? Doesn’t that feel pleasant? Don’t you like it?” he teased and turned her so that she was crossways on the bed with her legs hanging down. He picked up one of her long, slender feet and began kissing it, licking it across the sole and making his way up to her toes, which would have curled in appreciation if she hadn’t been so limp from sensation. He continued up to her ankle, licking and kissing his path up to her knee, then the tender flesh of her inner thigh, all the while pulling her closer to the edge of the bed.

  By now she was so aroused at the sensual onslaught to which she was being subjected that her breath was coming in fevered gasps. The warmth of his hands, coupled with his hot tongue, was conspiring to make her start to lose herself in ecstasy. She felt as if she were being swallowed up in a starry sky. When his seeking mouth delved into the moist opening between her thighs, the stars exploded all around her as his tongue imprisoned her, bringing her to a level of release she didn’t know existed. Her hips moved in undulating circles as he plundered the honeyed sweetness he craved in an unending kiss that went on and on so long that she thought she would die from the pleasure.