CHAPTER 1
Six years on from college graduation, Lana, Chloe, Jo and Addison met for their weekly Friday lunch at the Palm Court CafΓ© in the heart of the gallery of Palm Court Mall. From such a strategic location they could let fly waspish asides on unfashionably dressed women, wave to people they knew and rev up their hormones by watching, minds racing, the occasional credible hunk passing by and checking out their tits.
Jo Lund had been last to arrive, her face an excited pink.
"Babes do I have real news."
They all leaned to the center of the table and Jo said, pausing slightly for a phantom drum roll, "Jack Redman comes home Friday. Mrs Redman told mom in the hair salon and mom just called me with the news."
"No."
"I can't wait to see him."
"Who's Jack Redman?"
The other three looked at Lana Kennedy and sighed knowing she did enjoy her little jokes.
As a senior Jack had been a high school hero, leading Blewett High to victory in its first-ever interschool zone soccer championship, scoring a sizzling goal just under the crossbar from 40 feet out with 38 seconds to go to draw the contest 1-1 and then three minutes into extra time he curled in a penalty past the defending wall to win the game. In swimming he set new records for senior boys' events at Blewett in the 50, 100, 200 and 400 butterfly and the 400 and 800 freestyle and also won the interschool zone McGill Cup in a record breaking swim in the final of the 800 freestyle final. Academically he'd always been in the top 10 in his class and had won a swimming scholarship to a four-year college.
"What will Riley do now Jack is coming home?" Chloe Smith asked.
Riley Mason, the city's current beauty queen, had been Jack's girl at high school and had married a much older guy a couple of months ago.
"Get a quick divorce," said Lana and joined the giggling.
Chloe, Lana and Addison Garcia looked at Jo, all probably thinking Jo had a leg in with Jack because their two moms had been the best of friends since Grade 1 days.
* * *
Twenty-seven year old Jack Redman, driving his black Chevrolet Equinox his parents had given him when he graduated with a Masters in Computer Science, entered Blewett High with that melancholy-like smile many people have when they arrive home after being away for a while.
A siren sounded behind him and he grinned and pulled over.
The female cop jumped out of the driver's seat and ran forward and Jack, already out of his vehicle, hugged and kissed her and Belinda said welcome home bro. The Police Chief walked up and hugged his son.
"We picked you up on fixed surveillance camera at Burke's crossing fifteen miles out," Daniel said. "You were traveling three miles over the speed limit."
"Oh naughty boy. Smack my hand dad."
"Three miles over gives us discretion whether or not to ticket you," said his father. "In this instance no citation notice will be mailed to you but keep your speed down. Your vehicle appears to be in good nick."
"Yeah I find the occasional bunny who will wash and vacuum it in return for a date."
"Oh yuk," said Belinda who warned him not to say things like that in front of their mother.
"Well get back to your jobs and earn your pay," Jack said. "Thanks for that great little welcome."
Father and daughter returned to the chief's pursuit car and only then remembered they'd not asked Jack why he'd decided to return home.
Belinda speculated, "I think he must be running from the law or perhaps a married women whose husband is mystified by her late-in-life pregnancy."
"Not my son Jack," the police chief said loyally, and then said to be best driver in the force, "Keep within the rules of the road Little Darling."
The pert freckled redhead said submissively, "Yes sir."
Jack hauled a couple of bags out of his vehicle, disappointed his mom Sara had not come roaring out screaming, "Oh Jack, oh Jack. Welcome home Jack," or a similar greeting presented in emotional overload.
He found his mom asleep in front of some crap screening on TV. Grinning he cupped one of her breasts and prepared to duck a swinging arm but he was struck dumb when his mom moaned, "Oh no Donald, not again."
Who the fuck was Donald?
Jack tip-toed out and continued shifting his personal affects from his vehicle into his old bedroom that now had an en suite added and there was a fresh jar of flowers on the dresser and his mother had written in lipstick on the mirror, 'Welcome home son.' But who the fuck was Donald?
He then lay on the bed for a rest and fell asleep.
Jack stirred aware he was being kissed on the lips, and the smell of the kisser was the signature of one of his mom's three favored perfumes. He forced his tongue to part Sara's lips and his tongue met hers.
She jerked away and yelled, "Jack you foul beast."
He yawned and looked at her calmly and said, "Oh sorry mom. I'd been dreaming of Rev. Dawson's wife."
"What you had sex with Marilyn before you left here?"
"No mom but I just thought I was about to."
"You leave Marilyn alone do you hear? She's one of my best friends and anyway is far too old for you. She's just had her thirty-eighth birthday."
"Oooh lucky older Rev. Dawson. Um what's his name mom?"
"Malcolm. Why?"
"Oh nothing mom, um the names Malcolm and Marilyn go well together."
"Yes they do. You are looking well."
"Thanks and so do you. Show me your tits."
Jack rolled to his right and a slap landed where his face had been only a second before.
"You pig. Jack Redman you pig."
"I love you mom. Give me a kiss and no tonguing," Jack said, holding out his arms and rolling back into his original position.
Laughing Sara kissed him on the nose and then kissed him fully on the mouth, lips all but fully closed.
"You are still the best kisser I know expect for a couple of very close pals mom."
She laughed and said he was so full of bullshit but she was thrilled to have him home.
Within the next couple of hours Chloe Smith, Lana Kennedy and Jo Lund called him to welcome him home and to chat. Well there were three women ready to be screwed if he was that hard up, Jack thought. They were the old gang of our... um only three had called him. He tried to recall the name of the fourth, a gangly brunette with no tits. But the name didn't come to him.
His mom called, "Phone Jack. It's Eva Garcia's daughter Addison."
Who the hell was Addison Garcia?
His mom said, handing him the phone, "Now you'll had all of the gang of four call you. I best feed you steak and carrots tonight."
Huh? God what kind of animal did his mother think he was. But at least he now recalled who the caller was.
"Hi Addison, great to hear your voice," he said, attempting to apply charm.
There was silence.
"Oh sorry, you haven't spoken. I should have said it's great that you called to welcome me home. Um did I ever screw you?"
"No. You tended to ignore me. I'm calling to invite you to dinner tomorrow evening. I mention to mom you were coming home and she said invite that lovely boy over. He got our clock going five years ago and it stopped several months ago and dad and uncle Leo failed to get it to go again."
"But I can fix the clock without having to come to dinner."
"You always were a cold ass prick Jack Redman."