First Impressions: A Contemporary Retelling of Pride and Prejudice

by Debra White Smith

  She reached for the prescription bottle, only to discover it lying atop another prescription—a flat container of pills that ensured Linda wouldn’t get pregnant. But that was only as long as she took them. Linda gasped. She’d placed the oral contraceptives in this toiletry bag three days ago. She hadn’t taken one since before stepping into Larry’s arms.

  Or was his name Barry? she thought and pursed her lips.

  “Oh, who cares?” Linda growled and snatched up the birth control pills. She slid out the tray and counted the missed pills.

  “Exactly three,” she breathed. Shock started at her feet and rushed to her hairline.

  “How could I have been so bone-headed?” The gynecologist had firmly warned her that the pills only worked if she took them every day at the same time. Even one missed pill could result in a pregnancy.

  “Oh, God, don’t let me be pregnant,” she prayed and pushed out three tablets. Linda threw them into her mouth and downed another cup of water.

  Her fingers shaking, she dropped the rest of the birth control pills back into the bag and retrieved the valium. She unscrewed the lid and poured out another tablet. Two fell out, and Linda nearly popped them both into her mouth. It might take three valium to get her to sleep, now that she was worried about a pregnancy. Linda hesitated. She’d never taken three before. But then she’d never skipped three birth control pills, either.

  “Better not,” she mumbled, and tipped the extra valium back into the bottle. I don’t want to take so many that Mom starts missing them, she thought before swallowing the second valium.

  Eight

  Three weeks later, the London Community Church’s July Fourth picnic proved just like every other picnic they’d enjoyed the last twenty years, at least according to Cheri Locaste. Since this was Eddi’s first picnic, she had no previous experiences with which to compare it.

  She stood in the church’s massive yard at the end of a picnic table laden with watermelons. Cheri loaded slice upon slice of fragrant, red watermelon onto paper plates and handed them to Eddi. Her job was to pass the plates to those standing in the line that stretched past the homemade ice-cream table.

  “These people just don’t quit, do they?” Eddi mumbled under her breath.

  “Every year there’s a hot item,” Cheri explained. “Last year, it was the ice cream. This year, it’s the watermelon. I think it’s just so hot this year that the ice cream is too heavy.” She sighed, picked up a paper napkin, and swiped at her damp forehead. Cheri had wisely refrained from cosmetics, as usual. Eddi figured by now every scrap of her makeup was slipping to her chin. Cheri’s simple blue T-shirt clung to her torso as damply as Eddi’s decorated cotton blouse cleaved to her.

  Eddi lifted her braid off her neck and let it flop back in place. A trickle of sweat ran down her temple. Perhaps the year had finally come to get rid of her mile-long hair. Thoughts of a cute bob cut were swiftly proving too tempting to resist.

  “Miss,” a tiny voice said near her elbow, “may I please have some watermelon?” Eddi looked down. A dark-skinned boy stood with one hand on his hip. He held a worn ball glove under his other arm. The lad couldn’t have been a day over five. He wore a Texas Rangers ball cap, and his shirt read Tommy.

  A rush of pleasure warmed Eddi, and she squatted to get on eye level with the child. The smell of little-boy sweat and dust heightened her delight. “Well, we’ll get you the biggest, juiciest piece of watermelon we have.” Eddi tugged on his ball cap. His bottom lip protruding, Tommy nudged his hat back up. Eddi’s smile only increased.

  A man walked up and laid his tanned hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “We’ve been playing catch. Give this guy the biggest piece you have,” a familiar voice proclaimed.

  Eddi’s grin stiffened. The watermelon’s once inviting smell now turned her stomach. She recognized that voice all too well. When she arrived at the picnic an hour ago, Eddi had spotted Dave in the ball field behind the brick church. A group of men had been playing catch with several boys. They were all warming up for the peewee baseball game that would occur that evening. Eddi had wasted no time volunteering on the other side of the churchyard and hoped to avoid speaking even one word to Dave Davidson. Her growing dislike of the man was nearly enough to make her want to attend another church. If not for her blossoming friendship with Cheri Locaste, Eddi would have seriously considered changing churches. The only thing she and Cheri had in common was their long hair. Otherwise, Cheri was as introspective as Eddi was outspoken. But Eddi had grown to thoroughly enjoy Cheri’s company.

  “I’m sure you’ll be the best baseball player out there tonight,” Eddi continued as if Dave had never spoken. She stood and took the watermelon-laden plate Cheri offered. Eddi presented the treat to the little boy and kept her gaze lowered. She decided that if she pretended Dave wasn’t present, he’d just go away.

  “Thank you, ma’am,” Tommy said as he accepted the watermelon. He devoured a giant bite of the red meat before taking one step. Red juice dripping from his chin, he sank his teeth into the melon again.

  “Hey, you little piranha,” Dave teased. “At the rate you’re going, there won’t be any for the rest of us.”

  “Oh, there’s plenty,” Cheri said. “Here’s a big piece just for you.”

  Eddi accepted the plate.

  “You’re looking fresh as ever this evening, Mizz Boswick,” Dave drawled.

  The very fact that Dave had paid her some form of compliment took her so off guard Eddi forgot her vow not to look at him. Her gaze flicked up to his face. He wore a baseball cap that read USA Online, and Eddi nearly blurted something about his once owning the billion-dollar company.

  Dave observed her with one eye slightly narrowed. Eddi couldn’t decide if the guy really meant the compliment or if he were mocking her. In her estimation, there was no way she looked fresh—not by a long shot. Presently, she was just hoping her antiperspirant didn’t fail. Eddi shifted the plated watermelon to one hand. A fly buzzed by her ear, and she swatted at it. She looked toward the western horizon to note the unforgiving sun was still about three hours from setting. She couldn’t remember a day in her life when she’d been so hot.

  No way do I look fresh, she thought. Dave is mocking me. Which was exactly what he’d somehow managed to do the last three play practices. Last night, he’d even corrected one of her lines. And his aunt had added insult to injury when she told Dave he shouldn’t expect his level of memory from the rest of the cast.

  “If you think I look fresh, you need glasses,” she snapped and shoved a hefty slice of watermelon into his hands.

  Dave juggled the paper plate and his ball glove before the giant slice of melon toppled to the grass.

  “Oh great,” Eddi mumbled, exasperated that anything would keep Dave in line one more second than necessary. “I’ll get it,” she offered.

  “No, I will,” Dave said.

  The two bent and both reached for the melon. Dave attempted to pick it up at the same time Eddi did. The result was a five-second battle over the slice—a battle that ended when Mary Boswick’s squeal echoed from the parking lot.

  “There’s Eddi beside the watermelon table!” Eddi’s mom continued, “Eddi! Over here!”

  Eddi dropped the watermelon and welcomed the distraction of her family. She straightened and waved to her plump mother and angular father as they walked across the parking lot with Jenny in their wake. Her mom returned the wave as if Eddi were sailing into harbor from a decade-long journey at sea. More than once Eddi had been embarrassed by her mother’s robust manner. Today, she welcomed Mary Boswick’s yelling across the yard the minute she spotted her daughter. Jenny, Linda, and her folks had all promised Eddi they’d come to the picnic. She’d been watching for them the last hour.

  Eddi pivoted to face Cheri and turned her back on Dave. “I’m going to take a break, okay? My family just arrived.”

  “Oh, sure.” Cheri nodded. “Go on.” She nodded and focused upon Dave. “Here, I’ll take that watermelon an
d give you a fresh piece.”

  Standing, Dave extended the soiled watermelon to Cheri. “Thanks,” he said.

  Their conversation faded as Eddi stepped across the lush grass and neared the parking lot. She had kicked her gold flip-flops off near the watermelon table and didn’t consider that she was barefoot until her toes contacted the baking pavement.

  “Ouch!” she exclaimed and scooted back onto the St. Augustine grass.

  Mary Boswick rushed toward her daughter. “Look at you without your shoes!” she admonished. She shook her finger at Eddi’s nose as if she were eight. “I thought when you finished law school you’d start acting more civilized.”

  “Not a chance, Mom,” Eddi said with a half grin. She exchanged a hug with her wiry-haired mother and was genuinely glad to see her. When Eddi moved from Houston, she’d been so relieved to be out of her mother’s sphere of control, she didn’t think she’d ever miss her. Today, Eddi welcomed her mom’s presence—mainly because she and the rest of the family offered a buffer between her and Dave.

  “Hi, Eddi.” Edward Boswick stepped forward and enveloped his daughter in a bear hug. He finished with a kiss in the middle of her forehead. “Let me look at you,” he said and backed away.

  “Ah, Dad,” Eddi complained, “you act like I’m ten and you haven’t seen me for a year.”

  “You mean you aren’t still ten?” the gentleman asked and shoved back his golf hat. His gray eyes were round in mock disillusionment.

  Eddi chuckled and shook her head. “Not on your life,” she said.

  Jenny neared from the side, and Eddi exchanged a quick hug with her sister. When they parted, Eddi noticed Jenny’s hair. Her mouth dropped open. “Oh my word! You got a new haircut!” She touched her sister’s neck. “It’s so short . . . and so cute! You look like . . . like Meg Ryan!” Eddi exclaimed.

  “That’s what Mom said when she saw me this morning,” Jenny said. She ran her fingers through the top of her hair. “I don’t care if it makes me look like Minnie Mouse, it’s cool and easy to take care of.”

  “I’m going to do it, too,” Eddi said with a firm nod. “I’ve been threatening to do it. I think now’s the time to follow through. I need a more professional look around here, anyway. Maybe it will help some people take me more seriously.”

  “Speaking of the local yokels, look who’s coming now,” Jenny mumbled.

  “Excuse me,” Dave’s voice floated from behind.

  Eddi stiffened and swallowed a groan. “Thanks for the warning,” she mumbled.

  “Cheri asked me to bring your shoes to you.” Dave stepped beside Eddi, and she offered a rigid grin.

  “Thanks.” She accepted the gold-toned flip-flops, dropped them to the ground, and scooted her feet into them.

  Dave glanced at her family and then nodded toward Jenny. “How are you, Jenny?” he asked.

  “Fine,” Jenny responded with a warm smile.

  Eddi scowled at her sister and wished she wouldn’t encourage him to stand around and talk. Besides all that, he’d abandoned the standard jeans and boots and was wearing shorts and a T-shirt. Despite Eddi’s resolve to disdain him, she couldn’t deny that Dave offered a nice view.

  “Are these your parents, Eddi?” Dave asked.

  “Yes. This is my mom and dad, Mary and Edward Boswick.”

  A tense pause followed. “Nice to meet you,” Dave said and shook hands with Eddi’s folks.

  Jenny cast a pointed look at Eddi, and she couldn’t figure out what her sister was trying to imply. Finally, Jenny said, “Mom, Dad, this is William Davidson.”

  “Oh!” Eddi said. “I guess I forgot to tell you Dave’s name.”

  “Is it Dave or William, then?” When Mrs. Boswick offered her inquiry, Eddi’s eyes widened and she focused upon Jenny, whose color was fading fast.

  A cautious glimpse of Dave proved his face a rigid mask of disapproval. “Around these parts, I’m just known as Dave,” he uttered as if he were choking. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I’m needed on the ball field.” Dave stalked toward the baseball diamond, his shoulders hunched.

  “Well, he wasn’t exactly friendly, was he?” Mary glared after Dave as if he were the big bad wolf. “Some people!” she huffed.

  “He might have his moments,” Jenny said, “but he’s filthy rich. I guess when you’ve got as much money as he does, you can afford to be brusque when it pleases you.”

  “Not with me.” Mary squared her pudgy shoulders and made a face at Dave’s back.

  A horn’s raucous honk and the rev of an engine cut off any new speculation. A silver PT Cruiser wheeled into the parking place beside the Boswick’s minivan.

  “I guess we failed to tell you that Linda has purchased a new vehicle.” Edward crossed his arms, and his shoulders stiffened. “Nothing would do but for her to follow us up here instead of riding with us. And it looks like she’s got a couple of friends with her this time, whether any of us likes it or not,” he added as if she were in the company of skunks.

  Eddi grinned at her younger sister, who hopped out of the Cruiser and vigorously waved. “Hi, Eddi! I’ve got some people for you to meet!” she exclaimed.

  “Great!” Eddi posed a silent question to Jenny, who shrugged.

  “I’ve not met them,” Jenny said.

  Two men crawled out of the vehicle’s passenger side. Both were tall and lean. One had dark, well-groomed hair, a heavy brow line, and a straight nose. The other sported a white-blond flat top and looked like he belonged to a Beach Boys club. As they neared, the men stood on either side of Linda, and Eddi couldn’t determine which one would be considered her current boyfriend. The dark-headed man looked to be closer to Eddi’s age than Linda’s. His kind brown eyes and pleasant expression suggested that for once, Linda had attracted somebody who was both good looking and decent.

  Linda and her friends stopped near the Boswicks, and Linda didn’t hesitate to make introductions. “This is Rick Wallace,” she said, placing her hand on the arm of the kind-eyed man. “And this is André Owens,” she continued, and smiled toward the blond.

  “Nice to meet you.” André nodded.

  Rick extended his hand toward Edward Boswick, who returned the handshake with a relieved light in his eyes. “Glad to meet you,” Edward said as he also shook hands with André.

  Linda continued to make introductions. Eddi examined the whites of Linda’s eyes. They were clear. Her speech was precise, and she didn’t seem overly giggly. For once her younger sister wasn’t tipsy.

  Jenny offered a discreet thumbs-up, and Eddi responded in like manner.

  “Now, what do you wonderful young men do for a living?” Mary Boswick asked.

  “They’re on the Houston police force,” Linda oozed and grabbed both their hands. “Isn’t that just the coolest?”

  Mary nudged Linda aside and stepped between the two gentlemen. “Policemen!” she exclaimed. “Oh, how exciting. I remember once, long before I got married, I dated a policeman. He was sooo nice.” Her full cotton dress swishing with every step, Mary walked along the sidewalk, her arms looped in each of the men’s. Linda followed close behind.

  Jenny, Eddi, and her father fell in after them. “Some days I wonder who’s more silly—your mother or her youngest daughter,” Edward whispered.

  “Oh, Daddy,” Eddi admonished.

  “Tell me you weren’t thinking the same thing . . . or that you didn’t move to the backside of nowhere just to get away from them both.” Edward lifted the front of his golfer’s shirt away from his neck and glanced toward the blazing orange ball nearing the horizon. “Would that we were all so fortunate.”

  Eddi examined her father’s profile. A few times in recent years, he had forgotten to pretend with Eddi. Only in the last five years had Eddi suspected that her father had stayed in his marriage because of his dedication to his wedding vows and his love for his daughters. Eddi had finally come to the conclusion that if her father weren’t a God-fearing man, he would have long ago left her
mother. Eddi thought of all the friends she had known growing up whose homes were broken. Of their splintered lives. Of the times she had complained about her family, and they told her she didn’t know just how fortunate she was. A rush of love and appreciation welled up within Eddi, and she spontaneously kissed her father on his cheek.

  “Hey! What’s this all about?” Edward asked and acted as if he were pushing her away. His pleasurable smile belied his actions.

  “Just because I love you, and I appreciate you,” she said.

  Edward kissed her hand while Eddi gazed after her mother and Linda. Between the two of them, they were entertaining the policemen in the highest of spirits.

  As the four headed toward the ice-cream table, Eddi said, “Let’s just hope that these new friends of Linda’s will be a turning point for her.” She scrutinized her father for any sign that he was taking Linda’s exploits seriously. If not, Eddi wondered how she could convince him that Linda’s problems ran much deeper than a case of the sillies.

  “Well, we’ll see.” Edward yawned. “We will indeed see.”

  Jenny stepped beside Eddi and whispered, “I can’t believe I let that slip about Dave’s real name. I nearly died!”

  “I think he did, too,” Eddi agreed and released her father’s arm. The two sisters stepped ahead of him and delved into a private chat session.

  “If you ask me, the more I think of it, the funnier it gets.” Eddi chuckled like a panther who’s cornered a jack rabbit. “Here he is, thinking he’s duped a whole community full of country bumpkins. He’s so cockeyed sure he’s fooled them all, he’s even wearing a USA Online cap! He’s convinced nobody will even make the connection. It serves him right that somebody was sharp enough to blow his cover.”

  With a satisfied smirk, Eddi skimmed the churchyard to discover Dave in the distance, back on the ball field. He stood on the pitcher’s mound, drinking a bottle of water. A tyke ran up to him from across the field, and Dave set the water on the ground. Behind the little guy, Calvin Barclay trotted toward the pitcher’s mound.