A Tragedy Resurfaces

"Wow a holiday with the girls really revs you up."

"Darling, now don't get upset but the girls have asked would you come away with us next time."

"You mean..."

"Yes darling, you screwing the four of us in one big heap."

Dean's eyes almost popped out on to the floor. He swallowed to allow the rush of blood to subside and then said, "Darling I would rather devote my full attention just to you. Fucking three other women as well seems rather, um, tatty."

"Oh my darling man," Reese cried in delight. "That reply exceeded my most optimistic expectation. Quickly, snort into my pussy. Nothing else revs me up like that, especially when you also squeeze both breasts. My hero."

Reese called Dean at work next morning. "I have great news. I'm getting a new car. I was driving mom to the hairdresser's in my car and she began sniffing and asked what was that. I couldn't smell anything and wondered perhaps one of my disc brakes was faulty. Then she cried, 'Ohmigod, I know what that is' and turned and looked on to the back seat and yelled, 'There still a wet patch in the middle of the seat'. So I'm to throw away my car for a new one and she'd renting us an apartment because she thinks having sex parked under trees in a car is dangerous, and she ought to know, whatever that means. Does it mean she used to do that?"

"She probably still does darling."

"God Dean you are foul. Oh, she wants me to live home weekdays so the apartment would be just a love nest and weekend hangout. That would be okay wouldn't it?"

"Yeah."

"I said I'd ask you and she said okay and had I asked you about something that had been discussed. Then the bitch refused to tell me what it was."

"Isn't it foul calling your mom a bitch?"

"I certainly did not."

"You did so."

"Did not... oh well just in jest."

Dean said thank you and Reese said he was welcome.

"We'll go out to dinner tonight and I'll outline everything."

"Outline?"

"I'm saying nothing more. You are attempting to probe."

"And you and mom are two assholes. I don't know why I put up with it."

"Calm down darling. The sky is in no risk of falling in just because something is being kept from you."

Pushing her hair back Reese said, "Oh you're such a calming influence on me Dean when I get like this."

"Well I like you being competitive so don't change."

"Oh darling. You are so sweet. Let's meet at 6:00. I won't be able to wait till 8:00."

"Okay. Tess is scowling at me because we have customers waiting. Bye Hot Pussy."

"What?"

The call was terminated.

* * * Reese now drove a new Ford Focus coupe that was narrower than her previous vehicle.

"Who picked the car?" he said after kissing Reese and turning with an arm around her to view the near-new looking very low mileage vehicle.

"Mom did. Well she was the real buyer."

"Notice anything?"

"Yes it has lovely lines."

"True but a narrower back seat than the vehicle it replaces."

Reese gaped and then giggled, "The bitch. She was upgrading me so significantly I just didn't think. She wondered if you'd like my old car."

"No thanks, you said it smelled."

"Right but I didn't point that out to her. I just said you'd want to choose your own car but thanked her for the offer."

After clicking wine-glasses Dean was straight into it. "When you were away your parents invited me for dinner and invited me to research their operation and to come up with a restructuring proposal. What they would like to see is forming a new company with me taking at least a small stockholding and me running that company to act as director of operations of their properties, the company taking over from the outside management company they're using now."

"Jesus."

"Does that mean you think it's a good or a bad proposal?"

Reese scratched under the right hand side of her bra. "I really don't know yet."

"Well talk to me."

She smiled, "Is this what you'd planned to do?"

"I suppose not but I'd intentionally kept almost all options opened. The only thing about this proposal that's surprising is it came completely as a surprise."

"That would be mom. She's like that."

"Also it had not occurred to me there was opportunity in that quarter."

"Are there any other quarters?"

"Only one approach, from Sam Liederbach who was at your parent's lunch the other Sunday. His PA called me yesterday and Sam would like to take me out to lunch soon, to call when I had some suitable times."

"He has a company that specializes in renovating large-span sports stadiums so that's significant isn't it?"

"He's not homosexual?"

"God Sam Liederbach. Are you kidding?"

"Well then yes it is significant. He has something in mind and so has commenced a fishing expedition and is preparing to bait a hook for me if I shape up. If it's only Sam and me at lunch it would be touch and go, but if he arrives with at least one other person I'll know they mean business."

"God grown men playing boy's games."

"Wait until you're been caught in a pincher movement by grown men darling and you might suddenly revise that casual assessment."

"Nice wine."

"Nice bailout. You really are rather skilled for someone so impetuous but you are your mother's daughter. You two are the brains of the family, right? Your mom sounds everything off you."

"My mom is careful, if that's what you mean. Also don't expect me to give away family secrets when you could be negotiating big-time with my parents. Dad possesses two or three million bucks through his own endeavors but mom controls really big money, much of it hers."

"I'd guessed as much."

"May I tell them about Sam's offer."

"Only if it slips out. Your parents appear straight shooters to me. There's no need to pressure them."

"God, aren't you a gentleman? Tell me, why don't you allow me to meet your parents."

"It's just a preference not a prohibition. I've told you in some respects they died when my elder sister died all those years ago. If you wish I'll arrange for you to visit. I'd prefer not to be there."

"I find this weird Dean but understand the tragedy and their reaction must have had a traumatic effect on you. Please arrange the meeting but there's no rush. At their home would be best, perhaps in the garden."

"Okay."

"How old were you when this happened?"

"Sixteen."

"Jesus."

"There's been no shortage of money because both their parents endowed them well with their estates. I received the best schooling desirable, attending boarding schools because that got me away from the shrine."

"The what?"

"It's a shrine for them. My sister's body was brought home and my parent's had to be restrained when the funeral director and team arrived."

"Ohmigod, this is terrible. Darling would you mind if mom accompanied me?"

"I suppose not."

"Darling I really need to know if you approve?"

"Yes, I totally approve but explain the background to your mother and say my parents will be pleasant enough but they have deliberately chosen their pathway. Hitting them with a big stick will achieve nothing, although I anticipate Susanne would have no intention of attempting that. You'll find my parents mildly sociable and not at all dangerous."

Reese burst into tears and ran around to Dean to be hugged. It make things worse for her when she saw tears in his eyes but she avoided making undue disturbance, simply allowing her body to be raked by huge sobs. After awhile Dean signaled to the attentive waitress to bring the mains they'd ordered and by the time she arrived with them Reese was back on her chair smiling, her make-up repaired.

"It's astonishing you appear to bear no scars of your blighted childhood," Reese said, toying with her curry.

"I coped by eventually coming to understand all I had to do was to keep away from that house as much as I could. I probably had more sleepovers when at high school than any other kid at the school. That was great training for me in learning about management of human relations because I'd not possess any sign of being particularly popular before the tragedy. I pushed myself and outside the classroom also began to excel in sports and other activity and gradually I found myself with friends. Mothers of those kids, especially for that first year, knew who I was because my sister's death had been splashed over media because she was horribly crushed when the fully loaded dump truck rolled over and flattened her car."

"Oh god," Reese said, pushing away her curry.

"Please eat. This is all history, there is no need to try to relive it."

"I'm just so sad for me."

"Well don't focus on it, please don't. If you begin feeling excessively sorry for me I won't be able to trust what you say to me. Believe me, I have to trust you in that way if we are to marry."

"Marry?" Reese said, sitting up from her slouch. "Oh god, tell me about it."

"Well we appear to be heading in that direction. I think you'll understand that I'd prefer to be back into permanent work before I take on the commitment of marriage."

"Yes, yes I can understand that," she gushed. "I want to work until I begin having babies. I need you to understand that. In the present heavily social bias I have in working for mother I really can't call work."

"Well we'll go down that path in our discussions. I've already loosely suggested your mother and you be incorporated into the company structure. I didn't mean it that way but if your mother were allocated real responsibility that could wean her off you although perhaps not altogether. Either way it's no problem to me. I am delighted though to hear you want real work. If we are to proceed with their restructuring we must ensure we don't lose you. I can see you now, in your tight jeans and boots, a thick shirt pushed out by your tits and wearing a hard-hat and inspecting the work of contractors and their subcontractors. God all the guys would walk around with a hand on their dick."

"Don't be so disgusting. Ask anyone; I'm a great organizer with a good eye for detail. I could be understudy to the contracts supervisor to lean the ropes before taking over."

"That's good to see, enthusiasm. I still can believe you allowed your mom to put you in a coupe."

"I still have five days left of the right to negotiate an exchange without penalty."

"Nah let's look for this love nest you said your mom spoke about. As long as I'm engaged in helping her sort out her business interests I don't mind using accommodation she's providing."

"Oh goodie, I'd been waiting for that declaration. I'll begin looking tomorrow. I'm feeling very much better. This curry really is quite delightful and not at all like the heavy brute concoction men favor. We ought to have great sex tonight with me empowered by curry and you munching steak. We should take a hotel room."

"My thoughts exactly. We'll book into a luxury suite for three nights."

"Oooh."

* * *

Susanne said when her mom asked that she park in the street, "Ready for a quick getaway mom?"

"Don't by silly. I think we should tread softly, softly."

"That's you talking sense mom."

Susanne glared and let that one go. The idea that she didn't always talk sense was preposterous.

It was a fine, windless day and as they walked up the drive they heard Mrs Armstrong call, "Hello, we're over here in the shade under this big tree."

"God she's set out a banquet," Susanne whispered.

Reese muttered, "It's probably the little cakes that have been sprinkled with arsenic."

"Behave yourself. You're acting like a silly schoolgirl."

"It's the way I cope with nerves, or haven't you ever noticed."

"Oh please Reese, shut up. You're putting me on edge."

"Hi Mrs Armstrong. I'm Susanne Dayton and this is my daughter Reese."

"Why hello and welcome to our home. I'm Shona and this is Dan. I often see your photograph in the newspapers and magazines."

"Well yes, usually associated with my charity work. I rarely reach for notoriety."

"That's why most women are boring," said Mr Armstrong.

Mrs Armstrong snapped, "Say nothing unless you can say something sensible."

He looked closely at the two visitors and said, "Which one of you is dating my son?"

"My daughter sir."

"I see. Well Dean doesn't talk about you much young lady but he has told us you have spark in you and you have humor. When will you marry my son?"

Reese had done some rehearsing on what she'd say. She'd not expected the opportunity to make a positive thrust so early but Mr Armstrong was not exactly an idiot. It was Mrs Armstrong who appeared to be away with the fairies.

"We'll probably set the date soon after you give your approval sir and promise me you'll come to the wedding, bringing Mrs Armstrong?"

"She doesn't go out much."

"So there's no wedding?" challenged Reese, hearing her mom suck in breath.

"I'll be there."

"And so will I you silly old goat. Julia would be thirty-one now and she would have loved going to weddings. I must go to represent her."

Mother and daughter exchanged deep looks aware a huge breakthrough had been achieved without even trying. Mild shock showed on both of their faces.

"I'll fetch coffee," Mr Armstrong said standing up. He was slim and very tall, taller than Dean.

"May I accompany you sir?"

"Ah want to spy through our house do you?"

"Oh yes please. Will you please assist me to spy?"

He laughed, he actually laughed and Reese thought that was not a rusty laugh. What was going on here?

Susanne sat close to Mrs Armstrong and took the plunge. "I was greatly distressed to hear about your daughter."

"Yes it was sad."

Mrs Armstrong had shown no sign of being upset so Susanne pushed a little more.

"I daresay your daughter continues to live within you."

"Yes,"

"I think that's wonderful."

Mrs Armstrong glanced at Susanne. "You are a very intelligent woman."

"Thank you. Would you like me to set a chair beside you at the wedding if there is to be a wedding for Julia."

"You called her Julia."

"Oh goodness, I'm so sorry."

"No, don't you see. You have been the only person in years to call her Julia when speaking to me. Everyone calls her your daughter, Dan calls her our daughter and Dean always calls her his sister or my daughter. Don't you see?"

Susanne wasn't sure if this was only about identity but she had the sense to say, "I would be honored if you will allow me to call her Julia in your presence."

"Please do and that is very kind of you. Dean told me you were a very lovely woman. You'll forgive him won't you?"

"Forgive him for what?"

"For seeing you as his mother. He's not mad, only deeply emotionally scarred. Big sister Julie was the world to him and she went and died. When the people came from the funeral parlor to claim Julie's body as they were legally entitled to do Stan and I became rather overcome emotionally and there was a bit of a commotion. Poor Dean was only sixteen and he became hugely upset and had to be sedated. He refused to speak for a month and we were advised by specialists to let him be. Then exactly one month after Julia's death he disappeared one morning. We were frantic and the police went to the school to question a couple of his very close friends and the police found Dean seated between them and talking again."

"Ohmigod, you poor darling."

"It's been smooth-going for a long time but was very rough for us at the time. For two years afterwards he occasionally claimed Julia had been talking to him but then he never claimed that again and these days avoids conversation about her if he can. That's why he's not here today. He could have gotten time off work but he knew I'd talk to you about Julia because he knows you are the type of woman to gently pursue something like that."

* * *

Reese was driving her mom's black Cadillac CTS-V home, listening to Susanne repeat the conversation she'd had with Mrs Armstrong.

"Ohmigod," Reese said when her mom finished.

"Can you see the changed situation?"

"Yes mom. Dean's parents are not at all odd. His father became quite cheerful showing my through the house. It has beautiful polished floors and magnificent ceiling lights and was very tidy throughout. The problem that Dean attributes has switched to him being the center of their problem, though his parents still grieve for their daughter, perhaps a little bit too much to be termed normal."

"Exactly dear but don't jump to conclusions. In my opinion Dean is very well adjusted and totally normal apart from this blip. On that dreadful day part of his mind closed down and failed to return to normal."

"I think you're right He knows his sister died terribly because he's told me but he told me that without the slightest hint of changed emotion. It's Dean that is locked back in that time, at least a little portion of him, rather than his parents being in that position. They are no different to some other older people we know... a little introverted who they prefer keeping to themselves."

"Yes dear. I agree. I'm confident there's nothing to fear and probably there is a chance he'll snap out of it one day when he's older and is moving to settle down. I like the thought he and you will one day take your first child to visit Julia's grave."

"So her name's Julia?"

"Yes, and Mrs Armstrong told me where her grave is. She and Mr Armstrong visit it every Friday and then do their week's main shopping."

"Mom, if you don't mind I feel a little spooked. And why are you so definite there will be a wedding and at least one child?"

"There's no reason for that really. I just seem to know. He's right for you darling."

"I know he is."

"Your father met him for lunch today. We wish to suggest he finishes up soon at the mobile phone store and then goes on temporary salary with us, say for three months, while he thoroughly assesses the businesses and conducts a proper audit of our properties, using consultants. As Monroe says, to sort the chaff from the cheese."

"The saying is sort the wheat from the chaff isn't it?"

"Yes but you know how your father likes his little jokes. He also thinks if we complete that restructuring and everything is ticking over we should quit the chaff after they are upgraded for sale and then acquire replacements with potential to be substantially upgraded and on-sold at our convenience."

"Managing that kind of operation will have Dean flaring at the nostrils."

"You said he has money coming free in Europe at the end of next month?"

"Yes but he didn't say how much. It could be substantial and he will be buying a new car."

"Well he won't need to buy a car because a company car will be part of his recruitment package. Also your father and I will float the operational company with 50,000 shares and have decided Dean can purchase his initial stake if he wants to do that and then to build up his stake with us selling stock to him. If he is to be come seriously involved with you darling we want him to be part of the family."

"Damn it mom, you're making me cry," Reese said, flicking at her eyes with one hand. "You two are so wonderful to me."

CHAPTER 4

Sunday morning dawned brilliantly and after wake-up chat merged into sex, Reese and Dean were in the Jacuzzi on the deck of their hotel room. Dean had brought the coffee and mugs and Reese had quickly filled bagels.

They concentrated on keeping crumbs out of the pool and then Dean yawned and asked what would she like to do that day.

"In an hour's time lets go to the cemetery."

"For what purpose?" he said coolly.

"Your mom told my mom where your sister lies buried. Well today I'm asking to be taken there."

"No."

"Are you sure about that answer?"

"Christ Reese, why are you attempting to give me a hard time over this?"

"Dean Armstrong. I intend marrying you but no way will I do that before I talk to Julia about it."

"My sister is dead."