"I don't understand why you have to be such a tool about this, Pearson." Tatum said dismissively, as she checked her lipstick in the big mirror.
"I mean, I love it that your mom invited me to come to the Hamptons, this cottage is great. It's nice, the weather is good, but you're so controlling."
Tatum toyed with an ash blonde curl as it swirled about her neck.
"Tatum, it's not that I'm trying to be controlling, but you walk around on the beach topless, and I don't like all these guys looking at you."
Pearson tried not to pout, he was pudgy enough, and Tatum had told him more than once that when he sulked he looked like a toddler.
Tatum snorted. "You are such a child, Pearson. You know, in France, everyone walks on the beach topless. It's so natural. I haven't heard any complaints from the um, residents here." Tatum giggled.
Pearson tried not to get upset. "Tatum, you let one guy touch your tits. He made some vulgar comment about your-your um--"
"My areolas. Yes. They have a gorgeous tangerine hue, he said. He's a photographer's agent."
"No he's not." Pearson couldn't believe Tatum fell for such nonsense.
Tatum flipped down her bikini top and fondled a nipple. "You don't think so?"
Pearson tried not to let his mouth water. "Yes, you have a beautiful um, rack. I-I want to kiss them--"
Tatum pulled her bikini top up again.
"Don't be gross. Why do you have to ruin a nice conversation? Last night when your stepfather was being so nice, you got rude like you OWNED me."
"You let Malvern rub oil on your tits! I was--that old pervert--"
"Your stepdad took a course in massage."
"On YouTube. That's an instructional video. And it was for rubbing my mom's feet, not playing with your breasts, Tatum."
Pearson was trying hard not to sound prissy.
Mother went to bed way too early, the sea air got to her, and then his hippie pervert stepdad smoked weed with Tatum, and talked her into this, and Pearson had just fumed.
Malvern had run his grotesque fingers up and down Tatum's big tits, and smeared Lubriderm all over them.
The massage had gone on so long that Pearson had gone to bed, after they'd ignored his stomping around.
God knows what had happened after he'd gone to bed!
Right before he'd fallen asleep Pearson had heard the car door slam and they'd driven out for ice cream or something, but Tatum hadn't come to bed until about two in the morning.
A couple of nights ago, when Pearson's sunburn had been bad and he was a bit incommunicado, his younger brothers had taken Tatum out for drinks, and Putnam and Pipkin had returned his fiancΓ© with mussed hair and unbuttoned top...
But Malvern was so much more dangerous.
Pearson tried again to explain to Tatum.
"My brother Prentiss told me that he thinks Malvern's a bum, and has plans to destroy the family."
"Prentiss is locked away in Buttermilk Falls Neuropsychiatric."
"You know, schizophrenics are very perceptive."
"You're a racist. That's why you don't like your stepfather."
"It's ridiculous. Mummy was in a funk after Dad left her for that bimbo, and she met Malvern in a Continuing Education Course that she was teaching at the State Prison..."
"That's a beautiful story."
"No, no it isn't, and then she marries a black-a man she has nothing in common with after he's paroled, my mother, whose ancestors came over on the Mayflower."
"It's wonderful that she has found love with a man at her age, and he's--Malvern isn't the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, but he's well hung, you know."
"Because he showed it to you."
"I almost finished nursing school in 2015. It's of medical interest."
"And you and Malvern make these rude jokes, about private stuff."
"Oh, you mean the-the-" Tatum began giggling.
"Yeah, this morning, you told Malvern and my mom that you spank me when I'm bad, and if I kept up with my pissy mood, I'd get it."
"Yeah, and then your mom said she used to take your pants down and spank you and it did you good. God that was hilarious."
Pearson wondered if Mummy or his brothers would also tell Tatum that once, when Pearson had thrown a fit about not being bought a car for his birthday...
Mother had thrashed him with the old reliable razor strop, and then put him in adult diapers for the weekend....