All the lines to cross

by Ashish Rastogi

  Jon clears his throat and raises his eyebrow, "You still with me, Tigress?"

  I nod and take his hand. Let us not get carried away. This is a start to many firsts with Jon. I am excited about what happens next. Like this party. Jon tried to calm me down throughout the week. I get goosebumps when we walk into his uncle Ron's home.

  I have never been to a family meal and here I am, meeting twenty people in his family. At a total loss as to what to wear, what to do or what to say. Am I supposed to smile through the evening? Should I shake hands? How should I start a conversation? Betsy and Tom did not help. The twisted teasers took advantage of my innocent questions. I stopped all discussion two days ago.

  I am an introvert. Unfamiliar situations make me anxious. The social engagements at the conference have filled my quota for the month.

  Lucky for me, the moment we enter, Nate jumps from his chair and rushes towards us. I gather him in my arms and peck him on his cheeks. Nora and Emily follow him to my side. They walk me in, introducing everyone. I cannot keep up with all the names.

  Nate is in my arms all along. When I get tired, I talk him into getting down. He runs into another room, tugging me along. The room has a group of kids of all ages, including Emily's daughter in a crib.

  Once Nate settles down, I return to where Jon is talking with his cousin. Kevin and Jon are chatting about a fishing trip. I ignore them and move to find Nora. When I pass them, I realize the fish they are talking about, is me.

  "Anyway, I still insist Sharon is a good catch." Kevin sips his wine.

  I clear my throat to grab their attention. Jon gives a sly smile. I extend my hand towards Kevin, "Hi, you must be Kevin, if I remember right. Sorry if I got your name wrong, it is difficult to recollect so many new names."

  "You are spot on. May I call you Dr. Sharon?" Kevin holds his glass up in acknowledgment.

  "Sharon is better. I am a doctor only at the hospital. If you don't mind, what were you two talking about?" I turn to face Jon, hoping to make him squirm in front of his cousin.

  Before Jon can open his mouth, Kevin spills the beans. "We were talking about you. I was telling Jon that you are more beautiful than how he describes you."

  "Excuse me, Kevin, are you trying to get me into trouble?" Jon puts an arm around Kevin's neck squeezing it tight, catching Kevin in a neck hold. The way the two fight each other shows me how close they are. I like the ribbing between the brothers. I wish I had something similar with my cousins. However, I was always an outsider—the unwanted intruder into their happy family. So, I learned to keep my distance. Let's see how long Jon and Kevin will entertain me.

  "Go on, Kevin. I would like to hear what people talk about me behind my back. Don't worry, I will protect you against this fat panda." Kevin snorts and spurts out the wine he is drinking. Perfect, I am now an expert at this. A little more practice and I can qualify for the national team. If not that then at least enlist my name into some record books. Jon stands drenched in wine, fussing and fuming. He gets more irritated when Kevin and I laugh at his plight.

  Nora interrupts us and takes me to the room where all the women in the family are fussing over food. She introduces me once again to everyone. We spend time chit-chatting. My mind keeps drifting to possibilities with Jon and his family.

  "Did you bring the cupcakes?" Nora's voice snaps me out of my daydream. She reminds me I had brought something for the party.

  "I wanted to surprise you, I baked a cake." Then the realization hits me. "Oh my god, we left it in Jon's truck."

  I rush out of the room to search for Jon. He is not with the men busy with their drinks. I move to the room where I left Nate. He is not with the kids. No one has seen them in a while. After looking in various rooms, I find them in the kitchen. Their backs turned towards the door, both crouching over something on the table. Nate is standing on a chair next to Jon.

  I tiptoe towards them till I am right behind. Then raising the pitch of my voice, I spring on them.

  "What are you two up to?"

  Both jump, startled. Nate stumbles on the chair, but Jon holds him steady. Their mouths are full, lips covered in white cream with smudges of chocolate. Nate's pudgy fingers are also smeared. Both of them move closer and hide the table. When I push them apart and peek at the table, I scream.

  "What have you done to my cake?"

  "Be bur hunghry." Nate blurts out, trying to chew as fast as he can and watches me with puppy eyes.

  "You murderers. Whose idea was this?"

  Jon and Nate point fingers at each other and then together stare at their feet. "Stop giving me those innocent faces. You will not be pardoned for this." I use my sternest voice and glower at them, but it won't last long if these two continue with those facial expressions.

  "Nate, clean yourself," I order him out. He glances at Jon and then runs away. "You Mr. Hayes, are in deep trouble." I turn my attention to Jon and gape. The audacity of this man. He is busy eating a fresh piece of cake. I can't hold it any longer. I lunge towards him to clasp his neck in my hands and give him a hard shake.

  "Let me go, Tigress!" He rubs his face against mine, smearing me with all the cream and cake. I relax my grip on his neck. He offers me the cake. When I open my mouth to take a bite, he crashes his lips to mine. The chocolate flavor on his tongue is delicious.

  "What the hell is going on here?" Nora's voice echoes through the room loud enough to carry throughout the house. We break our lip lock. Oh heavens, this day is going down in the history of my life. I slide behind Jon, trying to hide using his huge body to cover me. We are like two teenagers caught making out. Soon, the room fills up with people. Jon pulls me back in the front.

  "What do we have here?" Uncle Ron joins everyone, smiling at the sight of us.

  Jon points to my face. I move a finger on my cheek and find it covered in cake. So are my lips. "It is not what you think," I sound like a school kid trying to apologize for a mistake.

  "OUCH! keep your claws off me." Jon yelps when I pinch him hard to make him say something. He is the one who should help us wriggle out of this awkward situation. Instead, he makes it a bigger spectacle. He turns towards me and rolls his eyes while rubbing his arm, "Tigress, never do that again."

  "Oh, so the gossip is true. We have a Tigress in our midst." Kevin chips in the fun.

  "What lies has this panda been feeding you?" I pinch Jon's arm again.

  He flinches and glares at me, "See? I told you she is a tigress."

  "It serves you right, for all the bad-mouthing you do about me." I glare back, cross my arms.

  "You two make an interesting couple. Are you always like this?" Uncle Ron pats Jon on his back.

  At that precise moment, Nate butts in between Nora and Ron, shaking his head. "Oh trust me, grandpa. Sometimes, I am the only grown-up person in the room."

  "What?" Both Jon and I scowl at Nate. He hides his face behind Uncle Ron's legs when everyone laughs at his words.

  "You, young man, have lost your next week's supply of cupcakes and so have you, Mr. Jonathan Hayes." I swing my fingers between the two men who have made me the talk of this family. There is another round of laughter and everyone moves out. I hope the show is over, but I am mistaken.

  Uncle Ron breaks our chatter by ringing the wine glass. He calls for everyone to gather in the dining area. Everyone gathers inside the room. This is a lively bunch. He rings the wine glass again to get everyone to pay attention. He proposes a toast.

  "This is a significant day for us. We are meeting for the first time after Jon's surgery. We are proud of our boy here."

  Everyone claps and cheers. Jon stands next to me, raising his glass.

  "This dinner is made more memorable because we have an important person joining us today. I am sure you share my delight in welcoming Dr. Sharon. We would like to thank her for doing a great job on Jon's leg and from what we witnessed a few moments ago, a much better job on his heart. I would like to propose this toast to welcome her today. I am also happy bec
ause, at my age, it doesn't hurt to have an orthopedic in the family." Laughter fills the room with a lot of nods all around.

  One can toast bread on my cheeks—they are hot and red as all eyes fall on me. Jon squeezes my shoulder, tugging me closer to him and plants a kiss on my head. I look at him, trying not to let my nervousness show.

  "I told you they were a crazy bunch," Jon winks at me.

  Chapter 38: The AS Jon

  Jon

  I stare at tealights twinkling in the backyard of Uncle Ron's house. The sky is starlit. All the men are having a drink and talking nonsense. My family has stayed clear of football talk today, and I am thankful for their consideration. The cold beer is in my hand and the atmosphere is refreshing. I rock my chair relaxing and enjoying the company. Hm, life's pieces are falling in place.

  Nate and Kevin's twins’ barge through the door and walk past me, giving me a side glance. Kevin's daughter stops with her doll in her hand, "You are right, Nate. I like the AS Uncle Jon more than the BS one."

  I stumble forward on my chair and stop them before they rush off. "Stop. Come here, young man." I hold Nate's ear, "Why are you teaching cuss words to your little sister? Where did you learn these? Do I have to remind you, no cuss words allowed in this family?"

  Nate winces, "This behavior is unacceptable for AS Jon. You are losing points, dad."

  I twist his ear more.

  "Ahhh! Uncle Kevin, please help!" Nate calls out.

  "Why are you torturing the kid, Jon? Leave Nate alone." Kevin swats my hand from Nate's ear.

  I release Nate's ear and he runs to hide behind Kevin. Nate points a finger at me, "This brute is bullying me."

  "I am not."

  "Yes, you are." Nate sticks his tongue out.

  "No, I am not. I am your father and I have every right to discipline you." Nate and I end up in a glaring at each other.

  "Uncle Kevin, he is asking me about BS and AS Jon." Nate pouts in front of Kevin. His cute charm gets to Kevin.

  Kevin doubles up laughing. Now I glare at Kevin. He pats my shoulder, "Relax, grumpy old Jon. BS is Before Sharon, and AS is After Sharon. Emily and we coined the terms because Sharon has brought such a difference to your personality. AS Jon is a lot cooler and fun to be around. We like him. BS Jon, not so much." He scrunches his nose and mouth to show disgust, shrugs his head to the side and takes a sip of beer.

  I punch Kevin in the stomach and storm into the house going straight to where Sharon is sitting with the ladies of the house. Sharon is talking to my aunt. I stand in front of her with my hands on my hips, "Put your drink down and stand please." I extend my hand. She stands, confusion writ all over her face, one eyebrow raised in suspicion.

  "Show me your paws, Tigress," I catch both her wrists and trace circles with my thumb on her palms. She tries to free them, but I hold tight.

  "What are you up to, Jon?'

  I go for the imaginary pockets in her dress, and pat her around the waist. When Nate and Kevin were talking about Sharon, I had this strong urge to grab and kiss her, but I can't carry her away from this group of ladies without causing a commotion. So here I am, behaving myself.

  Sharon screams. "Why are you groping me? Get your hands off me, you fat oaf."

  I hold her firm around the waist. "Give me your magic wand and the secret ingredient you used to cast a spell on my family. You turned everyone against me. They are making fun of me. Even the kiddos are BS and ASing me." I pause and then add for Sharon's benefit, "before and after Sharon," drawling to lay the emphasis.

  All the ladies in the room hoot with laughter. Sharon stomps on my leg.

  "Ouch! " I holler, raising my voice on purpose while clutching my right foot. "Not my feet, Tigress. They help me eat and keep a roof over my head. Have mercy on the child I have to feed."

  "Boo hoo, poor you," Sharon rolls her eyes.

  Mom intervenes, "Will you two take this somewhere else?"

  I huff and walk out of the room, only to hide behind the door.

  "If Jon pulls something like this again on you, come to me. I swear I will ground him for life." Mom offers her mock sympathy to Sharon.

  "He needs solitary confinement. You think grounding will straighten the brat?" Sharon takes her seat. Mom settles down next to her, "You might be right, but in some ways, I like the AS Jon better. So, for now, let us leave it at grounding."

  Sharon catches me peeping from the side of the door. "Yeah, sure. He is adorable when he gets worked up. For now, let us stay at grounding him."

  The smile on her face is something I can give my life for. I wink and walk away, waving to her.

  Chapter 39: Payback

  Sharon

  The rest of the evening is uneventful. I keep my distance from Jon. It saves me from more embarrassing moments, but I have to exact my revenge for what he pulled in front of the ladies. After he left, all they talked about was us. Emily came to my rescue and diverted their attention.

  When it is time for desserts, a plan crops up in my mind. I walk to the kitchen making sure no one is around. After a quick search, I find what I am looking for. Time to give Jon my secret ingredient.

  I call Nate, hand him a piece of cake, and tell him my plan. Now the kid can keep his mouth shut long enough for Jon to bite the bait.

  Soon enough, Jon walks in. "Hey chef, you can't bake the cake and eat it too." He stands in front of me with his arms crossed across his chest. Biceps bulging. "Why is Nate allowed to eat the cake and not me? This is unexpected from you, Tigress. Nate and I committed the same crime, so the punishment should be the same. "

  "Well Mr. Hayes, you are the one who leads him on, so, you will have to bear the penalty." I scoop a small piece of the cake I am holding and eat it letting the chocolate drip from my lips. He licks his lips. To add to the tease, I first lick the fork. Then with my pinky finger, I gather the chocolate from my chin and suck it in making sure my moan reaches his ears.

  "Fuck, Tigress. You will kill me." Jon saunters to the counter where I am seated with my legs swinging.

  I move the plate out of his reach and threaten him with the fork. "Stay away"

  "This is not fair, Sharon. Everyone got a piece except me." Jon tries to snatch the plate from my hand.

  "You are such a wimpy kid."

  He pouts.

  "Hm. . . if you behave and go back to the living room, you might get lucky."

  Jon's face lights up and he goes out. He turns and warns me, "You better not be kidding me."

  After a few minutes, I go to Jon and hand him his plate with the cake. "Here, have my cake and you better thank me, mister, for my generosity. This is the last piece."

  "Yes ma'am, thank you very much." Jon takes a bite from the cake smiling winningly. I start counting, one, two-

  "TIGRESS!" He screams and then pats his mouth. Huffing and blowing air. "You put chili flakes in the cake!"

  "Gotcha!" I point, shoot and then blow the imaginary finger gun I make with my hand. "Serves you right, Mr. Smarty Pants."

  Nate comes over, laughing all the way and gives me a high five.

  "Conspirator," Jon lunges at Nate, who runs away out of his grasp. Everyone has a good laugh when Jon chases Nate. I slip away from the room and hide with the ladies, helping them tidy up. It is a temporary relief because Jon will get back at me. For now, I can gloat in my small victory.

  Time flies and I hate to leave, but I have a full day tomorrow. We say our goodbyes.

  The party was fun, theirs is such a close family. I should be thankful they welcomed me in as one of their own. The rational part of me keeps me guarded though. I want this, but it is too soon. Can I trust my relationship with Jon? Is it solid enough to last? My mind plays out all the worst-case scenarios.

  When Jon drops me back to my place, it is late. Not sure about how to interpret the day's events, I do not invite him inside. I want to slow down this tumble across dangerous territory.

  However, Jon has other plans. "Sharon, how is your schedule for next w
eek? Nate's birthday is on Friday. We want you to join us to celebrate."

  I smile at the skies, my plan to slow down lasted for mere seconds. "I have a packed schedule, but I can come and surprise him with presents in the morning for breakfast. Then in the evening, I will join back for the party."

  "That sounds like a plan." Jon doesn't hide his glee. He kisses me and leaves.

  I stand at the gate to my apartment and stare once again at the star-filled sky. The silence makes me conscious of my breaths. Where is this going? This is new and my anxieties are flaring up again.

  I don't need the stars. Fame, luxury or diamonds hold no value in my world. I live a simple life, content with what I have. I confine my personal needs in two words—trust and love. Simple, but difficult to attain and keep. Being with Jon and his family gives me hope. After so many years, there is a spring in my steps. It fills my heart with happiness.

  Chapter 40: Going Viral

  Jon

  'Please call. It is urgent' is the first message from Sharon I see on my phone when I open my locker on returning from the training session. There are four missed calls from her. This is unlike her. I dial her number as I sit in my SUV. She picks up at the first ring.

  "Jon, I am in trouble. We shouldn't have gone out. We should not have met again." She is tense and breathing heavy.

  "Hey, calm down, will you? What is the matter?" She doesn't listen to me, speaking in one continuous train of words, not allowing me to speak a single word in between. It is difficult to make any sense over the popping sounds. She is wringing the poor bubble wraps. Sharon never told me but I guessed it out. It is her stress buster. What has set off such a panic?

  "Sharon. Sharon, will you stop for a minute?" I raise my voice to get her to stop and listen. "What are the pop sounds in the background? Are you practicing something?" The image of my goofy girl sitting in her consulting room twisting the hapless wrap makes me smile. If she were physically present, I would have lost a tooth today. She is worried about something and I am grinning.