Bully Came to Dinner

I

When Russell returned home for the summer after his second year of university, he was expecting some nice family time with his parents. Instead, Denise had to hit with him with some life changing news considering her and his father -- her partner.

"What do you mean you're separating?!" he outraged.

She tried to sound comforting, but her voice didn't hint at any pain. Truthfully, she didn't have any beyond perhaps what her son was going through. "These things happen, Russ. We really couldn't avoid it. Your father and I just don't connect as we used it."

Russell looked to his father, Richard, who was tense and quiet. "Dad...?"

"Sorry kiddo, sometimes life doesn't go as you expected it."

"I don't get it...how could this happen? You guys looked fine at Christmas. Why didn't you say anything then?"

Denise continued to carry her calm, reasonable tone, "We didn't want to burden your year. And we've gotten pretty good at putting on faces over the years."

"You mean this has been going on a long time?!"

"We kept our problems from you to protect you. But now that you're older, we have no reason to hide it - I have no reason to hide it."

Russell shook his head. "No. I don't believe this. You two love each other. And you should've told me before." He looked to his father again to say something. Something to fix things. He had his hands in pockets, his posture slumped over, and his vision not targeted at either one.

Denise also looked to her husband and knew he wasn't going to speak. Instead, she did, "Regardless of whether we should've given you warning, it wasn't your decision. As hard as it is to hear, you wouldn't have changed anything."

Russell put his hands on his head. "This is nuts," he proclaimed, dropping them again to look at his parents, "You just need to talk it out...go to one of those marriage counsellors or something."

"Honev," Denise started she rubbed his arm, "I know this is hard for you. Believe me: that ship has sailed. We can't go back."

She watched as he said nothing, opting to look down at the floor. The tiles were new. She would have to talk about the renovation with him as well. For now they were caught in some silent tension-filled moments.

Russell's father was the first to break the silence. "I should get going. I'll see you soon, Russ."

He lifted his head. "Wait, where are you going?"

"I'm staying with your uncle for now."

"What? No. You can sleep in the basement or something until you two work things through. This is just a blip."

His dad faintly smiled and touched his shoulder, squeezing it a bit. "We'll talk soon." With that, he turned to leave. He shared a mute exchange with Denise and then left the room.

She and Russell heard him walk through the creaky front hallway. With the thump of the front door behind him, he was gone. They stood in silence for a moment before Russell's mom perked at him.

"So, what would you like for dinner? You must be starved after driving here this morning!"

A half hour later she called Russell down, who entered and sat down without a word. She watched as Russell fumbled with his food, loosely fitting and refitting the grains of rice on his fork. It was just the two of them at their circular dinner table now. That would admittedly take some getting used to on her part, too.

Normally she could look to her right and see her former partner sitting between them. They changed their seating years ago. Denise wondered if Russell suspected it was because they didn't want to look across the table to see the other person looking back. Things had gotten that bad.

"You like the cupboards?" she asked, breaking the ice.

"Yeah, they look OK."

"How about the countertops? They're granite."

"They're good, Mom. I hope they came out like you wanted," Russell said. There was annoyance in his voice. He must've been thinking how rich it was that she was asking his opinion after the fact -- just like not saying a word about her divorce.

Then Russell dropped his fork, making it clang on the plate. "I don't get it...why now?"

"The work on the kitchen? Well, it needed some updating..."

He shook his head. "No, you guys deciding to not be...together."

"I told you, it was just timing. We did it for you."

"You've been together for 17 years," he urged once more.

"There were some very unhappy years, Russell. Your dad and I weren't getting along for a long time."

"But you should've talked or gone to see a professional," Russell pleaded.

"Your Dad was too stubborn to go. He was convinced that nothing was wrong and it would've been a waste of money." Denise took a drink of water. "Plus I don't think it would have done any good either."

"What do you mean?"

"Some situations are unfixable," she said. When it looked like he still didn't get it, she tried to explain with a reality check, "Happy endings don't always happen."

Denise was cognisant enough of her words and the disparaging effect on her son. To be sure, she was unapologetic about how she felt about the situation. But to spare his feelings any further, she didn't try to justify herself any longer. The other only words she would utter were to offer him more dinner.

"Seconds...?" she asked, holding up a Pyrex.

The next morning, Denise stretched her body out in her king sized bed. Her arms met the emptiness occupying the space next to her. The vastness of her king sized bed was becoming more familiar with each day away from her spouse, although some days she just forgot altogether. "Oh yeah," she yawned, smiling to her herself.

Upbeat and peppy, she swung her long legs off the bed and hopped into the shower. She was singing too! She never used to sing. The water rained on her body, trailing down her modest chest, taut stomach, and powerful thighs. Denise was by no means a model, but she kept herself in great shape. Her body a product of her Dutch roots, she lathered her strawberry blonde tresses and washed her statuesque frame. In a former time, the mom made active use of her body, but those were indeed days gone by. Stepping out of the shower, she dried her strawberry blonde hair and picked out her outfit for the day.

She continued her tune as she glided down the stairs, her floral sundress floating along with her. When she entered the kitchen, she found Russell hunched over a bowl of oatmeal. There wasn't a lot of her in him. Most notably, he took his father's brown hair and eyes, and his height didn't seem to come from her side of the family tree. She saw him do a double take as she passed by him.

"Gooood morning!" she sang as she went into the fridge and took out a low fat yogurt.

It was a week since the family's meeting and Russell was, understandably at this point, very moody and angry with her. With the look he flashed at her, he was now very confused as well. "Morning...Mom..."

Denise pulled the lid off, licking the peachy residue. "What are you up to today?"

"I was going to go to the library and send out some resumes," Russell told her. Being back at home meant he would have to make some money to prepare for the school year.

"Want me to give you a ride? I'm heading out too."

Russell cocked his head. "Where are you going?"

"I have to take the car in for some maintenance. The brakes have been acting weird lately and I want to see if it's something serious."

"OK," Russell said. He would have asked more, but he didn't care enough. "No, I'm going to head out a bit later."

Denise shrugged, scooping the last of the snack between her lips. "Suit yourself. I'm going to go upstairs to finish getting ready."

Working her way into the hallway, she headed back upstairs and positioned herself in front of her bedroom vanity mirror. She was light with the makeup -- some skin cream, blush, and mascara -- but it was enough to make her feel beautiful. At 38, she still had a lot of her looks. She had to rely on herself for assurance of that. Russell's father wasn't big on showing appreciation toward her. Today, she did feel beautiful and wanted to show to the world.

For finishing touches, she strapped on a pair of earthy sandaled pumps and slung her purse over her arm. Her feet clattered on the stairs and she headed down the foyer to the front entrance, past her son who was still working on his breakfast. She called out to him as she pulled the door shut behind her. She wouldn't see him sigh and shake his head before continuing with his breakfast.

Spring was here and it was a sunny, breezy day - nice enough to allow the window down a crack, anyways. She turned on the radio, finding a top 100 station, and sang along to the songs as she drove along.

At a red light, she noted again the thumping coming from the front of her car. Richard usually handled the servicing of their vehicles. She told him about the issues in her car, but he never got around to it. With him out of the picture, she would have to handle it herself.

She also saw a driver next to him, a 20-something boy look her up and down and smile. She smiled giddily back. Looking beyond him, there was a similarly aged girl in the passenger seat distracted on her phone. His girlfriend most likely. As the light hit green and she pulled away, the grin on her face got bigger.

Eventually turning into her destination, the mechanic -- a stereotypical pudgy looking fellow with lots of hair - ushered Denise into the garage and then out of the car. He asked what she needed and she explained. As she did, she caught in her peripheral vision a young man working on one of the other vehicles. The man had a quick look and then reported his findings to Denise.

"Yup, your brake pads are pretty worn out and there might be a bit of loose wiring. I'll let our apprentice Sean to take a look. Hey Sean!!!"

The young man she noted before emerged from behind a hood. The older man called him over and he stood in front of them. Denise looked at him as he took her in. He was taller than his older mentor with a broad upper body and a fit body overall. Well, she had to guess on the latter point on account of his stained blue coveralls.

He brushed his dirty blonde hair as he addressed him, "Yeah?"

"Take a look at the brakes and let me know what you see," the elder mechanic instructed.

Sean did as he asked. As he bent down to examine the car, Denise examined him. She couldn't shake that she might have seen him before, possibly at Russell's school. Yes, she had seen him! In front of the school once when she was picking up or dropping off her son. She saw the horsing around before Russell got in the car. She and the boy made eye contact for a brief moment before Russell urged her to go.

"Brake pads need replacing it looks. That engine might need a look, too," Sean reported, standing up and wiping his oily hands.

"What does that mean?" Denise asked.

The mechanic quickly wrote out an estimate on a paper and handed it to her. "It means you'll have to leave here with us until tomorrow. I gave you a little first time customer discount to ease the blow."

Denise nodded, looking down at the yellow sheet. It was modest. She looked up at the apprentice. They were still eyeing each other. She smiled, "Thanks."

"Do you have a ride home now?" the mechanic asked.

She shook her head, nervously laughing. "No. I was counting on being in and out."

She started to work out scenarios in her head. Who would she call? Russell couldn't help her because she had their only car now, her girlfriends were busy today...then it hit that she would have to call Russell's dad. He would be on his lunch break and he worked nearby so it would be feasible. She desperately did not want it to have to come to that.

Then Sean spoke. "I can give you a lift."

"Works for me, if it does for her," the mechanic said.

Denise, trying to hide her relief, cordially obliged. "I'd like that."

Sean balled up the greasy rag he was holding and launched it like a free throw onto a work bench. "Great, I'll strip out of these and we'll hit the road," he winked.

Denise waited around, monitoring the garage around her. Conscious of how well dressed she looked, she knew how out of place she was in this industrial setting. It was dirty and loud. Denise was never someone who got her hands dirty; not because she felt mighty or anything, but because she just wasn't very coordinated with her hands.

Then Sean came back and Denise's hopes about his body were confirmed. He wore jeans and checkered white and grey shirt with his sleeves rolled neatly to his elbows. Her suspicions about seeing him before also became clearer.

"Ready?" he asked.

They already started walking when Denise told him she was. They got to his car, which was actually an older white pickup truck. He explained that he and his mentor used it whenever they had to make lunch or coffee runs. "Or for dropping off beautiful women that didn't have use of their cars," he joked.

As she laughed back, Sean opened the door for her. "Oh, thank you," she delightfully noted as she climbed in. She felt his hand brush her lower back too. Despite its exterior, the cabin was modern enough with a replaced stereo and speaker system and new seats. Sean got in on his side, she gave him rough directions, and they pulled out of the lot.

"Want the windows up?" Sean asked.

"No, it's fine, it's a nice day after all," she commented, launching into some dialogue to learn about him. "So, how long have been at the autoshop?"

Sean explained how he had been learning under Gus for almost a year now and was enrolled in a college program (he had already completed a year) which required him to secure the apprenticeship himself. "Yeah, even before I left Masterton I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to do," he finished.

"That's great," she smiled, noting his drive and his mention of Masterton most of all. That was Russell's school too.

"And your story? Day off today?" he said.

"Something like that. I run an online business doing mostly writing, so days off are whenever I want them to be," she joked.

"Aha, you have things figured out better than the rest of us!"

"Maybe," she smiled, looking at his body. He was watching the road. Somewhere along the line she became conscious that she was checking this kid who was basically half her age, but she paid no mind to it right now.

"Oh, you take a left here and then another left onto the third house on the street," she instructed.

Sean pulled into the driveway. There was a moment where they just sat there with the motor humming. "Do you want to come in for coffee? It's the least I could do," she extended after contemplating it for a few seconds. She told herself that it was the polite thing to do.

"I have time, sure," he confidently said.

They figured themselves up the driveway and into the house. Sean complimented her on the place, which she graciously thanked. Finding themselves in the kitchen, they would settle for coffee.

"Alone today?" the young mechanic asked as she configured the coffee maker, working with his back to him.

"Yeah, my son is out doing the job hunt thing," she confirmed, speaking over her shoulder. She saw him looking at her in a deep way. She was going to stop at that, but she pressed on in telling him more. "And my husband and I are going through a separation so he's not exactly around either."

"Oh, sorry to hear," the boy said.

She laughed as she poured out the coffee into mugs. "Don't worry, it's been brewing for a bit now." Internally she wondered again why she was revealing such personal details about herself and her family. She considered her unintended 'brewing' pun. Her husband might have caught it, but Sean didn't catch it.

"Maybe I'm not quick witted like him," he said.

She returned to the table with the drinks and the accompanying fixings. "Oh, I wouldn't say that. Tell me when on the milk."

He stopped her a little bit and opted not to have sugar. Just like how she took her coffee. Then, they talked more about themselves -- icebreaker type details like where they grew up and how. She laughed at how much age at put them at a distance.

"Oh, you're not old. Are you kidding?" Sean told her. "You still carry yourself well. You look amazing today, anyways."

Denise blushed, "Thanks." She would be lying if she wasn't purposely fishing for his compliment. She didn't intended on setting him up for it, but it went over well.

"So when's your son get home?"

She was disappointed to not be talking about how good she looked anymore, but she answered. "Russell? I'm not sure. It's been a few hours, so I think soon." She looked to the clock. Yes, it had been a while.

Then, as if on cue, the door sounded and someone entered. "Oh, that's him. RUSS...?!? Can you come into the kitchen...?!?"

Russell appeared at the doorway shortly after. "Whose is that truck out front?" Then his eyes nervously scanned the scene as they darted between the coffee cups on the table, his mother, and Sean. "What's going on...?"

"Rusty!! Good to see you old friend!" Sean sounded.

"You remember Sean, right?" his Mom asked.

Russell still looked incredibly lost and uncomfortable. "Yeah...?"

"Good to see you, Rusty. What are you up to now?"

Her son collected herself enough to vaguely answer him, although didn't reciprocate the question. "Um, just finished first year of university..."

"That's cool. University is a great achievement," Sean complimented him, looking more at Denise as he did.

A bit of silence followed as Denise and Sean sat together at the table and Russell a few metres away, still at kitchen entryway. She implored him to join them. "Well, are you going to stand at the door or sit with us?"

Russell legs twitched, but Sean pushed out his chair. "It's OK. I have to get going anyways."

Denise was truthfully disappointed as she stood too, although she wasn't sure why. "Oh, let me walk you out then."

They moved out of the room, passing Russell. Sean put a hand on his shoulder and grinned. "Good to see you man. We should hang." He then squeezed Russ' arm, making the boy wince slightly. More boyish horseplay, Denise thought of it. Her son offered him a meek 'bye' and they headed for the door.

Sean told her that he would call tomorrow when the car was ready and he would give her lift back to the tomorrow shop as well. She said she would likely need it. She sounded off her house phone.

"And your cell phone, too...you know, just in case," he asked. She grinned at that and told him it as well. Her finger played with her necklace, wrapping it around it.

"Great! I'll see you tomorrow, Denise," he said.

She let him out and sent him off with a 'bye'. She watched from the door as he climbed into his truck and backed out of the driveway. Her eyes didn't leave the front of the house until the white vehicle was completely out of sight. Her smile prevailed, though. She walked back from the foyer, nearly spaghetti legged. Russell stopped her gleeful mood, though.

"What was that?" he asked.

"What?"

"What was Sean Preston doing here?"

"My car is going to be in the shop until tomorrow so he gave me a lift home," she answered.

Russell shook his head. "Why didn't you just call Dad then?"

"Your Dad was busy. Plus, I would've had to wait. Sean was right there," she explained. Yes, she never checked if Richard was free, but she wasn't going to tell Russell that his dad was the last person she wanted to call.

"That guy's a jerk...I don't like him being here."

Denise shrugged, shocked to hear that characterization of him. "He was polite to me."

"Of course he was. Sean is one of the most two-faced assholes I've ever met."

Denise fired back, placing her hands on her hips. "Hey! That's no way to talk about anyone. Even if he wasn't nice before, he is now. You need to be more accepting."

Russell just rolled her eyes at her. "Whatever. I'm going to put my stuff down."