Keith hadn’t expected an invitation to stay the night. But Mari would hear of nothing else. So, here he sat, lounging in a robe and trunks borrowed from his father-in-law-to-be and nursing a beer, toking on a joint, watching his woman climb up out of the water and stand, shaking her hair, toweling off.
As she started to rub the swell of her hips, his gaze went from admiring to a look of embarrassment. He was not quite comfortable staring at her body in front of her parents. Averting his eyes didn’t help because they fell on Mari, who looked every bit as stunning in a string bikini as her daughter did. Keith decided to talk to Hank: “So, how you like them Mets?”
“Yankee fan myself.”
“Okay, nobody’s perfect. When they gon’ get a decent shortstop?”
“Well, there won’t be any second coming of Derek Jeter. But, they got a kid coming up at Triple-A. White boy, switch hits, good with the glove, runs well. We’ll see.”
Lesli came over and flounced right down on his lap, taking the joint. “Hey, handsome.”
“Hey, yourself.”
Mari was laughing on the telephone. “You have to meet him. He’s such a gentleman. And quite easy on the eyes.”
“Mother, who are you bragging about my fiancé to?”
“Your aunt.”
“Louise?!”
“Do you have any other aunts?”
“Oh, Keith, you have to meet her.”
Keith looked to Hank who immediately put his head in his hands. He would find out later, in Hank’s den, with the other two running their mouths in the living room while something played on Lifetime, “Keith, get out of town while the gettin’s good. You think my wife is a piece of work. Her sister’s crazy as a rat. You got past Mari. Don’t press your luck all in one visit.”
“Got it. Tomorrow mornin’, catch the first thing smokin’.”
“If you value your sanity you will.” With which Hank finished his cup of coffee, his last spoonful of chocolate mousse, said, “’Night” and was gone.
“’Night.”
He heard from the living room, “Come on, woman, let’s go to bed.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice.”
After a minute, Lesli came in. Wearing a Cheshire cat smile, her favorite, raggedy jeans-cutoffs and the string bikini top. “Wanna see my old bedroom?” She somehow managed to say that and look reasonably innocent yet lecherous at the same time.
“Can’t wait.” The room had one poster left from before she went away to college at California State. A photo her dad had taken of Blair Underwood and Carl Franklin standing around, apparently shooting the breeze, after one of Hank’s lectures. The rest basically was blank. Nicely appointed, but blank. Your typical guest room.
“So,” she said brightly, bouncing on the bed. “Whaddya think?”
“It’s a nice room.”
“No, stupid. How do you think today went?”
“Well,” he went over and laid down on the bed, kicking his sneakers off, “meeting your mother sure explains a lot about you.”
Her mouth fell open. “And what the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Ain’t neither one of you got the first lick of sense. But, y’ damn sure got personality. No two ways about that.”
She grinned. “Yeah, I guess.”
Next week: Lesli drops some bombs.
Dwight Hobbes welcomes reader responses to P.O. Box 50357, Mpls., 55403.
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