Emily's Home - Ginger's Out Ch. 11

"You beat me to it ya brat!" Yay big sister! "Pat's in college, Meg's ... well, Meg. Terese is the only one who may not understand things between the two of you and, to be honest, we're not a hundred percent sure of that, the way kids are these days. So just introduce her as 'Reenie' and let the kids figure it out." Jenny mentioning Patrick reminded me what I wanted to ask. "David and I are sure the two of you will be discreet. And the fact that you'll go to your hotel Saturday evening ... well, it just is what it is. Are you okay with that?" I was way more than okay with everything she'd said.

"You and I must be sisters or something." She laughed. "You hit everything Reenie and I talked about." Do I hear grumbling? You think I tell you everything?

"Hey, there was something I forgot to ask you last time we talked. It's terrible that I don't remember; is Patrick in his second or third year at Mizzou?"

Jenny laughed. "Silly Ginger. He's a sophomore. He's actually doing better in college than he did in high school. He says it's because he's taking courses he likes and wants to take. He has to work at it though; school has always come pretty easily for Megan, though she works hard as well."

I needed to wrap this up. "I haven't made our reservations yet but I will as soon as we're finished."

"The sooner the better Ginger. I know it's a high school, but extended families and the like ... do it soon okay?" I was already busy on the computer.

"Yuppers, I hear ya girl. I'll have the reservations made a few minutes after we're done. Anything else I should know?"

Jenny must have been thinking. "I'm gonna tell you what David said to me, honey. Don't be surprised if Terese says something to you about you and Reenie. She's really smart and very outspoken. But you probably already know that!"

I could only laugh. "Oh my god yes, she's just like Mom in that regard." Sisters were quiet as we remembered.

"Um, I have to go. One of my flock needs me. I love you Ginger. See you soon." I completed the reservation at the same Country Inn I'd stayed at the last time I had visited. And yeah, I did actually work!!

Speaking of, George had given me the heads up on a new project. We did the drawing for teams and the rest on Monday the 21st. Whether it was fate or coincidence, Kayla was one of the captains. She knocked on my door late Wednesday and asked if she could talk to me. I smiled and waved her in. She closed the door. Uh oh!

"Ginger, I need to talk to you about Deanna." Aw shit, this again? "It's not all the time, but she's making snide comments. It was one thing when it was the 'Dolls' but these teams are mixed and it's hard to get a read on who thinks what. I think some of the guys are uncomfortable but don't want to say anything. Plus, she's the floater." Oh great!!

I nodded and said, "Thanks Kayla, I appreciate your coming to me with this. I'll figure out a time to speak to Deanna." I shrugged and said, "One way or another, these kinds of things have a way of working themselves out ... I think!" I need to talk to George! Kayla was normally energetic but calm. She fidgeted in the chair and looked uncomfortable. I went with my gut and asked, "You seem kind of upset. What's on your mind?"

A smile formed on her cute face. "I really like you, Ginger. I liked Emily too; don't get me wrong." I laughed, knowing exactly what she meant. "She's gotten under my skin. There have been a few times I've nearly blurted out what I shared with you." Oh my god! She must have seen the look of concern on my face. "It's okay Ginger. Ever since I told you, Brittney, my honey, and I have talked about this." Her eyes twinkled as she said, "I don't think she'll be coming in on her day off any time soon." We both laughed. "But I'm tired of only a select few knowing who I am and who I love."

Wow, is she amazing or what? "Good for you! We live, we work, we love, and we have every right to do so just the way the Deanna's of the world do." She nodded. "You two do what feels right for you. Reenie and I are totally cool with what I did that day." I shrugged. "I love her and I was really glad to introduce her to all of you."

"How's she doing? Is her arm all healed up?"

"Yup, she's doing just great. The house is all furnished; she and I can finally call it home. You could probably hear her howls of delight every time a delivery was made." Kayla laughed. "You and Brittney can count on an invite when we have our open house." Her eyes sparkled and she got the biggest smile on her face.

"That's wonderful, Ginger. I guess you haven't settled on a date since you didn't mention one." Smart isn't she?

"We're going to St. Louis this weekend. My sister's second child is graduating from high school. We have to wait a few days for Reenie's June schedule to be posted before we settle on a date. But I'd count on a weekend in June."

I could see the gears working behind her eyes. "You said we; first time for Reenie meeting your sister's family?"

"Yup; we're going to drive. It's not bad ... about a six hour drive to St. Charles, which is just outside of the city. It'll be great; give us some time together, time to talk, have some fun. We're looking forward to it."

Kayla stood. "Thanks boss. I appreciate you listening." She smiled. "I always knew you were special. Getting to know you as my boss confirms what I always felt." Anybody understand why I nearly teared up?

After Kayla left, I slumped in my chair. 'Heavy lays the head that wears the crown.' I think! Ginger: shrugging!

We left on Friday after work. It was kind of a pain having to drive in rush hour traffic, at least till we got on the interstate. I-70 all the way to St. Louis, then follow the signs, just like the Rand McNally driving directions told me/us to. Once I had the route, I had looked for restaurants. Dinner was at Niemergs Steak House in Effingham, Illinois. Where else are you gonna find a menu that includes Buffalo chicken tenders and filet mignon. And I'm talkin' seven ounces for less than fifteen dollars!! Reenie whined about no beer until I reminded her we had a couple hours driving time left. Um, I may have mentioned that a clear mind might mean a very carnal night. We slept very well if not very long ... oh never mind!!

I HATE MY SISTER!! She called at an obscene hour. I mean, the graduation is like next year or something. Holy crap, it's ten in the morning. Reenie, wake up!!! Anyway, we had to hurry, shower (which was fun!), get dressed, and find something to eat. Praise the lord, their breakfast was wonderful! We caught the tail end of it and then hurried back to the room to get dolled up. My heart is bursting thinking of how cute my honey looked in her dress. Only I would know she was ribboned. Ginger: evil!

Details: The graduation wasn't until two in the afternoon. Jenny wanted us there early enough so they could get Meg to the school on time and get decent seats. You may remember the drive from the hotel to their house was like nothing. David greeted us with hugs and kisses. I hugged and kissed him; Reenie looked at me wide-eyed. I laughed.

"You must be Maureen ... or Reenie, as Jenny calls you. Welcome, it's a pleasure to meet you." Her eyes met mine; he got the full hundred watt smile. "Why don't you come in, let Ginger go upstairs to see her sister and the girls, and I'll get you some coffee." Isn't he the best?? I smiled at my heart, squeezed her hand, and headed upstairs to bedlam.

Hysterical!! I remember the chaos of being a teenager, however vaguely, and the fussing with my Mom and my younger sister. If you've followed my/our story, you may remember David standing against the wall, watching as the girls fawned over me. I stood in the doorway of my sister's bedroom and watched the mayhem. No reason to say a word!! Terese happened to turn her head, caught me in the doorway, and screeched, "Aunt Emmy!!" Umm!

I was smothered in hugs and kisses. Jenny and I looked at each other; her eyes glistened as the smile on her face grew brighter. I walked the few steps to my sister. We whispered our little nothings as we hugged. Uh huh, we both had tears.

Jenny said, "Come on girls, let's go meet Ginger's friend Maureen." They both froze, turned to their mother, then to me.

I smiled and said, "She's wonderful. I know you'll like her. I do!!" They looked at their Mom, who looked at me. "Lead the way, Jen." She did. David and Reenie were as casual as can be on the couch. I'm laughing, thinking about it. If you knew David like I do, you'd be as relaxed with him as Reenie was that Saturday!!

Reenie saw the girls, looked at me and stood. Eyeing the two of them like the cop she is, she said, "You must be Megan! Congratulations honey." She gave Meg a little hug and turned to a very standoffish Terese. "Ginger has told me so much about you, Terese. I'm very glad to meet you." Biggest smile!!

I saw their eyes flick between their parents, me, Reenie and each other ... all in the space of about five seconds. Shrug!

I looked at Jen, then David, moved so Reenie and I were next to each other, smiled and said, "My Reenie is really special to me." I looked at her and smiled. "We're both very excited to be here for Megan's graduation." Yup, it was a little 'awks' as Megan would say. I guess that's how kids that age talk. It was obvious their parents were okay with Reenie so we'd let them take their time and see how adorable she really is.

David, god bless him, knowing what I'd just done, said, "Why don't the three of you finish whatever you were doing so we can get to the graduation." Thank you David!! The three of them hurried up the stairs!! He turned to me and said, "That was perfect Ginger." He looked at Reenie and said, "I can see you two are as much in love as Jen and I are." I'm not lying; he really did say exactly what I typed. I yelled at my redhead to come look. She nodded, smiling, and ... uh oh! I'll be back some time soon. I think!!

If you're wondering about my nephew – never fear. He was 'window dressing.' When his mother called him in to meet us, he looked, got the biggest grin on his face, and hurried to hug me. Oh My God!! The baby-faced boy I knew from five years ago was taller than his father, handsome as can be, and squeezed the breath out of me. And I loved it!

Gasping for air, I kissed his cheek and said, "My god Pat, you must need one big stick to keep the women at bay." His sisters were hysterical. He blushed. I smiled and said, "I don't know if your Mom and Dad told you about her, but I'd like you to meet my Reenie." I motioned to her with my arm and held her close to me. "She's really special. I'm so glad to get the chance to for all of you to meet her and get to know her."

The kid didn't bat an eye. He smiled, shook Reenie's hand, and said, "Nice to meet you." I guess there's more than one kind of 'education' that goes on in college.

Reenie was just spectacular. "Ginger, your Aunt Emily, was really unhappy that she missed your graduation, Patrick. I'm glad we could both be here this weekend. Plus, I get to meet all of you." She had to stand on tip toes to give him a peck on the cheek. He blushed! Jenny and I made eye contact. She winked; I smiled.

It wasn't a very long drive to the school. Jenny and Megan hurried to do whatever they needed to while David led us into the gymnasium to find seats. Jenny found us when she was ... whatever! The graduation was boring and fabulous. Not my kid, but it was my kid sister's daughter. Like Reenie said, I was really glad we were there for Megan. Besides, I had this fabulous redhead next to me, holding my hand!! She hissed warnings about later. Reenie: ribboned!

David, playing the role of doting father perfectly, had a dozen roses waiting when Megan came out after the proceedings had ended. Reenie and I were introduced to a seemingly endless array of parents and grads. There were some interesting looks at the two of us but overall it was okay. I'm positive it was intentional and I know it was appreciated that David stood close to Reenie while Jen was by my side. No, we didn't hold hands. I might get some raised eyebrows, but it just wasn't the right thing to do. This day wasn't about us; it was about Megan and her parents.

As we walked to the car later (yeah, their SUV was big enough to hold all seven of us) I mentioned to David that Reenie and I wanted to pay for the dinner we were heading for. He looked at me as if I'd just told him I had leprosy!

"Come on Dave, I got promoted, you've got three kids." I shrugged. "Let big sister do something beside just show up. Please." I never call him Dave. Only Jen does, which I knew. It was Ginger breaking out the Butler sister's charm.

"I don't like it very much, Ginger, but if you insist ... okay." I did say please, which I'm not sure is insisting. But who am I to argue. They'd made a reservation at the Bonefish Grill. The menu was great. I looked at the wine list and stopped when I saw they had J. Lohr Chardonnay! Sold! Honest to god, Reenie couldn't stop grinning at the draft beer list. I pointed to the 'Skinny Dip,' which had us both giggling. Reenie pointed at something called 'Dead Guy Ale.' I knew what she meant – Fred. Remember? My ex and the sweater thing? We laughed about it later ... still do actually!!

The menu was astonishing. Minx pointed to 'Lily's Chicken.' I just about lost it!! I have to share this little gem. I laughed out loud when I saw a dish called, 'Bang Bang Shrimp.' The girls looked at me. I had to explain.

"An author I like, Robert B. Parker, had a book that included twin sisters who were nicknamed 'The Bang Bang Twins.' It just struck me as hysterical that a restaurant would have that name for a dish they serve." David and Jenny laughed. Reenie turned red stifling her laughter. Neither Meg nor Terese seemed to have a clue what I was talking about.

How funny - Patrick asked me for the name of the book. I grabbed my notepad, scribbled the title, and handed it to him.

I did get Megan to laugh though. "Meg, I wonder if the Bonefish Grill's takeout menu is called 'phone fish.'" Reenie choked on her beer. My sister looked at me as if I was from another planet. David grinned.

After the server took our orders and drinks had been served, David gave a wonderful toast to his daughter. It's private!!

It took a while, but Terese finally got around to asking, "Aunt Emmy, how did you and Reenie meet?"

We looked at each other and smiled. "I'm a Dayton police officer. I pulled your aunt over one morning for speeding." Jenny and David knew of course. The kids cracked up.

"I was daydreaming, not paying much attention. There wasn't much traffic." I looked at Reenie, smiled and said, "She let me off with a warning. I thought she was cute, so I gave her my phone number. She surprised me and called ... maybe a week later." I shrugged. "That's how it all started."

Terese asked her Mom, "You and Daddy knew all about this?"

Jenny responded calmly, "Yes. Emily called one night; we had a long talk." She looked at me and smiled. "I won't lie; I was a little shocked at first." I knew what was coming and had to fight back tears. "I knew she'd been miserable with Bill for a long time. It was a relief when she told me they were getting divorced." She looked at each of their children as she talked. "You can probably see how much they are in love. I'm happy for both of them." I wiped my eyes with a napkin. My honey squeezed my hand.

Reenie bailed me out. "We're having an open house next month. I know your Mom and Dad will be there; if the three of you can make it, we'd love to have you see the house."

Megan chimed in, "My club team has tournaments and stuff all summer. I guess it depends on when you have it."

That gave me a chance to ask, "Meg honey, it's great you're going to Northwestern. You must be so excited. I don't know much about lacrosse but I know that team is ... how many championships have they won?"

Megan beamed as she said, "They won five in a row, lost in 2010, and won last year. In fact, they're in the championship today against Syracuse. I'll watch it later. It's kinda scary, but I'm super excited." Her Mom and I exchanged glances.

"I'm sure we'll get to see you play."

David added, "It's really an honor for Meg. Most of the kids on the top programs come from the East Coast. The level of competition there is pretty intense from what we hear."

Terese wasn't finished. "You two live together?"

"Shut up brat. They're adults; they can be in love just like Mom and Dad are." Terese glowered at her brother. "Well it's true! Especially if ... Ginger was as miserable as Mom said she was. If she's happy, what difference does it make who she falls in love with?" Good grief.

"It's okay Terese." I smiled warmly to reassure her that I meant what I said. "I appreciate your brother saying what he did. We're just trying to find our way through a relationship like anybody else would. It's not a problem in the least if you're uncomfortable. I hope it'll grow on you like this one has on me." I smiled at my redhead, who stuck her tongue out at me. That got a laugh out of the five of them!

Dinner was great. There were seven different orders – fish, chicken, and beef. I had to have the Lily's chicken. Chicken breast, goat cheese, sautéed spinach, artichoke hearts and a lemon basil sauce – it was delicious. I teased Reenie about the halibut; she ordered rainbow trout in lemon butter – absolutely mouth watering good! We both had a baked potato.

The conversation was delightful. Reenie shared some of her background; Pat was interested in her military experience. It was a warm, lovely evening. Jenny raised an eyebrow when I gave the server my credit card. I winked. Little miss never misses a thing asked, "Why are you paying Aunt Ginger? My Dad normally does that." Reenie giggled. Kid's a hoot!

"Honey, Reenie and I are happy to be with all of you this weekend. It's a pleasure to have such a lovely dinner together and it's not a problem whatsoever to pick up the tab."

When we got back to the house everyone watched the Northwestern lacrosse game but Pat. He left nearly immediately for a date with what his sisters said was his hottie girlfriend. Megan was glued to the game, pointing out players she'd met on her visit. She seemed particularly enthused about Shannon Smith, commenting that she held several records. It was a back and forth game with Northwestern prevailing in the end.

"Back-to-back championships; how cool is that?"

"That's quite the challenge Meg. Good luck to you." Megan blushed at Reenie's comment.

We said our goodbyes after agreeing to meet back at the house before going out to breakfast.

"It's roughly a six hour drive. I think we'd like to be home by seven or eight; we're an hour ahead as you know."

Jenny smirked and said, "Yes, sister of mine, I know. How about you two get here around ten. We can take two cars so you can get on the interstate after breakfast."

I looked at Reenie; she shrugged. "Sounds like a plan." Goodbyes were warm. I made sure to whisper a few words to Terese to let her know we were okay with her. My sister and I had a moment that I think only sibs can have. Our hug was ... please excuse me for a moment.

The drive back to the hotel was quick. The rest of the night wasn't!! Reenie had been a very good girl, having been ribboned all day. She made me pay in the shower and afterward. I'm laughing as I write about it.

She growled in my ear, "I'm gonna make you melt like ice at the equator." She made good on her 'promise.'

I didn't know she had packed a couple of our toys. Nor did I know she had the toy she surprised me with that night. She called it a 'g-spot vibe' before we fell asleep. She loved my breasts while her fingers teased my pearl ... and more. I thought I'd had about every kind of orgasm possible. I was wrong. They came one after another after another. I thought she'd finished with me when she removed the toy. Wrong!