Excerpt:
Meanwhile Victor stood in the kitchen with Rachel. They stared at each other.
Rachel asked, “Did you arrange this?”
“No. I had nothing to do with Lawrence and Terence being here or Tabitha coming into the kitchen when she did. How could I?”
Rachel grabbed Victor. She pushed him against the kitchen cabinet. “Tell me the truth.”
Novelette: No Condoms
By Charles Peters
Copyright 2019
All Rights Reserved
This Story is Not Free
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This story is fiction.
Any resemblance to any real people or places or things is not intentional
Chapter 5
The past … 2015
Mark arrived back at the Ramsey Mansion in Hearthville after a two week stay with his father. His father was in a hurry for a business meeting with Mayor Hollis Bare. After helping Mark to carry his bags to the porch he rushed back to his big, black car and drove off.
Mark went inside and looked around. “Is anyone home?”
Mark knew that he and his father were running late but still he expected that he would be greeted. Mark went to the kitchen where Rosanne was cooking. “Where is everyone?”
Rosanne did a fake smile at Mark. “Good to have you home.” She then turned back to stir her soup. “Your mom is up in her bedroom either watching ‘The Three Stooges’ or porn. To her, it is all the same. Roger and Stewart are down at the beach. Tabitha is in her room reading. Rita is off plotting something evil no doubt. I have no idea where Victor and Jossette are.”
“They knew that I was coming home today, didn’t they?”
“They were all here waiting at 8:00 AM but then your father called and said you would be running late.”
“Oh well.”
“So how was your stay with your father.”
“I met a girl. Her name is Clarice. She is two years older than me but we had a blast together.” Mark grabbed an apple and took a bite. “I think I may lose my virginity to her.”
“Well, if your hymen breaks, I will alert the ‘National Enquirer.'”
Mark laughed. “You are funny. When I met Clarice I used my middle name. I introduced myself as Steed. I don’t know why I haven’t been using that name. It makes me sound more manly.”
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“Is Clarice after your money the way Rita was until she decided that you are queer and that she hates you?”
Mark shrugged. “Clarice comes from a rich family. I may be the one who is after her money.”
Rosanne said, “That is smart. You never know when your parents are going to cut you off without a dime.”
“Why do you continue working for my mom. She is sometimes mean to you. Hell, after Rita did what she did I wanted you fired. I am mean to you more than I would like to confess.” Mark hugged Rosanne. “I am sorry about that. I know that you aren’t a bad sort. Victor told me about the time he has been spending with you and that I should appreciate you more. I know that he is right about that.”
“I’ve been taking night classes in computer science. Victor sometimes comes over and helps me with my homework. I like Victor. But your mom and Rita still seem to hate him. I don’t understand it. To me he has become such a doll. He and Jossette have been taking Tabitha roller skating. Victor’s mom Ellen and Judy have been taking her to book club meetings. I understand why you love Victor. I don’t understand why Rita hates him.”
“When Victor caught Rita trying to frame Jack Minx for stealing her purse while at the same time she stole his money, that set Victor off. He is very protective of Jack. Jack is gay and people do pick on him. That makes Victor angry.”
“I like that about Victor. He is protective of the people he cares about. Victor introduced me to Jack. I listened to Jack sing. Oh my God, he is really good. He is putting together a heavy metal band but I wish he would go more mainstream.”
“I like heavy metal. But yeah. I know what you are saying. Jack Minx is good. From what Victor said though, some of the kids try to pick on Jack really something awful. They thought it was funny what Rita had done. When Victor first told me, I didn’t believe him. I wouldn’t believe that about Rita. How could I be so blind?”
“Rita is my daughter. I love her. But her father was that way. Just bad to the bone. Always was but I didn’t see it at first.”
“Tabitha is so different.”
“Tabitha is my darling. She is my baby. But I think Rita knowing that Tabitha is my obvious favorite sets Rita off even worse. Then you started taking time up with Tabitha with your chess games. Rita is very jealous of Tabitha.”
“Should I ask who Tabitha’s father is?”
“Victor figured it out the first time he laid eyes on her. It is scary how smart he is. But at the same time so wonderful. Victor and I have talked about Tabitha. He understands my predicament.”
“Which is?”
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“Tabitha’s father is married. I don’t want to break his marriage up. Still, I hate that Tabitha doesn’t know what a wonderful man her father is. I hate that she doesn’t know about her half-siblings. But I don’t want to hurt her father. What he and I had was not a mad affair. Even if there was a chance he might have left his wife for me, we wouldn’t have lasted. But I do love him. I do not want to hurt him.”
Mark thought a second. “How could Victor so quickly figure it out?” Then Mark’s mouth fell open. “How could I not figure it out? Oh fuck.”
“What?”
“I was talking to Aunt Terence and told her how Victor had acted when he first met Tabitha. I told her how Victor thought he knew who her father was when he first saw her. Shit.”
“In the last year or so I have intentionally kept Tabitha away from Terence and Lawrence. It has only been in the last year or so that the resemblance has become so obvious. Still, I had not realized it was that obvious until Rachel told me that Victor recognized the resemblance. Terence knows what Rachel looked like when she was young. She knows what Lawrence looked like when he was young. So the incident with Victor has worried me.”
“I hope I did not pique Terence’s interest but I am afraid that I did.”
“I need to quit this job. I don’t want Lawrence hurt. It is just I have worked for Rachel so long. And Arthur does pay me well. He thinks the good pay discourages me from hurting Lawrence. He doesn’t know I would never intentionally hurt Lawrence for the world.”
Mark said, “I am sorry. It never crossed my mind that Lawrence would ever have cheated on Terence with you and that he might be Tabitha’s father.”
Rosanne said, “Maybe you are overreacting. Maybe I am overreacting. It has always been easy enough to keep Terence away from Tabitha. Terence has never shown any interest in my children. That is not likely to change.”
Terence and Lawrence came knocking on the kitchen door. Then they let themselves in. Terence said, “Hey Rosanne, is Rachel around. Lawrence and I are going to New York and we would like for Roger and Jossette to stay here a couple of weeks while we are gone.”
Lawrence said, “Hey Mark, Terence told me how much you like the mansion Terence is building.”
“It is wonderful. I like the colonial style with the large columns.”
Rosanne said, “The intercom is not working. I will go get Rachel. Mark, will you watch the soup and make sure it does not stick.”
“Sure.”
Rosanne rushed to get Rachel.
Mark said, “So you are going to New York?”
Terence said, “I have some business there and we will be doing some shopping.”
“Cool.” Mark stirred the soup.
Rita came into the kitchen. “Where is mom?”
“She went to get my mom. The intercom is not working.”
Terence asked, “So are you Tabitha?”
“No. I am Rita. Tabitha is down in our room reading.” Rita walked over and looked at the soup. “I am starved.” Rita walked over to get a bowl and some soda crackers from the cabinet.”
Victor and Jossette came into the kitchen. Jossette asked, “Mom, dad, what are you doing here? I thought you were still in Atlanta.”
Lawrence said, “We came to pack some stuff from the trailer. We are going to be going to New York for a couple of weeks. We want you and Roger to stay here with Rachel while we are gone. That is if it is okay with her. I haven’t asked her yet.”
Tabitha came into the kitchen. “Is that soup ready yet.”
“Yeah. It is done.” Rita reached over and turned the eye to low.
Rosanne came back into the kitchen. She saw Tabitha standing there in the kitchen. “Tabitha, will you run down to the garage and see if I left my pocketbook in the car.”
“Sure.”
Terence looked at Tabitha. She looked at Rosanne. She looked at Lawrence and saw the look of horror on Lawrence’s face. He had realized the resemblance as well.
Terence said, “I will be going to New York by myself. I will be calling a divorce attorney.”
Lawrence screamed, “What?”
“I thought a trip to New York might save our marriage but now I see we have no marriage to save. I will not tolerate a man who cheats on me.”
“Fifteen years ago.”
“You cheated with Rosanne. You cheated with your sister’s cook.”
Rachel walked into the kitchen to hear Terence’s comment. Rachel said, “In fairness she is a hell of a cook.”
Rosanne said, “Thanks.”
Terence fled out the kitchen door. Lawrence chased after her.
Rachel said, “I gather Terence realized the resemblance.”
Rosanne nodded.
Crying, Tabitha fled from the kitchen.
Rita said, “I do hope Tabitha goes to live with Lawrence. It will be cool to have a room of my own.”
Jossette looked at Mark. “Tabitha is my half-sister.”
Mark said, “Yes. It was a secret.”
Jossette said, “Show me to her room.”
Mark and Jossette went to the basement apartment where Rosanne lived with her daughters. Rosanne followed.
Jossette asked, “Did dad know?”
Rosanne said, “No. He didn’t know. It has only been recently that Tabitha truly began to favor the Ogleby family. I thought I could keep her away from Terence and Lawrence. That was stupid of me.”
Jossette said, “Poor Tabitha. She discovers that dad is her father and he just leaves her standing there.”
Rosanne said, “I wish Terence had not behaved that way but I understand her anger. I guess she might think that Lawrence was keeping Tabitha a secret but he wasn’t.”
Jossette said, “But he was keeping the affair a secret.”
“The affair has long ended though I will always love Lawrence. I think to Lawrence what we had was just a fling. And that is okay.”
Rosanne opened the door to Tabitha’s room. Tabitha looked at her mom. “I had fantasies of when I would meet my father. In none of those fantasies did he walk off and leave me.”
Mark said, “I am sorry. He doesn’t know you yet.”
“When he chased after his wife and left me standing there, he lost that chance. I will never have anything to do with him.”
Jossette said, “And me. I am here. You are my sister.”
Rita stormed into the room and shoved Jossette back. “No. She is not your sister. She is my sister. You stay away from her. Your entire damn family stay away from her.”
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Tabith said, “Rita. No. Rita, you will always be my sister. You don’t have to be mean to Jossette.”
Rita said, “Mom. I want us out of here. I want us the hell out of here. This family does not love us. They do not care about us.”
Mark said, “I care about Tabitha. She is my cousin just like Roger and Jossette.”
Rita attacked Mark. “You son of a bitch. You will not steal my sister. You will not turn my sister against me.”
Meanwhile Victor stood in the kitchen with Rachel. They stared at each other.
Rachel asked, “Did you arrange this?”
“No. I had nothing to do with Lawrence and Terence being here or Tabitha coming into the kitchen when she did. How could I?”
Rachel grabbed Victor. She pushed him against the kitchen cabinet. “Tell me the truth.”
“I am telling you the truth.”
“Lawrence and Terence always come through the front door. Why would they come through the kitchen door?”
“I don’t know.”
“You told Terence about Tabitha, didn’t you? She came into the kitchen hoping to see Tabitha.”
“I did not tell Terence or anyone about Tabitha.”
“Liar, liar, pants on fire. You with that big cock that my son and niece do desire.” Rachel thought about kissing Victor on the mouth. She backed away from him. She said, “I hate you. I want you to stay away from my son and niece.”
“No. I will not stay away from them.”
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