My heart beat with a surprising quickness when I knocked on the front door. I waited, but not all too calmly. I rearranged my hair twice, fiddled with my purse, and almost ran away altogether when Harvey opened the door. There was a big smile on my face, but instead of Harvey, it was his mother. I don’t know why, but I hadn’t even considered that it wouldn’t only be Harvey and I that evening. Suddenly my shaved legs and sexy perfume seemed way out of bounds.
“Hi, Mrs. Garrett,” I said, trying not to sound surprised as I adjusted my expectations for the evening. I wasn’t sure what would happen, but my wild imagination had envisioned something slightly PG-13. Rated G it would have to be.
“Audrey, it’s been so long. How nice to see you,” she said, reaching out to give me a hug. I now remembered how nice Harvey’s mom had always been and my disappointment dissipated.
Harvey was in the kitchen grilling some steaks on a Foreman Grill, and I went in for an awkward hug since his hands were full of cooking utensils. Seeing him again was like Christmas morning. I put down my purse and offered to help, trying not to be socially inept.
“No, no, you come over here and talk with me as I set the table. Harvey can handle this,” Mrs. Garrett said as she looped her arm in mine. I looked over at Harvey with wide eyes and he shrugged as if to say, “That’s my momma”.
“So, Harvey is tight-lipped, but there’s much to be said about the two of you coming to town together without Greg and Natalie,” Mrs. Garrett said getting right to the point. I was struck dumb and couldn’t say a word. I didn’t know if I should say anything at all for Harvey’s sake.
“Mom,” he shouted from the kitchen. “I told you not to bother Audrey with questions. Audrey, you don’t need to answer her.”
“Mrs. Garrett, really, Harvey should be the one to tell you what is going on when he’s comfortable.”
“Don’t youMrs. Garrettme, little Audrey running around with those pink ribbons in your hair. Yes, I remember how you chased Harvey here around the yard on his birthday with that lizard. My, how he screamed!”
“Mom!” he yelled. He poked his head in the dining room, “I was six,” he said in a lower tone, “and had not yet grown into the big boy I am now. Please stop embarrassing me. Also, Audrey you can tell her whatever you like, I don’t mind. But don’t let her bully you if you don’t want to talk about it.” I tried not to burst out laughing around the time Harvey said he was now a big boy, but tried to contain myself to a slight giggle.
“Mrs. Garrett—” I began.
“Julie,” she corrected me.
“Julie. I suppose I might tell you if you can keep it a secret for now,” I said, thinking of my parents finding out the whole truth of Greg’s affair. I would tell them in due time.
“Hah!” Harvey yelled from the kitchen again.
“Oh shut up, you!” Mrs. Garrett yelled back. “I can keep a secret, unlike what my misinformed son thinks. If he only knew all the things I’m taking with me to my grave. But tell me everything from the beginning. My son shares nothing with me, on top of the fact that he left me,” she said this last part loud enough for him to hear her. I imagined Harvey rolling his eyes.
“It’s not a pretty story, and I’d hate to throw a negative light on Natalie,” I said.
“I already guessed it wouldn’t be pretty, and if there’s anything negative about Natalie, it’s all her doing whether you tell me about it or not. Am I right?”
“Yes, what’s done is done, I suppose,” I said with a sigh, and gave her roughly the same story I had my Tia Lucy. Again, I did not mention Harvey and our closeness while dancing.
“Well, I’ll be,” she said. “I did not see that coming, let me tell you. Miss Natalie sure will get an earful from me if she graces my doorway ever again.”
“Don’t think that will happen,” Harvey said as he brought out a large dish with steaks and vegetables. He went into the kitchen and came back with a tray of baked potatoes.
We sat down to a downright delectable dinner and a lovely table dressed by Mrs. Garrett as she patiently listened to my entire story earlier in the evening. Boy, could Harvey cook. If he were my husband, I’d trade cooking duty for any other chore in an instant. The thought stopped me as I put another delicious bite in my mouth. I’d have to be careful not to think such things again. I shouldn’t get attached to Harvey more than I already was. Sure, I’d considered getting down and dirty with him, but that’s because he got me hotter than any other man ever had, and why should I deny myself now? But that was it.Sex is just sex, right? People do that, don’t they?
After the meal, Mrs. Garrett apologized for dashing out early but she had to get to her ladies’ night and would Harvey mind washing the dishes. Suddenly, I was glad I’d shaved my legs again.
“Ladies’ night?” I asked Harvey, eyebrow raised. Somehow I couldn’t picture Harvey’s 60-year-old mother going out for drinks at a bar.
“It’s this group of women that get together Thursday nights to talk about books and drink wine. Some of them knit, but my mom says she’s not old enough for that,” he said with a grin. It was obvious he loved his mom, and that was endearing.
“Here, I’ll help you,” I said, and we carried the dirty dishes into the kitchen.
“I’m not gonna complain,” he said, and we started an assembly line where I pre-rinsed them, and he soaped them up, and I fully rinsed them again before putting them on the drying rack. We were standing side by side, and our arms were touching. I’d never had such an exciting dish washing experience.
Every one of my senses were on edge, and I was all but throwing myself onto his soapy arms. He’d rolled up the sleeves of his checkered long sleeve shirt, and his forearms were handling the sponge with such determination that I could see the muscles flexing. God, they were manly arms. I was sure he could hold me up against the wall with one arm wrapped around my waist. Was I being silly, getting myself all worked up? He was probably just standing there, trying to make sure his dishes were being cleaned properly. I looked over at him, and he looked at me too. I might have seen something in his eyes, but I was too embarrassed to hold his gaze so I looked down at my dress.
“Oh, no! Look what I’ve done,” I said backing away from the sink. I held my arms away from me. My dress was wet down the front. This happened from my not paying attention and going into nonsensical fantasies.
“Here,” Harvey said, giving me a kitchen towel. I tried to soak it up, but it was useless.
“I think you’re mostly done here. I should go,” I said, trying to leave as fast as possible before I made a fool of myself and kissed him or something. How I wanted my lips to touch his. I took a deep breath and went for my purse.
