Chapter 22 *
Mon heard them pull out of the drive as she went to wake up Nicole. If she didn't get up now, she'd never go to bed tonight. Waiting for Nicole to decide she'd sat on the potty long enough, Moni was listening to her inner selves argue. "Where is your resolve? Cripesa Friday, do you know how long it's been since a man treated me that way? What was I supposed to do? You could have gotten up off the bed, but no you lay there like a corpse. Which reminds me-I'm sure he enjoyed that-might as well have been kissing his sister(if he had one) for all the effort you gave him. Makeup my mind, either you're going to throw caution to the wind or you're going to get gungy once more."
Nicole interrupted her mother's musings. "Mom, I want tacos!"
"Ok, ok I'll get dinner going before you're in danger of wasting away to nothing."
When Dad and Kirsten returned, Moni was just wrapping up dinner with Nicole. Before she started to put everything away she made sure to inquire if they had eaten. Dad retired to the living room with Nicole and the evening paper. Kirsten gave her sister a hand with the table.
"So how was your day?" Moni asked.
"It was good. Amy knew of some great places to take Dad."
"Good, I'm sure he enjoyed himself."
"Yeah. He spotted this little Italian restaurant and took us out to lunch. I'm still stuffed. The portions were huge and the price wasn't bad for it either."
"Have you spoken to Matt?"
"No, not yet. Amy is going to give me a buzz when they check in to the hotel. He'll know how to reach me when he's ready."
"I take it your not upset with him?"
"No, I guess I really can't be. He didn't actually leave with anyone that I saw. I can hear him out before I get upset."
"I don't think you'll be disappointed."
"What do you mean? How do you know? Wait, was Jeff here today?"
"Yes, but we didn't talk about Matt. Amy and I had that conversation this morning."
"you're not going to fill me in are you?"
"Nope. That is for Matt to handle."
"Once again, traitor, I'm not liking you right now."
"What else is new?" Moni couldn't help but laugh.
"So are you going to tell me what transpired here today in our absence?"
Kirsten was curious to know how Mon had reacted to Jeff.
"We just talked K, and I was myself"
"Are you getting on the same wave length?
"Sort of. We got some things out in the open. Stereotypes, expectations and all that jazz."
"Good! Did you kiss him?"
"Gees, you don't waste any time do you?"
"Well?" Kirsten was impatiently tapping her foot on the tile.
"Yes, but it was nothing elaborate so don't get excited."
Cackling like an adolescent, Kirsten went skipping (intentionally) down the hall singing "Moni and Jeff sitting in a tree…"
"SHUT UP!!" Moni yelled as Kirsten's voice trailed off behind her closing door.
Monique entered the living room to find Nic and Dad engrossed in coloring. Nicole was instructing her grandfather how to color "the right way"
"Now granpa, you stay inside the lines-here use this red one."
Not wishing to intrude on their bonding, Monique went into the den to check on the wallpaper. Tomorrow she'd begin re-installing the trim. "What are you doing?" she asked herself. "Where'd you misplace all those objections and rules that you have worked so diligently to maintain?" It's just, men have made me miserable for so long, I want, No I need to, I deserve something different after all this time. Damn, even if all he wants is one night stand, at least he'll care a little about whether it was good for me or not. I'll be doing it for the sake of reminding me how it's supposed to be and not what it can be used for. No more of that bullshit-letting the "jerk" come in for 5 minutes and get his rocks off just so I can have a few precious moments not being emotionally and verbally abused. No longer will I be taking off my clothes to prevent threats or the nasty names he was so fond of. I thought I could abide by those rules I set for myself-but Jeff makes something in me go "˜WHOA! Let's rethink this." I just have to look at this for what it is-he wants the physical and nothing more. I can be detached-I will just be the first one to let go before it starts to go anywhere else. No problem!
Mon heard them pull out of the drive as she went to wake up Nicole. If she didn't get up now, she'd never go to bed tonight. Waiting for Nicole to decide she'd sat on the potty long enough, Moni was listening to her inner selves argue. "Where is your resolve? Cripesa Friday, do you know how long it's been since a man treated me that way? What was I supposed to do? You could have gotten up off the bed, but no you lay there like a corpse. Which reminds me-I'm sure he enjoyed that-might as well have been kissing his sister(if he had one) for all the effort you gave him. Makeup my mind, either you're going to throw caution to the wind or you're going to get gungy once more."
Nicole interrupted her mother's musings. "Mom, I want tacos!"
"Ok, ok I'll get dinner going before you're in danger of wasting away to nothing."
When Dad and Kirsten returned, Moni was just wrapping up dinner with Nicole. Before she started to put everything away she made sure to inquire if they had eaten. Dad retired to the living room with Nicole and the evening paper. Kirsten gave her sister a hand with the table.
"So how was your day?" Moni asked.
"It was good. Amy knew of some great places to take Dad."
"Good, I'm sure he enjoyed himself."
"Yeah. He spotted this little Italian restaurant and took us out to lunch. I'm still stuffed. The portions were huge and the price wasn't bad for it either."
"Have you spoken to Matt?"
"No, not yet. Amy is going to give me a buzz when they check in to the hotel. He'll know how to reach me when he's ready."
"I take it your not upset with him?"
"No, I guess I really can't be. He didn't actually leave with anyone that I saw. I can hear him out before I get upset."
"I don't think you'll be disappointed."
"What do you mean? How do you know? Wait, was Jeff here today?"
"Yes, but we didn't talk about Matt. Amy and I had that conversation this morning."
"you're not going to fill me in are you?"
"Nope. That is for Matt to handle."
"Once again, traitor, I'm not liking you right now."
"What else is new?" Moni couldn't help but laugh.
"So are you going to tell me what transpired here today in our absence?"
Kirsten was curious to know how Mon had reacted to Jeff.
"We just talked K, and I was myself"
"Are you getting on the same wave length?
"Sort of. We got some things out in the open. Stereotypes, expectations and all that jazz."
"Good! Did you kiss him?"
"Gees, you don't waste any time do you?"
"Well?" Kirsten was impatiently tapping her foot on the tile.
"Yes, but it was nothing elaborate so don't get excited."
Cackling like an adolescent, Kirsten went skipping (intentionally) down the hall singing "Moni and Jeff sitting in a tree…"
"SHUT UP!!" Moni yelled as Kirsten's voice trailed off behind her closing door.
Monique entered the living room to find Nic and Dad engrossed in coloring. Nicole was instructing her grandfather how to color "the right way"
"Now granpa, you stay inside the lines-here use this red one."
Not wishing to intrude on their bonding, Monique went into the den to check on the wallpaper. Tomorrow she'd begin re-installing the trim. "What are you doing?" she asked herself. "Where'd you misplace all those objections and rules that you have worked so diligently to maintain?" It's just, men have made me miserable for so long, I want, No I need to, I deserve something different after all this time. Damn, even if all he wants is one night stand, at least he'll care a little about whether it was good for me or not. I'll be doing it for the sake of reminding me how it's supposed to be and not what it can be used for. No more of that bullshit-letting the "jerk" come in for 5 minutes and get his rocks off just so I can have a few precious moments not being emotionally and verbally abused. No longer will I be taking off my clothes to prevent threats or the nasty names he was so fond of. I thought I could abide by those rules I set for myself-but Jeff makes something in me go "˜WHOA! Let's rethink this." I just have to look at this for what it is-he wants the physical and nothing more. I can be detached-I will just be the first one to let go before it starts to go anywhere else. No problem!