Eli slept in the next morning no doubt due to the fact that he'd had more sex yesterday than any day he could remember. He decided to get Bridget some flowers and try to meet her for a lunch date. He bought a nice flower arrangement and wrote on the card,
"To my favorite Red Head,
Yesterday was amazing.
Are you free for lunch?"
He swung by her house, no one was home so he left them on the front porch. He ran some errands planning to stop by again around noon.
When Eli returned he saw a car in the driveway. He walked to the front door and almost rang the bell, but then he decided to serenade her instead. He sang, I can't stop this feeling
deep inside of me
Girl, you just don't realize
what you do to me
You're lips are as sweet as candy
the taste stays on my mind
You just keep me thirsty
for another cup of wine
When you hold me
in you're arms so tight
You let me know
everything's all right
His voice was strong. The little nymph that Eli had met at the wedding yesterday opened the front door at the same time Bridget rounded the corner of the house. Bridget had been in the backyard tending her garden and, intrigued by the singing, came round to see what it was all was about. The little nymph was also drawn by the singing, she burst through the front door and jumped on Eli wrapping her skinny legs around his waist.
Eli was stunned. What was the nymph doing here? Bridget was stunned too "What's my daughter doing?" Then she remembered the looks the bridesmaids gave Eli yesterday.
Sue rained kisses down on Eli's face and said, "Thanks for the flowers. They are lovely."
"Eli," Bridget called out making her presence known. "Flowers for my daughter? What's going on?"
"Wa...what...Your daughter?" Eli shot Bridget a look of complete bewilderment. He was totally confused.
"Sue! Get off him," Bridget ordered. Bridget was disturbed by her daughter's actions. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Did something happen yesterday?" Bridget asked both of them. She looked at Eli and then Sue.
Sue was thrilled to see her lover. She had been ecstatic over the flowers, the note and now the song. She hadn't pause to think about how he had found her. She was though getting annoyed by her mother.
"Let's all go in for tea...and explanations," Bridget said in a flat monotone.
Sue dismounted and everyone went inside. Bridget began making tea. After she put the kettle on she walked up to Eli and slapped him hard.
"Is this some kind of sick game? Going after a mother and her daughter?"
"No. No...Let me explain. I met her...Sue... at the wedding. I didn't know she was your daughter. She was just a bridesmaid with blue hair. She was a little drunk and so was I. We hit it off and ...and...had sex. It was a spontaneous thing. God! We didn't even get each other's name. Right?"
Eli looked to Sue to collaborate his story. She nodded, her eyes were downcast. Hearing his telling of their story made her realize how pathetic the experience had been, she was crestfallen. He was just a man, a stranger who had sex with her and had treated her nicely. In a low voice Sue asked,
"But what about the flowers you sent me?"
"Yes. I dropped off flowers today," he said looking from Sue to Bridget.
"Oh," Eli said out loud as he realized what had happened, why she had been so excited to see him. "When I addressed the note to 'My favorite Red Head" I meant you, Bridget."
Eli's mind was just coming to grips with the situation. He realized that Sue thought the flowers were for her. Eli turned to the young woman and said,
"I'm sorry to have hurt you. Yesterday was a lark. I never dreamed I would see you again. I now understand it wasn't just harmless fun. I apologize."
Eli turned to Bridget and said,
"Believe me Bridget, this wasn't a sinister plot to have you both..."
Sue blurted out, "You had sex with my mom?!!"
Sue ran out of the kitchen to her bedroom and slammed the door. Eli looked to Bridget. His expression implored Bridget to forgive him.
"I used poor judgment with Sue and allowed my baser instincts to take over. I didn't know she was your daughter. She was a girl at the wedding... But you and I...that was real. I care about you..." Eli sat and put his head in his hands.
Bridget looked out the window into the distance. Sue quietly entered the room and set the note and flowers on the table.
"Mom, I found these on the front porch...What he said about us was true. You know I am a little wild sometimes...we hooked up. I didn't know who he was, I'd been drinking, and I didn't get around to telling him my name."
Sue left the room as the kettle started to whistle. Mindlessly Bridget made tea for two.
"Milk? Sugar?"
"Sugar. Thanks"
They sat at the table and sipped the tea.
"She gets that wild side from me...I've never dyed my hair blue, but I've been young and reckless."
"I swear I didn't recognize her. Carrie was the one who visited the kids and took them places. I saw wild hair and make-up, the pierced tongue and nose...I forgot a person was attached to it all."
Eli continued, "I really thought you and I were making a connection...did I ruin it?"
"I don't know...go home. I need to think and to talk to Sue."
Eli shuffled off silently wondering if his lust had destroyed a promising relationship.
Bridget fixed a cup of tea for Sue and knocked on her door,
"Come in." Sue responded sullenly. Sue was laying on her stomach her head under the pillow.
"I brought you some tea." Bridget placed it on the nightstand and sat on the bed beside her daughter and began rubbing her back. Bridget worried about her daughter; she could see that Sue had dressed up for Eli's visit. Her typical beaus didn't send her flowers.
"You look nice today. I like your make-up."
Sue didn't say anything.
"It's nice to get flowers and to have someone sing to you."
Sue answered crying, "They were your gifts. Not mine."
"Next time it will be for you. You liked Eli? He treated you well?"
Sue didn't respond.
"He's a good man. That feeling you had when you read the note, that someone likes you, is a nice feeling isn't it? It will happen for you, if you let it."
Bridget playfully slapped her daughter's tiny butt. Eliciting an 'ouch' and asked her,
"So what did you tell the other bridesmaids? I saw them circling Eli trying to flirt with him. They must have been so jealous of you when he ignored them."
Sue crawled out from under her pillow and sat up. She had tear streaks on her face, but she was smiling. She blurted out,
"I've never cum so hard." Sue blushed embarrassed that she had slipped into girl talk with her Mom and given up too much information. She took a deep breath, calmed down and responded in a more serious manner,
"He was nice to me. He treated me better than any boy ever did. He made me feel good about myself. I didn't know his name or ever expect to see him again...but I guess I hoped I would, not because I liked him, but because he made me like me."
Sue bounded into her mother's arms and received the loving and understanding hug she needed.
Later that afternoon, Eli got a phone call from Bridget inviting him to dinner.
Eli showed up at 6 with two bouquets of flowers. He handed Bridget the red roses and he gave Sue the pink sweetheart roses. Each woman thanked him with a chaste kiss on the cheek. Eli and Josh, Bridget's son with Rob, shook hands.