by Gayle Keo
She walked through an archway and found herself in a sheltered corridor lined with rosebushes and vines that seemed to crisscross across the wooden ceiling, letting enough sunlight through to create a gorgeous dappled effect on the grassy ground. Tara looked around, amazed at all the beauty, and for a moment, she felt as though she were in a fairytale. Except I’m the ugly stepsister, she thought.
As she walked further into the garden, getting lost amid the tall sunflowers, she finally let herself think the thought that had been trying to push through since she had arrived. She thought of Noah, with his dimpled smile and his kind eyes, she thought of his bare muscular back, and the way his hair looked when it was wet. She shook her head, feeling guilty even as she thought these things; he was going to be her brother. Stepbrother, a voice whispered in her head.
Her phone rang, shattering the silence all around her, and Tara jumped guiltily, quickly answering the phone. “Hey sleepyhead, what are you up to?” Eileen said brightly on the other end and Tara twirled a strand of her hair nervously around her finger as she said, “Just walking around the garden. It’s really pretty.” There was a strained silence, and Tara thought she ought to say more but then her mother said, “Alright sweetie, have fun. I was just checking in to see if you need anything?”
After hanging up the phone, Tara glanced down at the book she had brought with her, and decided to find a nice secluded spot to read. She found an old wicker chair behind the greenhouse and settled down there, quietly reading to herself. She stayed like that for a while when she heard a sound behind her.
She turned quickly to find Noah standing there, smiling at her. “Guess you found my secret hideout,” he said to her, and Tara suddenly felt flustered as she said, “Oh I’m sorry - I can move, if you like?” She started to get up but Noah held up his hands and laughed as he said, “Relax, I was joking- come on, of course you can stay here.” Tara looked relieved and he laughed again. “Besides, you’re reading; that’s far more productive than what I was going to do,” he said, pulling a joint and lighter out of his pocket. “You mind if I light up?” he asked, leaning against the greenhouse so effortlessly as Tara shook her head. She doubted she would mind anything he did. “So, Tara Haverford, why don’t you speak more?” Tara shrugged and softly said, “I guess I don’t have much to say.” Noah gazed at her intently as he let out some smoke and then said, “I don’t believe that. I bet you have all sorts of strange and wonderful things in your head.”
Noah finished his joint, but still hung around, talking to Tara as the day wore on. He sat cross legged in the grass, close enough to reach over and pull Tara’s book out of her hands. “What is this?” he asked, examining the cover. “It’s just poetry, some of my favorite.” Noah nodded, looking impressed as he said, “See- I don’t think someone who reads Ginsberg and Whitman can have nothing to say. Come on, Tara,” he leaned in close, “Tell me all your secrets; spill your twisted thoughts.”
Tara opened her mouth slightly and leaned forward- they were so close that their faces were almost touching when suddenly, a shrill voice called out Noah’s name. The two of them jumped apart and then Noah flashed a grin, “Sorry, gotta go, but we’ll definitely continue this another time, Tara Haverford.” Just like that, he disappeared through the sunflowers, but Tara knew that they had shared something in that moment; she just couldn’t describe what it was.
*****
Later that night, Tara decided to go for a swim. She was glad she had packed her swimsuit, but she felt a little uncomfortable when she put it on, not wanting anyone to see her. That’s why she decided to go swimming at night, when nobody else would be around.
During the day, the poolside was almost always occupied by Denise, who liked to hang around in her bikini, looking like a bronzed goddess in the sunlight as she tossed about her long wet hair. Tara decided it would be better if she avoided the pool when Denise was around, since she didn’t put it past Denise to make a cutting remark about Tara’s body. She pulled on a bathrobe and quietly tiptoed through the hallway and down the stairs, slipping out of the French windows without making a sound.
Once she reached the pool, the water glimmered before her, and she let her bathrobe fall to the floor as she dipped a toe in the water. She held back a shriek- it was cold, but she liked it. She stepped into the pool, slowly submersing her entire body in the water, relishing the feeling of it against her skin. Her mother had been right- she loved swimming, but she had given up on it as she had grown more and more conscious of her body. If she had access to a private pool like this one, she would have loved to just spend all her time in the water. Tara swam for a long while before she climbed out of the pool; her swimsuit clung to her body and the cool air hardened her nipples as she bent to pick up her bathrobe. Just as she shrugged it on, she noticed a figure in a window overlooking the pool.
She looked up at the shadowy figure, expecting the person to duck back in, but they stayed there. She could make out something in their hand- it looked like a cigarette. Tara tightened her robe around her and quickly made her way back into her room, leaving wet footprints behind as she hurried through the house, taking less care to be quiet and focusing more on moving fast.
Once inside her room, Tara quickly stripped off her wet bathing suit and took a hot shower, trying not to think about the person in the window. Was it Denise? She turned red at the thought of Denise watching her swim. Was it Noah? She turned redder when she realized that she both wished and dreaded that it was him. As she rubbed soap over her body, she tried to imagine what it must be like if it were his hands roaming over her skin, caressing every curve. She shivered, even as the hot water streamed down her body.
She toweled herself off and brushed her hair as she wandered over to the window. She peeked outside to see if someone still stood in the other window, but it was shut and the curtains were drawn. Tara frowned and returned to bed, feeling weird all over. She had really enjoyed spending the afternoon with him, and she had felt as though he did too, but the way he had run off when Denise had called him left a bitter taste in Tara’s mouth. Maybe he just didn’t want her to know he was smoking up? She fell asleep slowly drifting into strange dreams of perfectly sculpted bodies, blue water and golden afternoons.
Eileen was taking Tara shopping the next day, and Tara awoke with a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. She knew that when she went to buy clothes, her mother would always pipe up with her well-meaning but hurtful comments about Tara’s body. Other than that, they would disagree over what to buy because Eileen’s taste was sophisticated and timeless whereas Tara liked to keep with the trends, and they were always bickering about things like hemlines and sleeves.
When Tara met her mother downstairs, Denise and Noah were seated in the living room. Noah was quietly scrolling through this phone as Denise sat with folded arms, watching Tara and her mother. Eileen noticed the girl’s eyes on them and said, “Denise would you like to join us? I’m going to buy Tara some new clothes.” Denise smiled and shook her head and then, out of earshot of Eileen, she muttered, “Good, she needs them.” Noah’s face turned an unpleasant purple as he lowered his phone and fixed Denise with a deadly glare. Tara quickly hurried out the door and Eileen followed.
“Tara, what’s the rush?” Eileen said, catching up, but Tara shook her head and continued down the path towards her mom’s car. Once they were inside, Tara was silent and Eileen tried to make conversation but Tara was so unresponsive that she soon stopped, and the two of them drove in silence.
Finally, unable to hold it in any longer, Tara burst out, “Denise is such a bitch.” Eileen raised an eyebrow and Tara told her what she had said. Eileen shook her head and said, “She’s nasty. Girls like that- they just want to put you down all the time. Honestly, Noah is such a bright, sweet boy - I mean he’s arrogant but look how he grew up - I really wish he could look past that shiny veneer and see Denise for what she really is.”
Tara looked at her mom, surprised, and realized it felt rea
lly good to gossip with her mom. “And what’s with all that wet hair flipping?” Tara said, and Eileen laughed loudly. It was nice to hear her mom laugh and Tara wondered again if she was happy. “When does Paul get back?” she asked, and her mother smiled as she said, “Tomorrow evening. Oh sweetie, I can’t wait for you to meet him- he’s lovely, I’m sure you’ll like him.”
*****
Tara made her way down to the pool again that night, wondering if the shadowy figure would reappear in the window. As she stepped out the French windows and discarded her robe, she looked up, but the window was still shut and the curtains were drawn. She turned her attention back to the pool, slowly letting herself into the pleasantly cold water and wading through it until she was completely soaked.
She swam a few laps before she ducked into the water completely and opened her eyes once she was submerged. The world around her was blue and serene. In the water, Tara’s body moved just the way she wanted it to and she didn’t worry about the bumps and rolls that constantly plagued her otherwise. She stayed like that, suspended in the water for a few seconds before she surfaced again. She nearly screamed when she saw someone standing over her.
“I’m sorry- I didn’t mean to scare you- I’m sorry,” Noah whispered urgently, as Tara swallowed a lot of water in her panicked state. She coughed and Noah bent down and awkwardly patted her back. “I’m sorry,” he said again when she stopped coughing. Tara shook her head and said, “It’s alright, you just surprised me, that’s all.”
Noah looked like he was about to apologize again when Tara said, “It’s your house, please don’t apologize.” He looked relieved and then said, “Mind if I join you?” Tara felt a little shiver run down her spine but she said, “Please do.”
Noah straightened up and unbuttoned his shirt, and Tara tried not to stare but she caught his eye and hurriedly looked away, hoping she hadn’t turned completely red. Noah dove into the pool, splashing Tara, and then grinned as he swam towards her.
She felt every inch of her body come alive, suddenly responsive to even the ripples that he sent her way. “So why do you swim at night?” he said, watching her so intensely she thought might spontaneously combust. “I- I like the quiet, I guess. And, during the day, well, the pool is- um- occupied.”
Noah nodded slowly and said, “Denise.” Tara said nothing, but Noah’s expression had turned sour and he said, “What she said to you today wasn’t okay. I told her that if she wants to be around she can’t treat people that way- especially not you or your mom.”
Tara smiled slightly and then Noah said, “I don’t really wanna talk about Denise right now, though,” and Tara swam towards him as she softly said, “So what do you want to talk about?” His leg brushed against hers as they floated closer and closer to one another.
“I told you- I want you to spill all your strange beautiful thoughts.” Noah looked at her as though he were hungry, and she looked at him with complete awe as she said, “How do you even know if I have any?” Noah was so close that their lips were only inches away, and he said, “Because you’re a strange and beautiful girl.” A dog barked somewhere and Tara moved away, realizing for the first time the full force of her attraction to Noah. He grinned as though nothing had happened and for a second, she wondered if she had imagined the whole thing. He splashed her with water and then playfully ducked underneath the surface, pulling her in too. Her hair floated around her face and she tried not to smile but it was impossible when faced with his dimples. Air bubbled escaped from their mouths and their limbs tangled with each other until they had to resurface for breath. Tara laughed and swam away from Noah again, resting against the edge of the pool. Slowly, he made his way there too and they stayed like that, with their elbows propped up on the tiling above the pool.
The two of them sneaked through the house quietly, leaving behind a trail of water and wet footprints as they climbed up the stairs and walked through the hallway. They stopped outside Noah’s room and Tara smiled as she shyly tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear and looked downwards, “Thanks- it’s been a while since I swam with someone, and it was nice,” she whispered. He smiled widely and then yawned, “I should get to sleep. See you in the morning,” and just like that he pushed open the bedroom door and disappeared behind it.
Tara stood there for a minute and she heard Denise’s sleepy voice say, “Where were you?” Tara started walking towards her room when she heard her say, “Swimming at this time? God, Noah you’re such a freak.” Tara frowned as she closed her bedroom door behind her- she didn’t think Noah was a freak. She thought Noah was amazing.
Tara rinsed the chlorine out of her hair and quickly changed into something dry and warm before she climbed into bed, wondering if Noah thought that she was amazing too. Strange and beautiful, he had called her. Strange and Beautiful. She repeated the words over and over again in her head. Normally, she wouldn’t be too pleased if someone called her strange, but every word that came out of Noah’s beautiful mouth sounded sweet and sincere.
She turned on her side, and thought about Denise. Even if he were to somehow magically dumb his perfect girlfriend, there was still the fact that he would soon be her brother. She closed her eyes and wondered what was wrong with her. She felt dirty even thinking the way she did about Noah, but she couldn’t help it.
In the pool she had fully understood just how badly she wanted him to talk to her, to be close to her, to touch her… to make love to her. She pulled a pillow over her head and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to drown out her own thoughts, but even as she fell asleep, she repeated the words to herself- strange and beautiful.
*****
During breakfast the next morning, Denise seemed to be making more of an effort with Tara, and Tara suspected it was because Noah had told her off for the rude comment.
“So, what’s your plan after the summer, Tara?” she asked as she lightly buttered a slice of toast.
Tara nearly choked on her cereal with surprise and then said, “Um- I’m not sure. I could go back to New York and apply to some magazines, or I could- I don’t know, that’s the thing with writing, you can do it anywhere.”
Denise smiled, looking as though it pained her to do so, and said, “Oh that’s great. I would- um- I would love to read some of your work.”
Tara shrugged and said, “Sure, some day,” but internally, she told herself she would rather die than have Denise look at anything she had written. Noah seemed to know what she was thinking as he passed her an amused look. Denise seemed to have caught it, because after that, she returned to her usual surly self.
Eileen turned to Noah and said, “Paul’s coming back today- I would really like us all to have dinner together, so I hope you two haven’t got any plans?”
Denise scoffed and said, “Please- we haven’t left this place once since we got here, I don’t see why Noah would take me out tonight either?” Noah ignored Denise and addressed Eileen as he said, “Yeah, dinner would be nice.” Denise glared at Noah before pushing her chair back and saying, “I’m gonna go for a swim. Will you join me?” Noah frowned and said, “You shouldn’t swim after eating- and besides, I want to swim at night.” Tara froze with her coffee cup hallway up to her lips and stared into it, deliberately avoiding Noah’s gaze. Denise pursed her lips and walked away, making sure to throw open the French windows with as much strength as she could, making a dramatic exit.
The whole day was spent in preparation for Paul’s arrival. Dorothy was losing her temper with the house help over and over again for the smallest things, the cooks in the kitchen prepared what looked like a feast, while the gardeners sent the best flowers in the house and Eileen frantically arranged them in innumerable vases displayed all over the huge house.
She caught sight of Tara, still in her night suit and she wrung her hands and nearly yelled, “Tara why aren’t you dressed?” Tara told her mother to calm down, knowing it would do no good, and offered to help. “You can help me by getting dressed. And please, wear something
from the formal clothes we bought the other day.”
Tara resigned herself to her room, and sat in front of the closet, where she had hung up her new clothes. As she was trying to put together an outfit, she heard the familiar sound of fighting coming from Noah and Denise’s room, and it gave her a small twinge of pleasure.
Eileen left for the airport and Dorothy barricaded herself in the kitchen, putting finishing touches to the food, leaving Noah, Denise, and Tara alone in the big house. Tara got dressed for dinner, choosing a floor-length salmon colored dress made of light chiffon, and she added a pair of delicate gold earrings and dewy makeup. She pinned her short blonde hair back and once she was satisfied with the result, she made her way downstairs.
Noah sat in the living room, slumped against the couch, looking breathtakingly handsome in a crisp tuxedo. He glanced up as Tara floated down the stairs and straightened up, staring at her openmouthed before he realized that Denise was right there. He quickly glanced away, but not before Tara saw his expression and she beamed as she made her into the living room and sat down across from Noah. Denise was on the phone, but even she turned and stared at Tara for a second, and then lowered the phone to say, “You look nice.”
Paul was sweet, with kind eyes just like Noah’s and a head full of silver hair, but there was also a commanding, stern air about him and Tara could understand why the whole household had gone crazy trying to prepare everything for his arrival. He was particular, that was for sure, but he was a nice guy and Tara liked him. She was still not sure how Paul and her mom got together though, because they seemed to be complete opposites of each other.