When We Meet Again

“Would you like that juiced or diced?” Luigi asked.

“Diced thank you,” Meaghan said with a smile. She really was jonesing for the sweet juice of an orange running out of the mouth as she bit into it. Even thinking about it got her excited. She guessed that’s what people meant by food p*rn.

“I’ll have some grapes if you have them,” Dean said but Meaghan was barely listening, still caught up in her orange fantasies.

“What are you thinking about?” Dean asked his tone a bit sharper than was warranted.

Meaghan smiled, “Oh just my vitamin C deficiency,” she said.

Dean’s expression darkened, “That’s the first I’ve heard of malnourishment putting a smile on someone’s face. Especially that blissful kind of smile.”

Meaghan’s smile widened. “Are you jealous of my orange fantasies?” she asked in disbelief.

Dean’s frown lightened but not by much. “I’m jealous of anything or anyone that makes you look like that,” he said. Meaghan’s smile was like the sun coming out especially on a cold November day such as that one was turning out to be.

Dean’s frown disappeared, “That’s better. Smile at me like that.”

“Wow; Cro Magnon much?” she asked.

“Guilty,” he smiled at her without even a hint of shame.

“The things you learn about a guy…”she murmured and then leaned back so the waiter could place her diced oranges in front of her. she picked up a quarter and studied it in anticipation and then tried to fit the entire thing in her mouth, attentive audience notwithstanding.

“You weren’t kidding about that orange fetish,” Dean commented placing a grape delicately on his tongue and chewing slowly.

“Nope,” Meaghan murmured around her orange.

They ate in silence mostly so that Meaghan didn’t choke on her orange and then Dean ushered her out after taking care of the bill. Dean watched her walk in front of him as they headed to the car. She was wearing flats and jeans with a warm sweater on top. Her ass swayed from side to side as she walked and he followed the movement, wondering if he could persuade her to change direction and come to his place instead of going home. He shook his head like a dog shaking the water out of his ears; he had resolved not to do that until he had more clarity on the direction in which they were headed. It wouldn’t be fair to jerk her around first one way then another. Besides, she must be tired from her night shift and she probably just wanted to sleep. A treacherous voice in the back of his head told him that she could sleep just as easily in his bed as hers.

“I have to go to work,” he told it curtly. Meaghan turned around to look at him.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing. Just…nothing,” he said shaking his head in embarrassment. Meaghan looked at him strangely and he didn’t blame her a bit. Then she turned around and kept walking presenting the origin of his problems to him again in full technicolor, swaying gently from side to side and turning all his good intentions to mush. He hurried forward and cupped his hand against her ass, just…feeling. He closed his eyes and breathed in. She stopped walking abruptly and turned her head to look quizzically at him; he opened his eyes and looked back at her, letting her see everything going on in those green depths – the confusion, the desire, the need…she stared at him as if transfixed for a moment that seemed to last a lifetime. Then she resumed walking like nothing had happened, coming to a stop by the passenger door and waiting for him to open it for her.

He clicked the alarm off and then opened her door for her and settled her in the seat and then he went around to the driver’s side and slid in, stopping before putting the key in the slot to stare out at nothing.

“Where are we going?” he asked dumping the decision in her lap.

“I thought you were taking me home?” she said cool as a cucumber. Dean resented her calm when his heart was going like a trip hammer and there was a shake in his hands just from that brief contact. He inhaled deeply.

“Okay,” he said. She nodded her agreement and they were off to her mother’s place.

By the time they got there it was 9am and the area was bustling. Mr. Henley’s garage was open, there was an open air salon set up by one of the trailers with women’s hair drying by sunlight as they read magazines. People were smoking in the designated smoking area of the park and Meaghan’s mother was just preparing to go to work. In fact she was locking the front door as they drove up.

“Hey mom,” Meaghan said alighting from the vehicle.

“Good morning,” her mother replied looking first at the car and then at Dean who was emerging from the other end of it. She stood expectantly and Meaghan obliged her.

“Mom, this is Dean Wesson. Dean? This is my mom,” she said putting at the relevant person as she introduced them. Dean walked up the stairs to shake her mother’s hand, indicating that he was glad to meet her and complimenting her on a daughter well brought up. Meaghan’s mother simply nodded and asked him if he wanted to come in.

“Oh but I thought you were on your way out?” he said.

“I think I have a few minutes to visit with my daughter’s new friend. I think I know everyone that Meaghan is friends with quite intimately…except you,” she said. Her voice wasn’t exactly cold, it wasn’t gushing with warmth either.

“Okay,” Dean said with a shark’s smile. “Let’s talk.”