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Magnolia
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“PEACHES AND CREAM!” I blurt out, staring at none other than Peaches Brady’s driving license.
“What the actual fuck?” Is Blake’s reaction.
I can’t help but ask him, “Are you going to arrest Peaches?”
“No.” He sighs. “Hiroshi didn’t report the theft of the figurine to the police. He only asked me to look into it informally because he was sure that whoever took it was one of our group of friends. Also, the way we “came across” the missing item wouldn’t hold in front of a judge.”
His light blue eyes are intent on me as he says that and I can’t begin to tell you what seeing Blake all professional and fighting crime does to my body. “You’re so sexy when you get all police-y on me.” I admit. “Fighting crime and looking hot while you do it.”
“You look sexy all the fucking time, Trouble.”
His lips are on mine, hot and demanding and I have no choice but to kiss him back. I’ve never been able to resist Blake and this time is no exception.
“God, you’re so fucking hot, Magnolia. I need to be inside you. I need to make you come.”
“Babe, we can’t.” I pant between frenzied kisses. “We’ve been up here for a few minutes and Jennie is still waiting for her lipstick. It’s only a matter of time before someone comes looking for us.”
“We’ll be quick, I promise.” He tempts me, sliding his strong hands under my dress and feeling his way up my thighs. “Wait until Porter hears how I fucked you in his old bedroom.”
He pushes the lace of my panties to the side, running his fingers on my bare skin and groaning at the realization that I’m soaking wet.
“Fuck, you’re so perfect,” he says as I lower the zipper of his slacks and free his hard cock.
“Blake, this is so naughty.” Even I can hear the need in my own voice as I straddle him and sink onto his shaft. Inch after delicious inch until I’m sitting on his lap with my legs wrapped around his hips.
“Are you gonna be a good girl and come all over me, Trouble?”
“Always.” I moan as he grinds against me, seizing my lips in a deep, consuming kiss.
And that’s something all three of my men have in common. When I’m with them, nothing else matters. The rest of the world disappears under their loving gazes, their hot kisses and their hard, perfect bodies.
This time is no exception. I forget everything about where we are and why we even came up here. There’s no engagement party, no lipsticks and no stolen Buddhas. Just our bodies and—
“Magnolia, what in the world—well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit!”
Yes, that just happened. Blake and I freeze, his hands still on my hips, his hard shaft still deep inside me. A deer caught in front of headlights has nothing on the two of us, I swear.
We jump apart like two cats caught on a hot tin roof and I brace myself for a reaction that never comes.
Mom takes in the scene, her facial expression frozen as if she just got Botox. “Your friend was wondering if you’d found that lipstick, Magnolia.” Her green eyes, so similar to mine, bore into me and I wish she yelled, scolded me or confronted me in any way but she just looks at me and Blake with her hand still on the door knob. She’s holding it so tight that her knuckles are white.
“I’ll give you two a minute. I’ll see you later,” she says before giving me one last once over and turning on her heels back downstairs.
“I— she seems to have taken it well, all things considered?” Blake asks fixing his pants and offering me a hand, pulling me back up to my feet.
He doesn’t know the half of it. “No, she hasn’t. I’m in as much trouble as I could possibly be, considering that I’m an adult and she can’t ground me for the rest of my life. It’s always been this way, Blake. When I was a kid, I learned to be more worried about how upset Mom was if she didn’t say anything. An immediate scolding would mean no other consequences but when she’d hint at talking about my behavior “later”, I’d know I’d really screwed up.”
Aside from the obvious embarrassment at being caught red handed twice in less than twenty-four hours with two different men, I realize why I’m so upset.
“I’ll have to come clean about our relationship sooner than I planned. But there’s a very strong possibility that my parents won’t come to our wedding.”
And to my own surprise, that’s the thing that I find most upsetting. Regardless of my avoidance and of how much I complain about my parents being strict and demanding, I realize with stark clarity that having them at my wedding is way more important than I originally thought.
***
Magnolia
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I GO THROUGH THE REST of Jen and Gemma’s party in a haze. Blake decided to take the Buddha back to the Katsuras on Monday after my parents leave. He wants to confront Peaches at some point but he hasn’t decided on the best course of action yet.
Mom avoids me for the whole evening, sticking mostly near Debbie but I catch her looking at me several times.
When we get back home it’s still fairly early, so we open a bottle of wine, make some popcorn and settle down in front of a movie.
Max and Porter eye me worriedly picking up on my unease. I don’t know if Blake told them what happened but right now I have bigger fish to fry and I know Mom will refuse to address the elephant in the room in front of an audience.
So I give her the perfect opportunity. I walk into the kitchen with the excuse of a wine refill and surely enough, she follows me.
“Magnolia,” she says, offering me her own glass to fill with the chilled pink Prosecco I know she favors. “Can we talk? Alone?”
I sigh and nod. “Sure. We could go sit outside for a minute. It’s starting to get a little warmer in the evenings and here it isn’t as humid as Georgia.”
I lead Mom out to the backyard and when I sit on the plush porch swing that Porter bought for me when he heard how much I loved them, she lowers herself by my side.
Neither of us says anything and for a long moment the only sound in this beautiful spring night are the crickets and the cicadas, while a sliver of moon illuminates the dark sky.
Mom is the first to break the silence and I brace myself for the judgement, the reproach and for whatever consequences she might wield now that I no longer live with her and Dad and I’m financially independent from them. For the most part.
“You look happy, Magnolia.” It’s not a question, it’s a statement.
“Yes I’m happy, Mom.”
She sighs. “So, what’s going on between you and the three dashing young men you live with?”
Isn’t that the million dollar question? I mean, I know exactly what’s going on but despite being painfully aware that I have to explain myself to her right here and right now, I’m still not ready for this conversation.
“Mom, Blake and I—” I begin but she immediately interrupts me.
“It’s not just Blake, Magnolia. Do you think your father and I were born yesterday? Whatever’s going on, you have something with Max too.”
I open my mouth but she charges on. “Don’t bother denying it, darling.” She visibly shudders. “I might not have caught you in a compromising position with Max but the way he touched you when you were dancing earlier? The way he was looking at you? What kind of mess have you gotten yourself into?”
I don’t know what to say because the judgement is unmistakable in Mom’s intense expression. But no matter how she feels about my choices, I stand by them.
“I know it’s not the way you raised me but I’m not going to apologize for my feelings, Mom. I’m in love with all three of them.”
Predictably she comes down on me like a ton of bricks. “Magnolia, don’t be ridiculous. If you really were in love with those three wonderful men, you’d think about what you’re doing. If you’re really in love with them, you wouldn’t play games and put their friendship in jeopardy.”
I try to explain. “Mom, it’s not that simple. I love each of them with all my heart. I couldn’t possibly choose between them.”
She shakes her head. “You just got engaged to Porter, isn’t that a choice? What will he say when he inevitably catches you with the others? And what about the other two? I saw the way they look at you, you’re going to break their hearts.”
“They know about each other, Mom.”
She looks at me through narrowed eyes. “What kind of scam is that? Are you faking an engagement so I’ll stop telling you to settle down and give me grand babies?”
It finally comes out. The whole truth. Down to the fact that the wedding will be a commitment ceremony and that we’ll let fate decide which one will get to sign the actual marriage certificate.
I’ve never seen Harriet Kinsella speechless before tonight.
But Mom isn’t the only one who’s in for a surprise. The first shocker is that she doesn’t immediately condemn my choices. Her first question is totally unexpected. “And you guys are making this work? The guys don’t get jealous of one another?”
I’m hesitant to reply, waiting for the outrage that I know will be coming after the shock wears off. “Sometimes. But we talk and we work it out. I try to make sure that they know that I don’t have a favorite.”
“Right. And your best friend obviously knows, am I correct?”
I confirm that Jen has known since I first met the guys.
“How are you planning to tell your fiancés’ families? There might be some disappointment when they realize what’s happening. Especially Debbie. That woman really loves you, Magnolia. She told me just earlier that you’re the daughter she’s never had.”
I explain that Debbie and I haven’t always seen things eye to eye and how Porter’s mom was the one outing our relationship to Max’s and Blake’s families.
Again, Mom’s reaction isn’t what I was expecting. “Debbie knew? Sounds like everyone knew but me and your dad.”
I shift uncomfortably, seeking some liquid courage in a big sip of my wine. “Mom, I’m sorry. I promise we weren’t leaving you out of the loop out of spite. I was just worried about your reaction. I know I’ve failed to uphold the values you and Dad tried to raise me with. I know you’d feel mortified if the ladies in your book club or Dad’s golf buddies caught wind of my—”
Of course not everything is surprising tonight. Mom confirms that the friends and neighbors who’ve seen me grow up, who have been at every recital and graduation because their kids were in them too, would be absolutely horrified by my choices.
“You aren’t wrong, Magnolia. Those people are the reason why Dad and I were so strict with your upbringing. Those are a bunch of judgmental, sanctimonious folks with sticks all the way up where the sun don’t shine. I’m sorry but I think after all it’s good that you don’t want to come back home to get married. I’d have a fine and dandy time trying to explain your ‘ménage’ to Mrs. Hamilton. The vicar would probably have his fifth heart attack if he heard.”
I lower my gaze. I’m not ashamed of my feelings but I hate making Mom feel uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, Mom. I swear I hate that I’m disappointing you, but I love Max, Blake and Porter. They make me feel beautiful, loved and safe. I understand if you and Dad disapprove and don’t want to come to the wedding. Even though I admit that I’ll miss Dad not walking me down the aisle.”
Mom looks perplexed. “Who said we aren’t coming to the wedding or that we disapprove?” she asks. “I’d be a total hypocrite to do that. I did my best with you, Magnolia. God knows I tried to raise you right. But slap my butt and call me Sally, the apple doesn’t fall that far from the tree after all. I know we’ve been tough on you, darling but we didn’t want you to have to hide the way your father and I have to.”
It’s my turn to look perplexed. “What do you mean?”
Mom takes a deep breath before dropping a real bombshell. “Magnolia, darling, your daddy and I are swingers.”