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Brunch At The Marbury (Part 4)

Trilby was laughing at Pastor Greg’s story about his ice fishing trip during seminary. She was still giddy from sitting next to Jeb.

Somehow, the table had arranged itself into a circular version of the pew. Phyl, Aundrea, Jeb, Trilby, Marta, Mr. & Mrs. Kwock were all sitting in the same order they’d been at church. Now Pastor Greg was sitting between Phyl and Mrs. Kwock and everybody was watching him hold forth again.

Things had been getting tense. She didn’t know what it was about but it seemed to lighten up once the pastor began telling funny stories.

Jeb was working on his breakfast. Even with his baggy sweater on, she could tell how tremendously muscular his arms were. She was imagining what it would be like to be wrapped in those tremendous limbs. His hands were large and strong. The silverware looked minuscule in his hands.

Marta elbow-jabbed her to bring her back to reality. Problem was, it was right in her ticklish spot. Trilby lurched up from her chair and spun halfway around. In the process, she managed to smack Jeb’s tall and very full glass of deep purple grape juice like a volleyball.

The glass flew with alarming speed and bounced off of Jeb’s chest. Juice gushed out of the top of the glass and splashed all over Jeb and Aundrea. The glass bounced back onto the table and spilled the remaining contents all over the tablecloth.

“Oh, my God. Jeb! I’m so sorry.” Trilby grabbed her napkin and began dabbing at the grape juice that was soaking into his sweater.

She instantly realized everyone was staring at her.

“Well, I didn’t do it on purpose.” Her lip began quivering.

“Nobody thinks you did, Trilby. It’s going to be alright.” Jeb said quietly. “I’ll go home and wash this off.”

“I’m sorry, Jeb. I hope you can forgive me.” She said, holding her napkin tightly under her chin.

He smiled and said, “I already have.”

Trilby lurched in and threw a hug around his waist.

Everyone gasped.

She felt something wet against her head. The grape juice that was saturating his sweater was now soaking the hair on the right side of her head.

“My word.” Marta peeled her friend off of Jeb. “I can’t take you anywhere. Let’s get home and get you cleaned up.”

“Whose home?” Marta’s mom asked.

“Back to our place, Mom. I’ll start a roast after I get her cleaned up.”

“Okay, Marta. We’ll be back in a little while. Dad and I have to pick up some things on the way home.”

“Alright. If you think of it, we need more Rosemary. I’d like to make those potatoes to go with the roast.” Marta said as she hustled her friend away from the table.

“Marta, what are you up to?”

“Trying to save you a shred of dignity.”

“By treating me like a stray puppy?”

“Staying could only make things worse. I had to get you out of there as soon as possible.”

“So, where are we going?”

“Weren’t you listening?” Marta pushed through the door as she grabbed her car keys out of her purse. “We’re going back to my place to get you cleaned up.”

“Then what?”

“Then I start the roast. If Mom remembers to get the Rosemary, I’ll make those potatoes you like.”

“What about Jeb?”

“He’s a big boy. He can do his own laundry.” She clicked the button to unlock her car as they trudged across the parking lot. “You can just worry about you for right now. We’ll think about what to do with your Jeb situation on the way.”

“What about my you situation?” Trilby said as she opened the passenger door.

“Your me situation? What are you talking about?” Marta glared at her over the top of her car. “Get in. Your hair is all wet and purple.”

Trilby slipped into the passenger seat and buckled herself in. “Well, you’re bossing me all around like a little kid. I don’t know what to make of all this.”

“All of what? Are you back on that Julie nonsense?” Marta pulled out of the parking spot and headed for the street.

“Not unless you’re planning to bathe me yourself.”

“It’s not entirely off the table. I was going to wash your clothes while you took a shower.”

“That’s nice of you.”

“Of course it is. I’m very nice and I’m your best friend.”

“So, what am I supposed to do?”

“Inviting yourself over to his house was a bit awkward.”

“But he wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea.”

“No, he seemed pretty happy about it. The only problem is…”

“How do I get there? If I get you to drive me, I’ve got a built-in chaperone.”

“If you take a Ryde, you’re stranded out there with no immediate means of getting away if something happens.”

“What would happen?”

“This from the girl who just kung fu’d his breakfast.”

“That was your fault.”

“It’s my fault you’re a spaz?”

“You know how I jump when you hit my ticklish spot.”

“Now you’re just trying to get me excited.” Marta wiggled her head to make her bells jingle. “So, how was it?”

“How was what?” Trilby looked out the window at the Christmas decorations on people’s houses.

“You may have made a soggy purple fool of yourself but you got to put your body on his. That has to be a real dream come true. Right?”

“Oh, that.” Trilby watched the passing Christmas scenery.

“Yeah, that.” Marta turned a corner sharply enough to try to shake her friend out of her reverie.

“Well, how do you think it was? He’s warm and taut. It was like hugging a tree stump with a sweater on. He was so freaking hard, Marta.”

“I didn’t realize you got that close.”

“What? No, not like that. I mean he’s all muscular and…”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m just messing with you. Look, you have basically no experience with any of this. I’m trying to help you get all of your awkward idiocy out of the way ahead of time.”

“Thanks, Marta.”

“Anything for my best friend.”

“Ooh, so you are giving me a bath?”

“And we’re diving right back into awkward…”