Jennifer could barely contain her excitement. Her boyfriend of eight months was taking her to meet his family. To a southern girl like her this means an engagement ring is soon to follow. She glanced over at Dylan behind the wheel of his car as they cruised down the two lane road through glades of summertime oak and pine trees. Four years her senior, Dylan Hoff is the best looking guy she's ever dated. Blue eyes, unruly brown hair, athletically built from his love of kayaking and mountain biking, Jennifer's heart nearly burst from her chest from the sight of him. He could be a bit domineering for a simple girl like her, but it was all a part of his aloof nature which separated him from the frat boys she'd dated in college. Sophisticated, mature and oh so cool, she finds him utterly appealing. And though she's a country girl from South Carolina, she loves Dylan and his home state of Michigan and is ready to settle up here and be his wife.
"You're going to like my family," he said. "Mimi is pretty cool."
"Mimi?"
"My mom. Step mom really. My mom died a year after Kelly and I were born. Dad remarried when we were two. She's the only mom I've known."
"That was good of her to take you two on and raise you two as her own."
"Yeah, she put us in the best boarding schools and got the best nannies dad's money could buy. And they were not good looking. Couldn't have competition around you know."
Jennifer went quiet, not knowing if Dylan was grateful for his step-mother or resentful of her parenting skills. Maybe he doesn't like her at all which concerned Jennifer. A good indicator of what kind of man you have is how he treats his mom. She prayed she wasn't stepping into some simmering family situation. Think positively. Everything will go smoothly on this long holiday weekend.
The car glided down the country road to the Hoff's lake house. They left the main road for a single asphalt lane carved through the wooded thicket. And after a minute or so, the house came into view. She was expecting a cabin, not a beautiful multi-level mountain house overlooking a huge sparkling teal hued lake spreading to the horizon.
"This is so nice," she said.
He pulled the car to a stop outside the front door. Jennifer looked in the mirror one last time to finger comb her wavy dark honey blonde hair. She slid off her sunglasses to check for smudged mascara. Her grey eyes looked good with taupe eyeshadow and she put on a smack of raspberry lip gloss before feeling ready to meet his mom. She stepped out of the car to smooth down her pretty blue sundress. They were unloading their luggage from his car when the front door opened. Out stepped a well-kept blonde woman in skinny jeans and a white linen shirt. She looked to be in her late forties. Her skin was worn from decades of sun but she was trim and looked to be in good shape. With her hair pulled back into thick ash blonde ponytail showing off her fresh facial, she had a serious stance about her, like a female lawyer with a stern face and crimson lips that decides one's fate.
Mrs. Hoff smiled and said, "Dylan. So good to see you."
The two hugged before parting.
Dylan said, "Mimi, this is Jennifer. Jennifer, my mom, Mimi."
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Hoff."
"Please, call me Mimi."
"Mimi."
As Dylan gathered their bags, Mrs. Hoff placed her hand behind her stepson's girlfriend's waist to gently guide her into the house saying, "Please come in. Are you guys hungry? I've got all kinds of food. Beef brisket, potato salad. You can grill hot dogs if you want."
The three entered the high ceiling modern rustic room of polished maple wood beams.
"Dylan, you stay in your room and Jennifer can take the blue guest room."
She turned to Jennifer and said, "In my house, until you have a ring on your finger, you sleep in separate rooms."
"Absolutely," Jennifer replied. "My mother is old school like that too."
She gave Jennifer the patient smile of a condescending elder before leading the young woman up the creaking wooden stairs. Down the hallway they walked to the last room; a pale blue room with a sliding door that opened onto a small deck overlooking the picturesque lake. After settling in, Jennifer joined Dylan and Mrs. Hoff on the back deck. They spent the afternoon, talking and watching the boats speed by. Jennifer laughed at the stories Mrs. Hoff told of Dylan growing up and the life they all had before Mr. Hoff died five years ago.
"Kelly's coming in tomorrow," said Mrs. Hoff.
"Good." Dylan turned to Jennifer and said, "You'll like Kelly. She's a graphic artist."
Jennifer had been told very little of his twin sister, Kelly. Other than she's his twin and lives a few hours away, she didn't know much about her.
Jennifer said, "I'm looking forward to meeting her."
Mrs. Hoff took a drag off her cigarette and gazed out over the lake.
They languished away the afternoon talking, Mrs. Hoff drinking white wine, Dylan beer, but Jennifer stuck to club soda and lime, being five months shy of her twenty first birthday. Dinner was eaten at the kitchen table as the mosquitoes had driven them into the house. They spent the evening watching a movie on the big screen TV before everyone retiring to their bedrooms. In the hall halfway between their rooms, Dylan kissed Jennifer goodnight.
He said, "See you in the morning. We'll go jet skiing."
"Sounds like fun," she said, suddenly feeling very chaste.
He leaned into her as she stood on tiptoe to kiss him before they parted ways to walk opposite ways down the hall.
She shut the door and washed in the small bathroom before dressing in a sleep shirt. She crawled into the bed and laid there staring at the ceiling. It was only 11:30. She wasn't sleepy at all. She missed Dylan's body in her bed. He has a high libido. He has to have sex every day. And she was accustomed to it now as a sleeping aid. She giggled at the thought. Maybe a drink will help put her to sleep. She cracked open the door to the quiet house and tiptoed down the dimly lit hallway and down the stairs to the kitchen. A row of dimmed pot lights lit the kitchen. Jennifer pulled a plastic cup from a stack and filled it with white wine. She had just corked it and returned it to the fridge when she heard a creak door open. Panicked, she grabbed her drink and ducked behind a couch in the adjacent family room. She couldn't let Mimi catch her skulking around the house in the dark with a drink. She peeked around the corner of the couch to see Mrs. Hoff shuffle into the kitchen dressed in a leopard print satin robe. She pulled out the wine and emptied it into a wine glass before popping a pill and washing it down with the wine. The stairs squeaked from approaching footsteps. Dylan rounded the corner dressed in a pair of grey cotton briefs.
"Hey," he said, opening the fridge door to grab a bottle of beer.
"Hey."
She drew close behind him, very close. So close that his body brushed against her robe when he turned around. Her hand went for his crotch. She stroked it, staring into his eyes, waiting a reaction. He popped open the beer and took a swig. He didn't even try to remove her hand from his crotch. He let her stroke him until a bulge strained for release from his briefs.
She crooned, "Did you miss me?"
"No," he replied, "You put Jenny in the guest room to have me all to yourself, didn't you?"
"I don't care where she sleeps. Does your little southern belle do this?"
She freed his stiffy from its cotton constraint. It poked between her thighs. She wiggled towards him until it was nuzzled firmly between her thighs. She looked wantonly into his eyes. He said nothing. He sipped his beer. They never once broke eye contact.
Jennifer's mind was a whir of confusion and disbelief. What's happening?
