campaign posters. It was one thing to mess around with art at college, but now you need to grow up!” he said irritably. “It’s only a medal, not a divining rod to locate your birth family.”
Menina couldn’t believe her ears. “Your mother will do
what
? And start a family? I won’t have a baby just so people will vote for you! I understand what’s important to you, but something’simportant to me, too! And…and…for your information, I’ll go to Spain, with or without you!”
Theo slammed his foot on the accelerator and the sports car skidded and nearly slid off the road, scaring Menina. Maybe she hadn’t thought about the future as much as she should have. His words conjured up a picture very different from the ideas she’d had about living together in a student apartment, having their friends to dinner, telling each other about their interesting days, maybe planning a few more foreign trips before children tied them down. Instead it seemed she’d be up to her ears in ladies’ lunches, home decoration, charities, and children she would probably have to raise all by herself because Theo would be so busy with his important life.
How could they have such different ideas about their marriage? Maybe she didn’t know Theo as well as she thought she did.
“Theo?”
No answer.
“We need to talk.”
No answer.
“It’s not just about a trip or a baby. It’s about us, our lives together, how we get what we both want out of life. It matters.”
No answer.
Menina took a deep breath. “The wedding’s picked up steam like a runaway train and we haven’t had time to ourselves since you proposed, but now let’s talk this over calmly.”
No answer.
What on earth was going on? She had never seen him taciturn and hostile like this, not the Theo she loved but an angry stranger. It frightened her, enough to blurt out, “If we can’t talk, we should postpone the wedding until we can.”
Silence.
She expected Theo would drive past the lake, but at the last minute he braked hard, sending the car into a skid as he turned offthe road. He pulled up at the edge of the lake and turned off the engine, still silent. It was a lovely night with a full moon reflected off the water’s surface, and cicadas were singing—a marked contrast to the poisoned atmosphere in the car. Finally Theo let out a big sigh and touched a button to recline their seats slightly. He lowered the armrest so he could put his arm around Menina’s shoulders. Menina felt stiff and miserable.
“Menina, I’m sorry. Mad at me?” he asked, nuzzling her ear, then just underneath her ear and down her neck.
“Yes, I am,” she muttered, trying to ignore the way kissing that spot always sent a jolt down her spine.
“You’re right; we need to work this out now,” he murmured, nuzzling her neck until she finally relaxed against him, feeling the knot of misery loosen. Still they needed to talk now, not make out.
“You’re upset. Kiss me and then we’ll talk,” Theo said in her ear, then kissed her, long and deep, in the way that always left her breathless and less interested in talking.
“I wish we were married now,” she whispered when she came up for air. They kissed again and Theo pushed the button and reclined the seats even more and his kiss became more urgent. “It’s hard to talk lying back like this,” Menina protested.
“Let’s just do it!” he muttered in her ear, nudging a knee between her legs. “C’mon,” he said, “then a good girl like you will have to marry me and we won’t need this discussion.”
“I want to Theo, but…but it’s not long now and I’d rather be in a bed where we have all night, not a car on my way home. And we really need to discuss things and anyways, this seat’s not all that comfortable and the gear shift is—his breath tickled and she giggled. “Theo, stop it! No!” she said, trying to push him away.
But Theo was breathing heavily in her ear and didn’t seem to hear what
Menina couldn’t believe her ears. “Your mother will do
what
? And start a family? I won’t have a baby just so people will vote for you! I understand what’s important to you, but something’simportant to me, too! And…and…for your information, I’ll go to Spain, with or without you!”
Theo slammed his foot on the accelerator and the sports car skidded and nearly slid off the road, scaring Menina. Maybe she hadn’t thought about the future as much as she should have. His words conjured up a picture very different from the ideas she’d had about living together in a student apartment, having their friends to dinner, telling each other about their interesting days, maybe planning a few more foreign trips before children tied them down. Instead it seemed she’d be up to her ears in ladies’ lunches, home decoration, charities, and children she would probably have to raise all by herself because Theo would be so busy with his important life.
How could they have such different ideas about their marriage? Maybe she didn’t know Theo as well as she thought she did.
“Theo?”
No answer.
“We need to talk.”
No answer.
“It’s not just about a trip or a baby. It’s about us, our lives together, how we get what we both want out of life. It matters.”
No answer.
Menina took a deep breath. “The wedding’s picked up steam like a runaway train and we haven’t had time to ourselves since you proposed, but now let’s talk this over calmly.”
No answer.
What on earth was going on? She had never seen him taciturn and hostile like this, not the Theo she loved but an angry stranger. It frightened her, enough to blurt out, “If we can’t talk, we should postpone the wedding until we can.”
Silence.
She expected Theo would drive past the lake, but at the last minute he braked hard, sending the car into a skid as he turned offthe road. He pulled up at the edge of the lake and turned off the engine, still silent. It was a lovely night with a full moon reflected off the water’s surface, and cicadas were singing—a marked contrast to the poisoned atmosphere in the car. Finally Theo let out a big sigh and touched a button to recline their seats slightly. He lowered the armrest so he could put his arm around Menina’s shoulders. Menina felt stiff and miserable.
“Menina, I’m sorry. Mad at me?” he asked, nuzzling her ear, then just underneath her ear and down her neck.
“Yes, I am,” she muttered, trying to ignore the way kissing that spot always sent a jolt down her spine.
“You’re right; we need to work this out now,” he murmured, nuzzling her neck until she finally relaxed against him, feeling the knot of misery loosen. Still they needed to talk now, not make out.
“You’re upset. Kiss me and then we’ll talk,” Theo said in her ear, then kissed her, long and deep, in the way that always left her breathless and less interested in talking.
“I wish we were married now,” she whispered when she came up for air. They kissed again and Theo pushed the button and reclined the seats even more and his kiss became more urgent. “It’s hard to talk lying back like this,” Menina protested.
“Let’s just do it!” he muttered in her ear, nudging a knee between her legs. “C’mon,” he said, “then a good girl like you will have to marry me and we won’t need this discussion.”
“I want to Theo, but…but it’s not long now and I’d rather be in a bed where we have all night, not a car on my way home. And we really need to discuss things and anyways, this seat’s not all that comfortable and the gear shift is—his breath tickled and she giggled. “Theo, stop it! No!” she said, trying to push him away.
But Theo was breathing heavily in her ear and didn’t seem to hear what
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