Dianne Marshall was your typical, average woman moving into her 40th year. She and her husband, Todd, had been happily married for 18 years. Their only daughter was 16, and being a teenager pushed both boundaries and patience to the limits, yet this didn’t faze Dianne, for she would take it in her stride as she appreciated the bond and trust she had with her daughter as well as considering the fact that she was, after all, 16 years old.
Dianne’s husband was an architect who worked on numerous projects, local and outer state. He would often be away from home 2 to 3 nights depending on the project. Dianne was a part time home and office decorator, as well as moonlight as a functions coordinator as she was very good at organising.
Dianne was busy in the kitchen making a start on dinner when she heard the front door slam shut.
“Hey Mum…We’re heading upstairs to study!” Her daughter cried out, followed up moments later by stomps of numerous feet.
“Excuse me Josephine Isabelle Marshall come in here now” orders her Mother whilst putting down the sharp knife she had in her hand, used for slicing the vegetables, and turning towards the door.
Her daughter wandered in followed by tall someone behind. Dianne eyed off the person suspiciously.
“It’s particularly rude not to introduce your friends when I am in the house.” Dianne looked over to the untidy uniform, his shirt out of pants, sleeves rolled up and his hair covered up one side of his face “and when did you school become co-ed?”
“Mum” Jo whined “this isn’t a boy, god, her name is Darien…Darien McLeod”
“Oh my apologies Darien” blushed Dianne.
“It’s ok Mrs Marshall”
“That is Scottish yes?” Dianne questioned hesitantly, afraid of embarrassing herself even farther in front of Darien.
“Umm, my grandfather was from Scotland, if that makes any difference”
“Hmmm, well, like I said it is rude to come into someone’s house without announcing your presence…and don’t roll your eyes at me Josephine!”
“Mum we really need to study…ah…science!”
“Fine, but dinner will be ready in an hour”
“And Dad?” asked Jo.
“He’s away for another night, so it’s just you and me kid”
Dianne called from beneath the stairs stating that dinner was ready. As they came down Dianne turned her attentions to Darien.
“You are most welcome to stay for dinner Darien, there is plenty of food”
While over dinner Darien remained quiet, Jo did all the talking. Darien blushed when she noticed Mrs Marshall was looking at her, no, more like staring at her. “Well honey if you would like to take a breath perhaps I could get to know Darien”
The girls looked at each other and Darien quickly took a mouthful of her drink.
“Umm…I’m in same classes as Jo, umm…I do the same things as Jo” she stuttered, almost whispering.
“Hmmm, so what are you grades like?”
“Mum….” Groaned Jo
“What….?”
“I’m a B, to B+ student Mrs Marshall”
“Hmmm and what else are you into…?”
“Mum will you stop grilling her”
“I’m not. I am just trying to get to know your friends.”
“Yeah right” whined Jo
“Hey, if you had bought a boy home I would have done a police check by now” Dianne trying to make light heart of the situation
“I am so embarrassed, I’m sorry for my Mum’s scrutiny”
Darien started to laugh “It’s ok…. I guess my appearance would give most parents concern.” Darien put her fork down and looked at Dianne confidently.
“I’m not into drugs, I don’t smoke….and I don’t ditch school…. Oh, and I have no tattoos either.”
Dianne smiled at her daughter’s friend sense of humour. “Well, that nice… so what type of science were you two studying?”
Both girls choked on their drinks and Dianne eyes narrowed on her daughter.
“Ummm physics….” She rushed out quickly.
“No…it was chemistry…remember?” Corrected Darien, now she felt like she dug herself a hole, a deep one too. “This semester is chemistry”
“Yeah, silly me, I get the two mixed up all the time!” added Jo hastily.
Dianne looked from one to the other not entirely convinced. They had finished dinner and Darien left.
Dianne knocked on her daughter’s room to say good night.
“You embarrassed me tonight. What you did was so not cool” whined Jo whilst on her bed, her head buried in a pillow.
Dianne sat on Jo’s bed “I’m sorry, I just worry about who you are hanging around with and well she looked kinda…”
“You can’t judge somebody by the way they wear their clothes. That is so snobbish and…narrow-minded”
Dianne nodded accepting her daughters out lash, “ok, ok, point taken…. so then for me to keep my mind open how about you study with the door open in the future”
Jo blushed and rolled away.
Dianne sat down for late night coffee. She had a feeling that something more than study was going on between her daughter and Darien. “Oh boy…. Here come the hormonal years” she groans.
Dianne arrived home with shopping Thursday afternoon around about 3pm. She pulled into her driveway and was surprised to see Darien sitting on the front step.
“Hi Mrs Marshall” Darien greeted, her left hand slightly up in the air, as if to wave.
“Hello Darien….. I’m afraid Jo has softball practice, but should be home around 4pm.”
Dianne started to grab at her groceries “Here let me help” offers Darien.
Darien carried the groceries in and placed them on the counter in the kitchen. Dianne started to put them away.
“I would like to apologies for my inquisition the other night” Dianne said, breaking the awkward silence between the two after they had finished and now sitting hesitantly together at the kitchen counter.
“No that’s fine, it’s only natural.”
“You want a drink?” offers Dianne
“Sure…” Darien remained seated
“The glasses are in the cupboard behind me and help yourself to whatever’s in the fridge. God helps those who help themselves in this house, or as I tell Jo, you’re big and ugly enough to get it yourself.” Dianne paused “that was a joke”
Darien laughed as she helped herself “I know” then grabbed some biscuits from the jar on the bench and stuffed them into her mouth.
Darien didn’t know what else to say so looked out into the backyard at the Marshall’s pool. “Your pool needs cleaning. The leaves from the neighbours must be a nuisance”
Dianne finished making herself a coffee and sat down opposite Darien, “yeah…. I have a function here night after tomorrow and I don’t know when I’m going to get time to clean it. My husband always knows when to disappear” she sighed
Darien got up “I’ll do it, right now”
“Oh no Darien...”
“Hey its fine, I could do with the workout” she said standing up.
“Ok but you must let me pay you”
Darien shook head vigorously to Mrs Marshall.
Dianne put a hand over Darien’s “Honey either you let me pay you or you don’t do it.”
Darien’s heart skipped a beat from the touch and blushed “umm…ok…I guess”
Darien got the equipment from the pool shed. Her body surged at the thought of Jo’s Mum. She was good looking and youthful, she thought, a little more than a groan she hisses to herself ‘she’s Jo’s god damn mother you imbecile’
Dianne looked out the kitchen window noticing Darien had removed her shirt. She carried her weight and height well, and she found herself watching the young girl as she worked about the pool. When Darien turned towards the window Dianne moved away quickly.
“Mum I’m home” Jo cried, dumping her softball gear down beside the door.
“Hi honey, you have a visitor….. Darien is outside”
Jo got all excited “outside, why didn’t you let her in?”
“She’s outside cleaning our pool”
Jo groaned “Mum why are you making her do that….”
“Hey stop with the dramatics please, she offered, I'm paying her. ”
After an hour Dianne thought she would take some drinks out to the girls, and the fact they were quiet concerned her. She reached for the sliding door and notices a reflection from adjacent window showing Jo and Darien in an embrace that stopped Dianne’s breath sharply.
Darien grabbed at Jo’s lips again kissing her passionately, while Jo allowed her tongue to play inside Darien’s mouth.
Dianne was paralysed at the sight of this but moved into action once she witnessed Darien’s hand going under Jo’s shirt. She quickly opened the door with a loud bang.
The sound caused both girls to instantly part as Dianne came around the corner. Dianne looked at both girls and sensed their sheepishness.
“I see the pool is almost done” Dianne stated coldly, glaring at Darien.
“Ummm yeah….” Darien whispered, a bright and obvious blush working itself quickly all over her face.
“What’s the matter? You are both acting really guilty over something”
“Mum its nothing will you stop being so suspicious!”
“Mmhmm” Dianne made sure she held eye contact with Darien until Darien’s eyes dropped in submission. Dianne nodded and went back inside and pondered on how she was going to tackle this.