Kem removed a fluffy blue towel from the cabinet as well as the plastic wrapper from around a new bar of soap and washed her face and private parts.
She couldn’t stop thinking about Brent and how he made her feel. She found herself getting moist all over again. She splashed some water on her face to snap herself out of it then wiped her face with a dry towel. She located a new toothbrush and brushed her teeth before exiting the bathroom.
Brent was nowhere in sight. She left his room and went downstairs. She called out his name a few times.
She heard him responding in the distance, “I’m in the kitchen.”
Kem followed the sound of his voice. Brent had washed up as well. He now wore a pair of jeans and a T-shirt that seemed to accent every one of his muscles.
“Is it hot in here or is it just me?” Kem blurted.
“I can turn the air on if you need me to,” an unexpected female voice responded from behind her.
Kem turned around and came face-to-face with an elderly woman dressed in a navy blue dress, wearing an apron.
Brent spoke out first. “Kem, this is my Aunt Edna. Aunt Edna, this is the woman I was telling you about.”
Kem blushed with embarrassment. Did his aunt live here? Had she heard them last night? There were so many questions running through her head. Kem could only imagine what his Aunt Edna was thinking, especially since it was in the morning and Kem still wore evening attire. Kem extended her hand.
“We hug in this house,” Aunt Edna said, right before embracing Kem.
“Breakfast is ready. If I had known my nephew had company, I would have cooked more.”
“Aunt Edna, I told you this was fine,” Brent responded.
“I’ll leave you two alone. It’s nice meeting you, Kem.”
“Nice meeting you too,” Kem responded as she remained standing in the same spot.
“I’ll turn the air up on my way out.” Aunt Edna laughed.
Kem’s cheeks turned red with embarrassment.
Brent led Kem to the kitchen table. “Ignore my aunt. She’s just messing with you.”
Kem whispered, “Why didn’t you tell me we weren’t here by ourselves? I hope she didn’t hear us.”
“Relax. Although I want her to stay in the main house, Aunt Edna refuses to. She lives in the house that’s located at the back property.”
“I can only imagine what she thinks of me.” Kem twisted her mouth.
“She’s cool. Besides, she’s been wanting to meet you for some time.”
“Really. Then why haven’t you brought her down to the set?”
“No reason. I just hadn’t.” Brent placed scrambled eggs, toast and a few slices of bacon on Kem’s plate.
“I hope she doesn’t think less of me for what she’s seen today.”
Brent shared more about his aunt over breakfast. “Aunt Edna’s my mom’s older sister. When my mom died a few years ago, Aunt Edna went into a deep depression so I decided to move her out here with me so she wouldn’t be lonely.”
“What about her kids? Why didn’t they step in to see about their mother?”
“My aunt is the only one of my mom’s siblings who didn’t have any kids. She sort of looks at me as her son.”
Kem tilted her head and smiled. “How sweet.”
“It was my aunt’s suggestion I pursue acting after high school so I sort of owe me being a success to her.”
“I’m glad she convinced you because when I saw your audition for the role of Max, I knew you were him.”
“My aunt coached me.”
“Get out of here. Was your aunt an actor?” Kem asked.
“She was a drama teacher at one of the local high schools. She said she regretted not leaving Shreveport, Louisiana when she was younger to pursue an acting career. Since she couldn’t leave at the time, she dedicated her time to teaching others. I was her star pupil.”
“I keep forgetting you’re also from Shreveport,” Kem acknowledged.
Brent reached across the table and picked up Kem’s hand and kissed the back of it. “Just another thing we have in common.”
Kem shifted in her seat. “I can feel that cool air now.”
Brent released her hand and laughed.
They ate the rest of their breakfast in silence. After they finished eating, Brent got up to remove Kem’s plate.
“I can help,” Kem suggested.
“You’re my guest. I got it,” Brent said.
Kem remained seated. “Cool.”
“I need to get my phone and check my messages. I think I left it in your den.”
“I’ll meet you there when I finish,” Brent responded.
Kem hummed as she walked down the hallway to the den. Her purse lay on the coffee table right where she’d left it. She retrieved her cell phone and immediately checked her text messages.
She’d received a few from Mona wanting to know why she wasn’t answering her phone. Kem sent a quick response letting Mona know she would call her later.
Kem went to the mantel in the room and got a closer look at some of the pictures in the frames. Brent posed in most of them. He’d taken pictures with other celebrities as well as some well-known politicians.
“I’m so proud of my baby,” Aunt Edna said from behind Kem.
Kem placed the picture she held back on the mantel.
“You should be. He’s good. We’re lucky to have him on our show.”
“I usually go through the scripts he gets and when I came across the one you wrote, I knew he would make the perfect Max.”
“I’m glad because the audience loves him,” Kem said as she now stood face-to-face with Aunt Edna.
Aunt Edna had changed clothes. She now wore a dark purple suit with a matching purple hat and shoes and a purse to match.
Brent walked into the room. “Aunt Edna, the driver’s outside waiting on you. I’m leaving to drop Kem off at home. Do you need anything from the store while I’m out?”
“No, dear.” Aunt Edna looked at Kem. “It was nice meeting you. I hope it won’t be my last time.” She cut her eyes at Brent.
“Your car’s waiting,” Brent blurted.
She laughed. “Well, I’m off to church. Kem, call me sometime. Maybe we can meet for brunch one day.”
“Aunt Edna, Kem’s too busy.”
“Aunt Edna, I’ll make the time for you,” Kem interrupted.
Kem laughed at the playful banter between nephew and aunt as Brent walked her to the car.