Bill sat across from his mother eating lunch in her apartment. She chattered away as usual as he tried to listen. But his mind was 600 miles away. He had just returned from visiting his uncle in South Carolina, and remembering how his very drunk uncle related to him how he had bedded his sister in their youth. How it had lasted two years without her becoming pregnant. "A minor miracle", was his uncle's words. Most surprising was Uncle William only had one sister, and that was his mom.
Bill's thoughts wandered to the things his mother had said and done when they had lived in an apartment together seven years earlier; asking him to close his eyes as she ran through the living room with just her panties on and mildly scolding him when she caught him peeking, the time she had accusingly questioned him about the stains on the backseat of his used car and commenting on the possibility of getting one of his girlfriends pregnant. There were countless examples added to the most recent; the relentless accusation that he was screwing the gal on the second floor of her apartment building, which he had denied, scolding her for suggesting he would mess around on his wife.
"I saw you and that bitch talking this morning when you got out of your car. It was like she was waiting for you? How does she know when you are coming by? What were you and her talking about? Setting up a meeting, I suppose?" Margaret accused, snapping him back to the present.
"You're talking about Betty? That's her name you know." He began. "I'll be honest with you mom. She does want me to come see her. Half of the men at the bus company have screwed her but I'm a bit choosy about who I stick my dick in." He replied, looking directly at her, seeing her eyebrows lift as he used the generational words "screw and dick". "The ones that have screwed her call her pincushion." Then. "If you're going to accuse me of taking up with some woman be realistic. For instance, you need to look for a woman more like you. That's kind of woman I would be looking for. I like older women. Ones that know they have a great body, a hellva nice ass and they like the way men look at them. They dress in a manner to attract men's attention. But, they're very choosy. Or, should I say a man hater. A tease but they're not going to give up their treasure to just anyone."
"A tease?" She cut in, instantly applying his references to her. "You think I'm a tease? You're being silly, but you are right about one thing, that little bitch in apartment 203 will spread her legs for anyone. You've been watching me that close?"
"Oh! It took all of that stuff personally?" He exclaimed, then.
"Mom! You really need to forget about Betty." Bill cut in. "She is nothing to either of us. So let's get back to you and me."
"You and me? I thought we were being hypothetical? Now, it's about you and me." She then inserted quickly. "There is no you and me.
"We are having a conversation about you and me. Or, me and a woman like you." He inserted and corrected just as quickly. "Naw!, let's leave it you and me. Of late, I've been thinking you've been teasing me for years with all of your sexual accusations and innuendos. And surely, you remember running through the old apartment with just your panties on? You did that a number of times even after you knew I was peeking. And, how about the stains on the backseat of my Chrysler? I remember you sounded kind of jealous?
Bill refused to look away from his mother's surprised stare.
"I should knock hell out of you!" Margaret threatened, breaking eye contact after a very long 12 or 15 seconds. She stood and began clearing the table, letting her eyes wander, refusing to make eye contact. She quietly moved around the large column and counter to the small kitchen, and standing at the sink;
"Youhave covered a lot of ground there, my boy. "Let me see if I can be just as honest. I guess I was teasing you and being jealous. I haven't had, nor wanted, a man around for years to take care of...... things..... and I suppose I just wanted someone to notice me. And you're absolutely right about my hatred of men. You were the only male available for me to be a bit of a tease and to be a jealous bitch. It was obvious that you enjoyed the view and you never seemed to mind the bitching. Mother and son are closer than any married couple or girlfriend and boyfriend. And surely you must have known there could never be anything intimate between you and me."
"So, you don't think that showing off your body to me didn't put sexual visions and fantasies in my mind." He asked. "In the apartment, you, lying in your bed not 15 feet away! That I wouldn't think that you and me couldn't somehow.............."
"Dammit! Bill!" Margaret snapped. "We've been out of that apartment for near 7 years, you've been married for four and you're bringing this stuff up now? You're my son and I'm your mom and never the two should meet. Sexually anyway!"
"It's, shall meet, mom. Not, should meet. Entirely two different meanings." He corrected. "You could be accused of showing your inner desires. And, tell me you didn't dress for provocatively when I putting the bookcase together last week? Just a thin sleeping gown and just panties? Hell! Standing in front of the light............"
"Smartass!" She barked, ignoring the tone of the questions, refusing any reply.
Bill continued. "My visit to see uncle William? One night while fishing uncle William got drunk, as usual, and sort of...... spilled the beans."
"What do you mean? Spilled the beans?" She asked, with concern in her voice.
"Two years." He replied. "You and him? You two were together?"
"That drunken son-of-a-bitch!" She spat. "I can't believe! So! you think because I screwed my brother that I should spread my legs for you? Let you screw me? You're a son-of a-bitch too! You........"
Bill cut her off, "is uncle William the reason why you are so down on men?"
Margaret walked back around the column back to her side of the table, but flopped down on the sofa that sat up against the wall. She sat for a moment, calming herself before speaking. "No. Actually that was a good time in my life. After the first couple of times, cause it hurt like hell." She said with a smile. "I really enjoyed being with him. I've always loved William but he was my brother and I had to get away before I got pregnant by him. After the operation a couple years ago that is not a problem anymore and if he wasn't a drunk I would be quite content being with him again. You're father and the other men in my life created my hatred for men. And now I might have to add you to that list. "
Mother and son sat silent for many minutes, each lost in our own thoughts. The operation, Bill remembered, was forefront in his thoughts. Bill was the first to speak;
"You letting ME screw YOU was never a thought." He said, pointing to each of them. "I've always felt that a man and woman should screw together."
"Are you trying to convince me that you are different from all the other son-of-a-bitches?"
"You will always be mom and I will always be your son. That makes you the boss, as always." Bill reasoned.
More long moments passed without speech.
"Come sit next to me." Margaret asked, padding the sofa and watching her son comply. "So you think I got a great ass?"
"I do." Bill replied. "Why do you think I linger behind you when we're in the grocery store?"