Fair Play

by Mia Ford

  By the time Friday afternoon rolled around, she was nearly a complete mess. She was anxious about seeing Calvin after having spent this time without him, and knowing all the things she had done in that time.

  She really was on the verge of a complete mental breakdown.

  So, she was very caught off guard when Frank showed up at his home a little earlier than usual. He greeted his daughters, and then gave her a small smile.

  “Go on up and start getting ready,” he said softly. “I’ve got the girls.”

  Veronica nodded, unable to verbally respond, and headed up the stairs. She made it into her room, but stopped short as she saw a box on the bed. She looked closer and saw a note card lying on top of the box.

  She hesitantly moved closer, and picked up the card.

  ‘Wear this on your date. I know it will look incredible on you. -Frank’

  Veronica felt her heart clench as she read the note. As if it wasn’t enough to be playing with Calvin’s emotions, she was also acutely aware that Frank had feelings for her, and wanted her to stay with him.

  She was tempted to simply ignore the box and refuse to wear the dress. But she knew that he would insist, and she didn’t want to risk hurting his feeling over something that only cost a tiny fraction of his fortune. She would wear the dress, and she would thank him profusely for it.

  Slowly, Veronica opened the box, and she gasped at what she saw. It was a deep purple dress that she already knew would accentuate all of her curves in just the right way. It was complete with a neckline that would serve to show off her generous cleavage, but not so much as to be tacky.

  Veronica couldn’t wait to put it on. She found a pair of black lace bra and panties that would easily compliment the dress, and then she slipped on the garment itself. She gasped as she saw herself in the mirror. She was shocked to find it fit her perfectly, and with a pair of black heels it would give her a classy, elegant look.

  Veronica hastily took off the dress, all but too eager to put it back on when her hair and makeup were done. She went into the bathroom and picked up her speed on that whole process. She found the perfect pair of black heels to go with the dress, and then put on the dress and shoes. She selected a black clutch to complete the look, as well as a matching set of pearl necklace and earrings.

  She was observing herself in the mirror when she saw her door open from its reflection, and she stiffened a little as Frank walked into the room.

  “Hey,” he said softly, and she watched his jaw drop slightly as he took in her wardrobe. She felt heat rush into her cheeks, and she couldn’t help but smile up at him.

  “Thank you for the dress,” she said softly, feeling a flutter of arousal as his eyes swept hungrily over her.

  “Thank you for wearing it,” he said, his voice husky. “You look stunning.”

  Veronica dipped her head out of modesty.

  “I wish it was me taking you out tonight,” Frank said softly as he moved closer to her. He placed his hands on her waist, and she could tell he was being careful so as not to wrinkle the material of her dress.

  “I wish it was too,” Veronica said softly, and she meant it.

  Frank gave her a sad smile and sighed.

  “Well if you go on a date with me at any point,” he said speculatively. “I’ll just have to buy you an even nicer dress.”

  Veronica smiled up at him, knowing that he was quite capable of doing so. They were both quiet for a moment, feeling a bit awkward for the first time she could remember since they had met.

  “Are you ready?” Frank asked her.

  “I think so,” Veronica said, though she was having a hard time keeping her voice from shaking.

  “It’s a little chilly out, you might need a coat,” Frank said.

  “Oh, thank you,” Veronica nodded, and moved into her closet to find an overcoat. She had forgotten that the chill of autumn was creeping up on them and that the warmth of summer was disappearing. She couldn’t help but think that somewhat metaphoric for her life at the moment.

  Veroncis stepped out of her closet with the coat and began the process of putting it on.

  “Here, let me,” Frank stepped forward, and held the coat so that she could more easily put her arms through it.

  “Thank you,” she said when she was securely wrapped in the garment.

  “Of course,” Frank nearly whispered. Veronica could feel tension building between them, and she could see Frank’s jaw working.

  “You know,” he finally spoke after what seemed like ages. “All I want to do right now is take you and kiss you, so that when you kiss Calvin tonight, it won’t be your lips he’s tasting, but mine.”

  Veronica wanted to tell him that her lips already were his, and that if he had not already physically claimed her at this point, then one more kiss wouldn’t magically do the trick. Besides, she knew what he was saying, and she didn’t want the moment between them to be ruined by useless logic.

  “Anyway,” frank cleared his throat. “I came up to let you know that Thomas is outside with the car for you.”

  Veronica was a little relieved that Thomas would be driving her. She had gotten to know him better and better during her time her, as he was a member of the staff. He was kind, and she knew he would not judge her for where she was going, and he wouldn’t badger her with questions about her situation.

  “May I help you to the car?” Frank offered, extending his hand to her.

  Veronica gave him a nod, and took his offered hand. A little more slowly than they might have normally walked, he led her down the grand staircase and out the front door. Veronica saw Thomas waiting by the rear door to help her in, but with a nod from Frank, he moved to get into the Driver’s seat.

  Veronica felt her nerves mounting up inside of her as she approached the car, and when Frank opened the door for her, she hesitated to get in.

  “Everything alright?” Frank raised an eyebrow at her, and Veronica could hardly find her voice to speak with him.

  “I…” she trailed off for a moment, feeling vulnerable. “I’m scared.”

  “Don’t be scared,” Frank assured her softly. “Just try to go out and have a good time. Don’t think about right or wrong or making decisions. Just go out, and stay calm.”

  Veronica nodded, and she took a deep breath. She had known Calvin for years. There was no reason to be getting so worked up over a simple date with him. Somehow, though, in such a short time, she felt like everything had changed.

  Veronica lowered herself into the car, allowing Frank to help her as she did so. He bent over so he could smile in at her.

  “You said you’d be back by midnight?” Frank asked.

  “That’s right,” Veronica smiled up at him, taking comfort in the fact that no matter what happened on her date, she was still coming back to her life here afterward.

  “Good,” frank said, and she heard a trace of humor in his voice. “That’s about when the spell wears off, or so they say.”

  Veronica laughed aloud. She debated telling him that Calvin had also made a Cinderella joke, buts he decided the information was not quite welcome.

  “I’ll miss you,” veronica said softly. She had not spent an afternoon away from him since she had known him, and this was more than a little strange to her.

  “I’ll see you soon,” Franks aid comfortingly. “You should get going, you don’t want to be late.”

  “Alright,” Veronica agreed, sounding very calm considering her heart had just leapt into her throat.

  “Have a good date,” Frank said, a little acidity in his tone.

  “Thank you,” Veronica said.

  With that Frank closed the door and patted the hood of the car, and Thomas pulled out of the driveway, taking Veronica to her date with Calvin.

  MERMAID SIGHTED

  MERMAID SIGHTED

  It was supposed to be an innocuous evening but, just like life on the waves, presuming that calm and peaceful seas lay ahead was a mistake you might only be able to
make the once.

  Kurt was often looking to live by such seafaring philosophies. He was in love with the ocean and tried to interpret all of his life’s lessons in the way that he envisioned an experienced old sailor from voyages of yore might. Something that was true whether or not he happened to be at sea or, indeed, 50 kilometers inland as he then was.

  The occasion was pretty casual in appearance, at the same time as being pretty essential for the future of their livelihoods in that it was a dinner invite from his father’s business partner. Clive Furse’s family home was in Portland and represented one of two households that benefitted from the profit margins of Aqua Yachts: a luxury yacht hire business co-owned by Furse and Kurt’s father Earl Wyden.

  Some twenty years ago the two of them had collaborated, investing their fortunes into setting up the business which was still going strong. Since then they had both raised families that would one day inherit and, because of the love he developed for the sea, getting involved in the family business was not a difficult decision for Kurt to make. Sure, the profits and the lifestyle would have made that choice fairly easier anyway, compared to hunting around on the jobs market, but Kurt honestly felt that it was in his blood to live on the coast.

  His father had been the more hands-on of the two as far as maintaining the fleet was concerned, meaning that Kurt had grown up being able to learn about how to prepare a vessel for seafaring. Furse, on the other hand, had focused on the financial side of the business, as well as the marketing, which he was able to keep afloat farther inland at his Portland offices.

  Socialising between the two families had been fairly normal when growing up and they were all on a first name basis. This meet up was the first time Kurt had seen any of the Furses for nine months, however, because he had been on an extended break with friends traveling around Europe. That was part of a pledge to see the world someday, which Kurt had enjoyed although what he learned most of all from the experience was that the best thing about travel was coming home. He was pleased to be back with his father’s yachts and, as far as he was concerned, there was enough to see upon Oregon’s coastline and its Pacific waters to last him the rest of his lifetime.

  In truth, he would have rather been there than in the backseat of his dad’s 4 x 4 Honda heading to Portland, but the meetup was also important for another reason.

  Last week had seen Clive’s daughter, Darlene, return from college. She had been over in Boston for her higher education but was now home for good. The two families had realized that it had been the first time any of the Wydens had seen Darlene for three years and what better reason for a big family meetup to mark the occasion?

  It was this addition that would live up to Kurt’s philosophy about peaceful seas, in that an evening at the Furse household seemed the most unlikely candidate for a life-changing event. Other than staying at home in front of the television, he would not have imagined a better way of avoiding anything out of the ordinary.

  The Furses were fairly orthodox people. Kurt couldn’t imagine them doing any bad deeds in the world whatsoever and, if any man served as an example that money does not always corrupt, it was surely Clive Furse. The business he co-owned had earned them big bucks, but Clive continued to live simply. Other than the benefit of having a fleet of luxury yachts for his holidays, he believed in good traditional living, shopping locally and attending church on a Sunday. Simple pleasures like walking and bird spotting were his personal hobbies; certainly no one would ever catch him squandering away hard earned money buying rounds of drinks in some fancy bar or behind the wheel of a flash motor. Money and success provided Clive’s family with a blanket of financial security and he had no hang ups about the type of person he was.

  Kurt respected the Furses for sure; in fact, the two families would probably always be friends even as the new generations grew up differently. If he was honest, however, he would have to admit that he expected the meet up to be a bit tedious. So, he was a full nautical voyage away from being able to predict that the evening would indeed result in a detour into stormy waters.

  None of that was obvious as they arrived. Clive and his wife Beatrice greeted Kurt’s parents, Earl and Brenda, and the three of them were welcomed inside where they sat down at the dining table. A glass of wine each was poured as they awaited the roast and the Furse’s two young boys, Michael and Dennis (13 and 9 years old) joined them at the table also.

  After a few remarks on how big the boys were getting (unfortunately in width as well as height, Kurt couldn’t help noticing), the two co-owners kicked off a typically safe and dry conversation about business. Clive was always obsessed with discussing how everything had changed now that the Internet was everybody’s port of call. That was hardly new at all, though Clive still talked as if the online world was wild and adventurous. Fortunately, he had an able team of skilled office staff who were able to ensure that business kept up with the ways of the world, otherwise he would have had trouble treading water.

  As all this went on, Kurt sat like a good guest, having painted a polite smile on his face that he intended to keep intact for the rest of the evening, regardless of how bad the jokes were. But fifteen minutes in and something arrived that would see him sit up and start to pay proper attention: and that something was Darlene.

  With not having seen the girl for three years, when she had been eighteen, Kurt was aware that she was going to have changed a little. All the same, he would not have believed anyone had they told him that an image of pure lust was about to walk into their leaden evening meal.

  She entered without introduction, Clive not even seeing her approach as he rabbited on about algorithms. Kurt saw her before anyone else and genuinely could not believe the transformation. His memories were of a stick-thin girl with a nice smile but relatively little else going for her in terms of appearance. Either a student’s life had done well for her or else she was just a late developer, however, because the young lady he beheld was quite the opposite.

  Darlene had the kind of curves that a twenty-five year old male notices whether he wants to or not (unless he’s another way inclined). It was not even that she was dressed to put on a show, wearing only a casual V-neck sweater and jeans, but both of which fit her so perfectly that the fabric hugged her curves from her shoulders to her ankles. If her waist was out of shape in any way, like the two young boys, then Kurt’s eyes would have seen. Instead he saw nothing but loveliness, alluring and desirable.

  Seeing her approach, Kurt had to be grateful that people had always judged him as laid back. If he was not good at keeping his reactions inside, then he might have completely lost his cool and made a fool of himself. Countless horny students must have succumbed to such instincts over the last few years and so he was thankful to be able to collect his wits and look casual.

  ‘Ah! Here’s the confident graduate,’ said Clive, after turning to see that his daughter had joined them. ‘Say “hello” to some old friends.’

  ‘Hello Mr and Mrs Wyden; hello Kurt,’ Darlene said, greeting them all with a smile that was too shy for her looks.

  ‘Darlene, congratulations!’ his father offered and the conversation then took a detour into polite questions about how her studies had gone.

  Relieved to not have to say anything for a time, Kurt sat back and had the convenience of observing Darlene further as she was the center of attention. After a little while he realized he was not really listening to what she was saying, however, having been waylaid by the shores of his imagination.

  Eventually he caught up and discovered that, though she might look the part, Darlene was still very much her father’s daughter. Hellraising student days had not really found her and she had rejected the accommodation of the residence halls almost on arrival. No doubt whatever sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll she witnessed there temporarily was repellent, as her parents intervened and found her a house with three mature students instead. They were all strict Catholics, Kurt would learn and, though it was none of his business, he cou
ld not help but speculate on whether sexual liberation had completely passed Darlene by.

  The thought served to confound and excite him at the same time.

  His ears would then perk up again on detecting what might have been a possible contradiction, in that Darlene had in fact accepted an offer of engagement during her time away.

  This revelation was revealed mischievously by young Michael, who was then reprimanded by his father and had to sit with a sulky face for the next ten minutes.

  ‘She nearly married a country boy,’ he had announced, with a snigger.

  ‘Mikey, you behave from now on or none of the fine roast your mother is serving will ever make it into your stomach,’ Clive ordered.

  ‘I’d have noticed if there was a ring on your finger, Darlene,’ said Kurt’s mother, trying to spare the girl’s blushes.

  ‘That’s OK, Mrs Wyden,’ Darlene replied, for some reason deciding to explain herself. ‘I was in a relationship for a little while; with the son of a priest, but it was a big mistake.’

  A priest? Kurt thought, trying to picture how much sex a girl who lived in a house full of Catholics and the son of a priest might manage and finding it hard to conclude it could have been anything more than your average choir boy.

  ‘Oh! I hope it wasn’t difficult for you,’ Brenda commented.

  ‘In a way it was,’ Darlene admitted. ‘His mother was a little overbearing and, erm… manipulative. Luckily I saw it wouldn’t work and called it off.’

  ‘A lucky escape,’ Kurt offered, with a smile, realizing that he had not said a word to her as yet.

  ‘Well… yes! You could say that,’ Darlene replied, blushing a little and then casting her eyes down at the table.

  As subtle as her reaction was, it enthralled him. He trusted that the older generation sitting nearby were too ancient to pick up on it; the boys too young (though Michael was smirking a little), but he picked up on it alright. Darlene was shy of him.