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My friends In Brazil, as with my buddies in the rest of South America. Leave a review, I'll understand.
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The Past Never Goes Away
Chapter 32
It didn't take long before all eyes, regardless of gender focused on the stunning young woman in the simple black dress.
"Man! Bro, Maddie looks fine tonight." Calvin comments, earning him a slap to the back of his head from Janine.
"I'm here. You notice another woman with your new wife standing here." The young blond turns as her naïve husband begins a sortie of apologetic phrases in hopes of settling his young bride.
"Cal is right." Chris nods at Xander as he speaks. "I know you use to have a thing for her. God! Did she ever look like that?"
"She was a bit of a tomboy." Xander sips his beer. "Always wanna go swimming, talkin' to me about learning to skin dive."'
"Skin is right. Damn, she looks like something outta magazine. She has the skin you just wanna touch. See if it's as silky as it looks."
"Chris, control those hormones. She's with Ben now…long time." The burly policeman sighs.
Chris' observation did not stray from the truth.
The off-shoulder bandage dress fit the young biologist exactly as the designer hoped for. Maddie's slender, yet supple shape appeared etched or highlighted by the line running along her feminine curves. Any movement of her head, even slight delicate turns emphasized to all in attendance the array of soft velvet-like curls atop this lovely woman.
The almost nothing black suede heels let those interested, fixated on a shapely calf above a delicate foot.
"What is she supposed to be?" Asked a casually dressed Hope. Her shape held in a slim pair of blue jeans over a white high top converse sneakers, with a black scoop neck Seattle Seahawk top. The usual standard dress worn for a night at the Anchor.
"I'm glad she's deciding to come out of her shell. It must be hard living with your Mom and Ben." Helen does not look at Hope as she speaks. Sipping the glass of club soda with a twist of lime occupies her attention. "They have such love for each other. Such a lovely family."
"You might be correct Helen." A smug expression grows on the young teenager. "She looks like she's not only coming out of her shell," the young blond smirks. "She looks like she's gonna pop out of that dress." Hope spits out a few chuckles.
"Hope, please." Begs Helen, wishing for the young girl to control her comments.
"She is a bit of a nuisance. I wish she would get her own room. All she wants to do is have sex with my parents."
Helen's eyes widen. The trio's love affair has been little more than an unfounded piece of gossip. Something Elaine Pownall had spread some months before.
Turning to the young girl, she tries to speak but is halted by Hope's further comments.
"Look at her. Tell me, Helen she isn't a…"
"Now, enough little girl. She has helped them…" Helen inhales. "She has helped you when that awful Tia tried to kill the both of you." The older woman's stern face stares at the young arrogant young woman. "She has helped all of us. Human, mermaid or," Helen needs to inhale to control her anger. "Hybrid." Her last word is whispered but with a strong tone.
"She did nothing. She is a weak human who is trying to…" Hope bites her lip. The woman she is talking to has attained a certain amount of respect and friendship with her mother.
Amid a clenched mouth, the frustrated young woman exhales. She turns from Helen and walks toward the door.
"Joe," Maddie smiles as she also moves toward the front door.
"Oh, hi Joe." Hope speaks in a soft tone, her smile grows as blue eyes flutter.
"Hello, ahh…" He struggles to remember her name. "Hope," he blurts out.
Speaking to the stunning woman in the black dress. "Maddie, you look fantastic. Now, we have to go to that place I told you about."
Joe had asked if she would be interested in dinner at a well know restaurant in Everett.
"I can't wait for some real Italian food." She adds. "I heard so much about that place. Lombardi's, I think."
"Yep, I reserved a table on their patio." His smile is growing, as is Hope's impatience to interrupt this moment.
"Well, I guess you two planned to leave our little get together?" After the question, Hope's finger begins to twirl a lock of her golden blond hair. "That's a nice suit, Joey." She leans back placing a delicate hand on her t-shirt. "Did you hope to match her outfit?"
Joe lets out a short chuckle.
"It may be charcoal gray, but nothing could match Maddie's dress." His eyes remain fixed on the young biologist. Hope extends slender fingers and brushes the lapel of the three piece suit. Moving her hand to the silk black tie with silver splotches along the front, "this feels so soft." Her whisper ends with a coy smile.
Helen sees the three of them from across the room. She hurries to distract from Hope's unwarranted advances.
She is too late.
"I guess if you took most of your clothes off, you'd match that outfit she is almost wearing."
"Hope, I have someone I want you to meet." The older woman ignores the girl's remark and continues. "He's my friend's son from Vancouver."
"Introduce him to Maddie, she's been lonely since she can't sleep with my parents."
"Enough!" Snaps Helen.
Maddie turns and walks to the front door. Joe is not far behind.
As he catches up with her, the couple can see Helen giving a piece of her mind to Hope.
"I can go home by myself." She whispers as a tear rolls down her cheek.
"You look too pretty to spend the night at home." His breath warms the air around her.
Or so she thought.
"And alone?" He shakes his head. "My car is right here." He has his keys in his hand. A sharp beep signals a ready vehicle.
"Do you really want to go for dinner with someone like me?"
"What?" He tilts his head toward her. "Don't mind that girl. She's a kid," Joe smiles. "I promised you a real Italian dinner. Damn, If I was home, I'd be making you some…" He pauses leaning his head as if pondering the next words. "Well, my mother would say you need some pasta." He takes her hand and walks to the Black Mercedes.
"Did your mother call you Joey?" She asks, featuring a smile.
"No," he snorts a hearty chuckle. "She'd call me Joseph." Joe's lips curl upward. "And if it was Jo…seph?" He takes a breath. "It meant I was getting hit in the head."
"Anyway, you know how to make meatballs?" Joe pushes through a grin.
A faint voice answers, "yes."
"No you don't." He opens the passenger side door. "Unless your name ends in a vowel…you gotta be taught."
"And I guess you're going to teach me?" She asks in a stronger tone.
"Well I was taught by the best."
"This is where the guy tells the girl…I can teach you a lot of things." She sits back on the leather seats. "And then raises one eyebrow to look devious."
"Maddie, I'm lucky I can teach you to cook meatballs. And even with that I have to wing it." He lets out a soft laugh. "The recipe is in New York."
Giggles enter the car as Maddie flashes an approving expression.
Joe sits still, looking at what he believes is a twinkle in her dark eyes.
A silenced Hope stands near a booth. Her eyes on the black two door heading for the exit and a thirty minute drive to Lombardi's and a night of Italian cuisine.
"You mean, only your mother called you Joseph?" A beaming Maddie asks. "Your teachers," she shifts her position to look at him. "An aunt, or maybe someone special?" It is now Maddie's turn to shoot one eyebrow upward. "Yes, she would have to be special." Maddie remarks.
Joe remains silent, a gentle smile has not left his lips.
Lombard's
Sitting at the square wooden table overlooking the marina sat a stunning young woman. Ashey beige platinum hair with subtle waves floated about her shoulders. Dressed in a form fitting blue jean jacket, she squirmed in her chair. The matching blue jeans fit her well-formed torso, though the stretch material did cause a problem when finding just the right position for comfort.
I like the salmon here. Jospeh is so different than any other human I've met.
She holds the menu as her thoughts begin to tumble through a turbulent mind. An angular pair of black horn-rimmed glasses slide down her nose.
I wonder what that bitch, Ryn would say? Her smirk grows.
She whispers to the menu. "I have someone. Someone like her precious freak human."
"Are you ready to order, madam?" The fifty-something waiter stands almost in a position of attention. His pad is in one hand and a black pen in the other.
"May I offer a suggestion?" He asks.
She nods.
"Today's salmon is fresh caught." As the veteran server rattles off options to enhance the dish, The woman sits as if interested. Her mind travels somewhere else.
The great Queen Ryn, oh we'll meet again. Once that stupid girl is in my hands, I'll finish you once and for all.