Chapter 12

Mimi’s turn:

Okay, Tommy showed me pictures of his mom and dad. What kind of son wouldn’t, when he’s talking with a girl about getting married, meeting the parents, not necessarily in that order.

When we walked into the restaurant to meet them, I was STILL nervous. I mean, I knew nobody who’d been through this. Strangers. And I’m supposed to be marrying their son. Time to be brave. And mature. And cute. Don’t forget cute. Cute counts for a lot.

Tommy’s dad actually STOOD to greet me. I’m told that this is how gentlemen do it. I’ve seen Tommy do it. Now I know where it comes from.

His mom stood, too. I hugged her. I mean, that’s what you do, right? She was smiling before. She was smiling after. Maybe I’m right.

We sat down.

“Mom. Dad. This is HER.”

I guess that deep down inside I always wanted to be ‘her’. Now I am.

“She’s gonna marry me. Just like I said.”

Time for Mimi to keep smiling. “He’s MY guy,” I said. “Never gonna be another.”

His mom smiled. I think that’s a good sign.

“Mimi, Tommy’s been talking about you for several weeks. He’s sent pictures. They don’t do you justice. You’re precious.”

“Awww,” I said, my bashfulness not a bit premeditated nor feigned. “I’m just me. And I love ‘im.”

“Tommy says he’s thought this all out,” Mister Dalton said. “My son’s a thinker and a planner, so if he says it’s been analyzed, then we take his word for it.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Tommy said. “You make it sound like I’m a nut...”

“Not a nut, son,” his dad said. “Just a man who doesn’t make rash decisions. Mimi, how do YOU see him?”

“Solid,” I said, immediately wondering where that descriptor came from. “Tommy’s been careful and measured in his life. Except when he plays rugby.”

“Yeah, we have a few videos. Riskiest thing the boy’s ever done...” his dad said.

I’m looking at his mom and dad, seeing that Tommy’s a product, and I’m thinking that if he ages as well, Mimi’s got many years of having her skirt blown up, at least based on looks. Mentally? I love to listen to the guy talk. About anything. He could read the freakin’ phone book and make me love him. Deep, calm voice. Love it.

“You’re getting married up THERE?” his mom asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “All my friends, business associates – really, they’re the same thing. We have the place. And believe me, these people are anxious for me and Mimi to get married there with ‘em.”

“Not gonna ... Sane, right?” his dad asked.

“Sane in the craziest of ways, Dad,” Tommy told him. “They’re not conventional, but they’re terribly REAL. You won’t be outraged. No way. And you won’t be among strangers. My people up there are friendly in ways you can’t imagine...”

His mom looked to me. “Yes, Mizz Dalton. They just envelop people, bring them in. They did that to me. I’m the community nanny...”

“How old are the kids, hon?” Miss Dalton asked.

“Two-ish. I have pictures,” I said, whipping out my iPhone. “Lemme show you the sweetest kids on the planet.”

While the guys ordered appetizers, I introduced Mizz Dalton to Kathy, Little Stoney, Elise and JW. “My kiddos,” I said proudly.

She looked at me with the same blue eyes that Tommy uses. “You’re serious about this.”

“I love ‘em,” I said. “Getting PAID to hang out with this bunch? It’s wonderful. And Tommy, he’s an engineer. Works with some of the parents, so it’s even better...”

“They’re beautiful kids,” she said. “You and Tommy?”

I nodded. “In a few years. Let us get a bit ahead. Won’t take long...”

“You’ve talked with him?”

“Of course. He’s the guy I’m going to have babies with. He’s for it. I’m for it. It’s gonna happen. He already expects ... In a year or two, tops...”

“Unusual, dear...”

“I’m up to my eyeballs in beautiful babies. Smart babies, with parents who adore them. I want that for us, me and Tommy.”

She turned, interrupted. “Thomas, marry this girl before she gets away...”

“I intend to. So, you ‘n’ Dad, y’all gonna be there?”

“Honey,” Mizz Dalton said, “My baby boy’s getting married. Try to keep me away...”

His dad looked at us – me and his wife – and smiled.

I giggled. Okay, Mimi, let’s see how charming you can be. “Mister Dalton, I specifically ordered a sushi platter with YOU in mind...”

He looked at me. For a flash, I saw where Tommy gets his eyes. He turned to Tommy. “Son, you SURE you wanna marry a woman like that? They’re dangerous...”

“Look at ‘er, Dad,” Tommy said, defending me. “She’s so darned cute I can’t stand it. And she LIKES me.”

“Good enough,” Mister Dalton grinned. “Mimi,” he said, “Seems like you got my permission and his mom’s permission. All you gotta do is get past his sister. Older sisters think they have exclusive right to any abuse of the baby brother...”

“Maybe she can give me pointers,” I smiled.

“Oh, she’s a GOOD one, son.”

“He’s a good one, too,” I replied, patting Tommy’s arm.

The remainder of the evening descended into general conversation about what’s going on in everyone’s lives. The Daltons were fitting into their new cottage lifestyle, Mizz Dalton was part of a bridge club and a quilting circle, Mister Dalton was shooting skeet and playing golf and...

“At least once a month we get in the water to fish,” he said. “Maybe y’all can come down and you can go out with us,” he said.

“Dunno, Dad,” Tommy answered. “I hate to go off and have fun without my princess here.” His turn to pat MY arm.

“Oh, me ‘n’ your mom can hang out together,” I said, “While you menfolk go off and bring back food.”

“Yes, dear,” Mizz Dalton added. “You men can go off. We women will sit outside our cave, chewing animal skins to make you soft leather garments.”

I see where Tommy’s tendency towards sarcasm and vocabulary originates.

After dinner, we parted ways amid hugs in the parking lot. The plan is for us to have lunch with Tommy’s folks, during which I will meet his sister and her family, and after we survive that, we’re headed to mom’s, and I have a bit more trepidation about the meeting with Mom and her husband.

Of course you realize that I’ve had many appetites sated already tonight – good food, good conversation, loving family. Now I have to drag my Tommy into a hotel room and see whatever other appetites we need to work on.

My previous life as a ‘sex worker’ (sounds so much more pleasant than ‘whore’, doesn’t it?) wasn’t about me having fun. Even before, when I was a ‘sexually active’ teen, I didn’t find it particularly fun.

Now it’s fun.

I was a two-trick pony. Lay back and let the dude poke until he was finished, or bob my head in his lap until he was finished. Most of the clients were horny older guys and lasting long wasn’t something either participant worried about.

Okay, I’ve DONE the ‘head in his lap’ thing with Tommy. And it’s a whole new world. First, he’s clean, not just ‘disease-free’ clean, but ‘recent bath’ clean. I don’t have to put a condom on him before. And I LOVE it. He does, too. And when I feel and TASTE him nearing climax, I know what it means – not that I get my money and go, but that there’re things I can do to him that lift him off the bed.

And that other thing? Lay back? Okay, I can start out that way, but I WANT him and I couldn’t keep still to save my soul. What an epic position from which to practice wrestling moves. And the two of us have tried every position we can imagine and some of ‘em are more apt to produce orgasms than others, but it’s me and Tommy and instant orgasm isn’t the point at all. Total intimacy – him inside me, arms and legs twisted, pulling us ever closer together, that’s the point.

And this is our first week together and now it’s like I opened the book and actually read what’s in it and there are more pages waiting.

Last night I came right out and asked Tommy. “Am I, like, TOO eager?”

“About what?”

“You’n’ me, making love.”

“No. No. And no. You’re the fantasy I never could conjure up on my own,” he said. “I LIKE this...”

Where ‘this’ was me wrapping my legs around his waist, wiggling against everything I could wiggle against. Pure fun. With the guy I love, the way it’s meant to be.

We kinda slept in Saturday morning, finally got up, packed and loaded the car because after doing lunch and an afternoon with Tommy’s family, we were due to head a hundred miles away to my home town.

Just as well enjoy this. Here, I’m accepted. I guess it’s perception, okay? I mean, Tommy and I know my history but his family sees me simply as the girl that Tommy thought enough of to bring home and show off, preparatory to marriage.

We walked into his mom and dad’s house and got smacked by the smell of home cooking.

“Meat,” Mister Dalton said. “She’s making a roast. Potato casserole.”

“Mom’s throwing a feast,” Tommy said.

“I’m gonna go see ‘er,” I said. “Need to learn what makes Tommy happy.” I wiggled a little bitty bit as I squeezed past him. I know ONE thing that makes Tommy happy.

I was in the kitchen with Mizz Dalton, helping her spiff up the place, asking what her son’s favorite foods were when he was growing up. I heard the front door open, muffled voices, then a female a couple years older than me came in carrying a baby boy.

Knew he was a baby boy. He was wearing little blue overalls.

“You must be Mimi,” the girl said.

“And you must be the evil sister,” I answered. “Chloe, right?”

“Oh, yeah ... Mom, I need to change Brayden.”

“I’ll go with you,” I said.

She looked at me quizzically.

“Cute boy,” I added.

“Tommy said you’re, like, a nanny?”

“Yep,” I said with a certain amount of pride. “Three or four of the cutest kids around. Like this ‘un, ‘cept older. Twosies.”

“C’mon.” She headed up the hallway, dropped little Brayden onto the guest room bed. “Oh, lemme get the diaper bag,” she said.

“Where is it?” I asked.

“Kevin brought it in.”

“I’ll get it.” Bounced out, retrieved the bag, bounced back in. She was in the middle of the process.

“Three or four?” she asked. “That’s gotta be tough...”

“I thought so at first, but they’re used to me. They’re very smart. Two boys. Two girls. I have pictures...”

“You have pictures of other people’s kids?”

“Love ‘em like they were my own...”

“You ‘n’ Tommy talk about kids?”

“Yeah, kinda. We’re both pro-kid.”

“You MUST be special. Never figured my brother for the fatherly type,” she said. “You must be good for ‘im.”

“And vice versa. Synergy.”

She eyed me for that ‘synergy’ comment. “Tommy said you were smart.”

“Yeah, Tommy says that. I screwed up part of my life. Dropped out. Getting my GED in a couple of weeks, college after that...”

“While you’re working?”

“Did Tommy describe the people we work for?”