Meet the Geralds...
"So you're an- An... an artist?" Will's mother asked slowly, fidgeting uncomfortably as she fiddled with her silverware nervously. Who knew artist could be said like such a taboo thing. She said artist like dick sculpture, or dildo maker.
"Yup," I said simply, not really sure what to say to her. Lifting my glass, I took a sip of my ice water, studying his mother over the rim. I'm going to kill Will for leaving me alone with her, I thought irritably, contemplating the best course of revenge on Will as Will's mom smiled at me politely, eyeing my hair and clothes.
Hmmmm. I wonder what she's thinking.
"May I be direct?" Will's mother asked after a moment, setting her napkin down gently as she pursed her lips.
"Sure, shoot," I joked, making tiny pistols with my hands, aiming them in her direction.
"You're not Will's usual type," she felt the need to inform me haughtily.
Gee, now I know where Willy gets it from. How lovely. "How would you know?" I asked politely enough, raising an eyebrow at her. "Will's only ever brought Jinny over to meet you. Anyone else you've met, if you've even met them, was just a booty call."
"Oh my! You are blunt, aren't you?" Will's mother, Glenda, asked, wide eyed, surprised by my candor.
"It helps counter the stick up your son's bum," I told her, smiling at her sweetly when she gasped, her hand going to her chest, and gaped at me.
"May I be blunt with you, Mrs. Geralds?"
"Aren't you already?" she said on a mutter, frowning at me.
Tapping the butt of my butter knife on my plate to let it fall noisily, I leaned forward, putting my elbows on the table, and stared at her intently. "I know what you're trying to do, and it's not going to work," I informed her quietly. Lips slowly tipping up, I gave her an evil smile. "I love Will and he loves me, and I'm not going anywhere. I know you want what you feel is best for your son, but that doesn't mean that's what he really needs.”
Her face purpled, mottling, but this needed to be said.
“Will is a big boy. He doesn't need his mother trying to tell him what he should and shouldn't do."
Gripping her napkin for dear life, twisting it this way and that like she wished it was my neck, she slapped it into her lap with an audibly snap. "How am I supposed to believe that when he quit his job with his father and went back to that little puddle of dirt his daddy left him in to teach him a lesson!" she sniped, her voice high and shrill.
"You trust him.” I said simply, sitting back. “Trust his judgment.”
"When he picked a penniless artist to shack up with?" she snapped, rising from her seat.
"Mother?" a man asked as he walked into the dining room. He’d come up on us quietly, and I wondered how much he’d overheard.
He was shorter than Will, this man, with a thicker build on his much more compact frame. There was something about him that gave me the impression he was younger, despite his grave demeanor. His hair had more sandy blonde in it than sandy brown, like Will's, I noted, his eyes a stunningly deep blue, with something akin to sadness hanging about him like a shroud. Tragically beautiful, in an unconventionally handsome sense, didn’t even begin to describe this man.
"Frederick! Oh, thank god you're here! Will's lady friend is being mean to me," she wailed, acting like a frail flower all of a sudden when her son showed up.
Frederick. I eyed the man curiously. So this must be Will's brother.
Picking my water back up to take a dainty, mocking sip, I laughed, then snorted, watching on half interestedly as his mother tried to cling to him, crocodile tears streaming down her pretty, artfully done up face.
"Wow," I commented calmly, crossing my arms over my chest as she complained, going on, ad nauseum, about just how mean she’d decided I was.
"What's going on in here?" Will's father, William Geralds the II—aka Bill—demanded.
Will came in then too, and made a bee line for me, a cute redhead trailing them all in to walk up to Frederick.
"Her!" monster mother complained, pointing at me.
Will wrapped his arm around me, giving my shoulders a short squeeze, and turned to study his mother, then looked at me. "What's she talking about, Bit?" Will asked, confused.
"I dunno," I answered as honestly as I was willing to, shrugging, giving his mother and everyone present a perplexed, innocent expression.
"She... she..." she spluttered, frustrated with my lack of a response.
Why should I get upset, I wondered thoughtfully, I didn't do anything wrong.
Will frowned and looked down at me. "Bit... baby, you didn't tell her about the, uh... Uh... erm. The, uh, painting,” he bent low to whisper, “did you?"
"No," I told him, grinning up at him.
Swallowing audibly, he sighed in relief.
"What painting?" the pretty redhead next to us asked me.
"I painted Will naked and he was worried I'd tell his mother," I whispered.
She grinned suddenly and giggled, a cute little musical giggle.
"Now they're both talking about me! See?!" Will's mother shrieked accusingly.
"I'm Bit," I introduced myself, holding my hand out to the woman.
"Mary," she said quietly, and reciprocated, taking my hand and shaking it, both of us ignoring Glenda as she tried to rally the men against us.
"I demand to know what she said!" Glenda snapped, sticking her nose up at us, her finger flinging up to point at us flimsily next.
"Sure thing, Mrs. Geralds," I said sweetly, a small, knowing smile lighting my face. “I was just telling Mary here about my last art show. I put a painting I'd made of Will in it, but, you know, don't worry, Mrs. G," I winked at her, "his hand was covering up all the good bits. And besides, the apple was the real focal point anyway."
"Apple?" Will's brother, Frederick, choked out.
"Bit!" Will gaped at me.
"He's naked?!" Glenda gasped, her hands beginning to tremble in outrage.
Big Bill over there just looked amused.
"She called me a penniless artist, Tin Man. You didn't really think you could just ditch me with her, let her tear me down and try to tell me why she feels I'm not good enough for you, and I would just go willingly like a lamb to the slaughter?"
Will's expression changed and he glanced at his mother, who was looking at us with way too much interest at the moment. "Mother?" Will asked quietly, his face stony.
"Yes, William?" she asked innocently.
"Cut the crap, Glenny, and fess up," Bill piped up, crossing his arms over his wide chest as he stared his wife down.
"I don't know what you mean, Billy," she simpered petulantly, not meeting his eyes.
"Is she like this with you?" I asked Mary as she walked over to Frederick.
"All the time," Mary admitted quietly.
"Mary?" Frederick asked, staring down at her, surprised.
"I tried to tell you years ago, Freddy, but you just brushed it off and told me I was over reacting, so I put up with it. I got used to it,” she admitted reluctantly, her face burning with embarrassment as her slumped shoulders lifted and fell in a half-hearted shrug.
Lips pursing, I studied Frederick intently. "So you're an ass-hat too, huh?" I asked Frederick bluntly, who sputtered and gaped at me, taken aback at my quick defense of his lady love.
"Do you hear her, Billy?" Glenda gasped, grasping at straws.
"I hear her loud and clear," Bill replied, red-faced.
Ooooh, he looks mad.
"I'm very sorry, Mary, my dear, I had no idea she was up to her old tricks," Bill began apologetically.
"Bill!" Glenda shrieked, throwing her hands up dramatically as her face pulled, fighting her angry grimace. Botox, crazy stuff. One more reason to just let nature take its course.
"And I'm very sorry, Tabitha," Bill apologized, turning and addressing me.
"Hey, no sweat. You didn't do it." I gave him a reassuring smile, shrugging.
"You're apologizing to her! I can’t- You won’t- She called..." Glenda started.
"Did you do this to Jinny, too?" I asked his mother curiously, cutting her off.
"NO! Jinny was a good girl, and she never would have insulted me in my own home. Jinny," she sniffed, "is a lady."
Running a finger beneath my nose, shadowing my mouth, I smiled at her knowingly. "Lady, huh? I completely agree.” I gave a sharp nod. “She even gave Will a black eye. In my book that's down right lady like.” I tossed the words out there sarcastically. Let her do with that what she shall. "Even if you deserved it," I added, glancing at Will.
"Why, thank you, short shit, I love you, too," Will remarked blandly, fighting a laugh.
"Any time, sasquatch, anytime," I said saucily, winking up at him, leaning into him as he broke out in a round of chuckles.
"She gave you..." his mother trailed off. “Will?" she asked carefully, blinking in disbelief.
"Yup," he confirmed, nodding at her, tapping the once blackened eyeball.
"Punched him in the face," I added helpfully, nodding enthusiastically.
Her jaw slackened, and she just stood there, stunned, jerking only a little when I walked over and patted his mom on the back—a quick there-there pat. "Makes Mary and me sound down right congenial, doesn't it?"