One Day In June Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7


…Later that evening, at home in her room…Vanessa found herself thinking of Haggerty; of Mrs. Louise, Haggerty.  …“If only she’d given me a proper chance”, Vanessa thought; we’d both now be enjoying our days”.

The doorbell suddenly rang, snapping her out of her trance; she ran down the stairs to answer.    When she opened the door, there stood Jason. He smiled at her.  Vanessa smiled back, but she didn’t meet his eyes; he’d completely caught her off-guard with his surprise visit, and she was bare faced; a bit self-conscious because of it.   Vanessa only ever wore minimum make-up; but it made her feel complete.  Jason didn’t seem to notice a difference though, and Vanessa liked that. …He got on with why he was there.   “Listen” he said…”and let me finish before you jump to gun, okay”?  She nodded her head yes, but looked worried… “I’d like to invite you to dinner tonight at the house; Aunt Louise is making her signature pot roast with pearled onions, augratin potatoes, and fresh green-beans; followed by satin-chocolate pie, with whipped cream; desert, made from scratch”.   …“I was thinking about everything that you’d told me and thought maybe this could be a good idea for the two of you to get to know one another better…On neutral ground”    “I’ll admit… at first Auntie was very reluctant; but then she decided, if Turn…errr...............”Vanessa”; was for the idea, then she too, would give it a shot.”     “So what do you say, ‘Turn-errr’”? He asked, looking at her with a long, side-ways glance; a mischievous look in his eyes. “Will you accept my invitation, me lady”?   He bowed low to the ground.    Vanessa couldn’t help but giggle at how smoothly he rolled.  He seemed to enjoy too, catching his Aunt tripping-up in her language; and mocking her for it.  Vanessa liked that about him.  She liked him. A lot.   She accepted his invitation then asked him to excuse her; “it was getting late and she wanted a bath; without having to rush.  “All fine by me, pretty lady”, he told her.  “Be there at seven, then”?    “I’ll be there”, Vanessa replied, blushing; much to her own surprise.  Jason caught it, and laughed; he liked her so much!    “I’ll see you at 7:00 then – and don’t be late”! He rushed off; jumping-up as he neared a low hanging tree-branch in her yard, smacking the leaves in passing.  …Vanessa could feel his excitement.
...After a long soak, Vanessa wasn’t sure what to wear. The weather had been so changeable, unpredictable; hot one day, cool the next; One never knew how to dress. Currently, it was warm.   She was happy she’d gone through her summer and spring clothing the day before, washing them.   She rifled through her closet; it was filled with dresses; she went back and forth, changing her mind; finally settling on a white, eyelet dress, sleeveless, which fell to just above the knee; and a pair of beige sandals. She chose a light-weight summer sweater, in antique-white, which came to the waist, to wear over the dress…  Removing the bath barrette from her head, she gently shook her shoulder-length, wavy dark hair loose; brushing until it was full; and shining with luster.   Her skin, perfect, needed no foundation; she lightly lined her upper eyelids on the under-side, at the base of her lashes, with dark jade liner, to bring out the green in her hazel-green eyes; she did the same to the bottom lashes, blending the liner afterwards with her finger-tip to soften the look.  She applied a small amount of peach lip gloss, slowly blotting her lips; her cheeks, were naturally blushed.  Two small dabs of musk were added at the base of her neck.  She stood back, observing her reflection; smiling… liking what she saw.       She sighed, picked up her clutch; a pretty, cream and white-lace bag she’d bought, “never used”, at a flea-sale the previous summer; and left the house...

Arriving at the Haggerty’s, 10 minutes early; Vanessa stood on the porch outside the door.  She found herself suddenly very nervous.  Twice she raised her hand to knock, and twice she chickened out.  “C’mon Turner”!  She cursed to herself. “You put snot on this lady’s classroom door-knob, for cripes sakes”; “how fearful can you possibly, be”???   With that reasoning, she took her hand, raised it for a third time, and knocked.  She held her breath.    A few moments passed, which to Vanessa, felt like an eternity.  She heard footsteps approaching, and the door slowly opened.  On the other side, stood Old Lady Haggerty; the two of them eyed one another; Haggerty being the first to speak, - through a very forced smile.  

“Good evening, Ms. Turner”, she said, through partially-clenched teeth; “We are so pleased you can join us for dinner tonight” she said, stepping aside; opening wide the door.  “Won’t you please come in”?   She said, gesturing Vanessa inside.  

“Thank you so much for having me, Mrs. Haggerty”, Vanessa said, upon entering the house; Haggerty took Vanessa’s sweater; hanging it in the foyer closet.  Vanessa couldn’t believe the whole thing was really happening; it felt so surreal.    “Have a seat in the sitting area, won’t you…Can I get you anything to drink; soda, bottled water”?   “No thank-you ma’am” Vanessa replied; with a small smile. “I’m just fine; thank you, ma’am”.

    “Well alright then”, Haggerty said.  “Please have a seat”.  “Jason will be with you momentarily”.    Haggerty left the room, making her way into the kitchen.   Minutes later, Jason strolled into the room; a smile on his face which took Vanessa’s breath away.

She stood, as he approached; they said their ‘hellos’, and hugged; bodies pressed close together.  Vanessa reveled in the warmth, and the strength of his embrace; all sorts of powerful, new feelings shot through her body; a hot shiver went up her spine.    Smitten by his scent too; no cologne; nothing but the clean smell of bath soap; mixed with his own, masculine scent.  Vanessa didn’t want him to let her go. Closing her eyes, in his arms… was heaven on earth       …He sat down next to her on the love seat; still smiling that perfect, pearly white smile. His blue-green-eyes changed back and forth between which colors dominated; according to how the evening light shone through the window; catching in them.  …Vanessa wondered… Then… for the first time…If maybe this… is what love feels like.



Dinner went surprisingly well.   Haggerty and Vanessa actually talked; like two civil human beings; but of course, upon Vanessa’s initiative.  

Vanessa took the opportunity to expound upon the subject of her sister, Lynn Anne.    At the mention of Lynn Anne, Haggerty tensed up; her lips tightening. But five minutes in, Vanessa had Haggerty’s attention.

 Haggerty found, she could actually relate.   She had a brother, “Bill”, “Jason’s father, in fact”; “who’d resented Haggerty being put up a grade in high school; to the same grade as he”. “No longer did her eldest brother belong to a select group of friends, but they there-after came to share friends”.  This infuriated Bill, who had looked upon being part of a select circle, as having higher “status” than his sister”. And suddenly, it no longer applied; in fact, many of those friends came to like Louise more…  Haggerty smiled upon reminiscing.  Jason’s eyes went wide with interest; Jason “had no idea”, “nor had he ever heard the story before”.  It “didn’t surprise Haggerty”. “Bill had always been a very driven man; and a very competitive one. He was also a sore loser; and admitting to people his younger sister was basically ‘level’ with him in social status, would have been just too much to bear”!  She said, theatrically.   Jason laughed at the new insight into his… “younger-father”; adding; “he didn’t change very much with the years”.  This made Haggerty laugh; a warm, genuine laugh; showing a well-cared for dentition.  It was the first time Vanessa had ever seen her laugh; …or smile for that matter; ever.

Haggerty’s smile changed her entire look, "lit up her whole face", Vanessa found herself thinking…Giving Vanessa a glimpse into another side of Haggerty.       …Vanessa also learnt, much later in the conversation, that Haggerty had a son who’d committed suicide at the age of 26; following Haggerty’s and her son’s-father’s divorce.    “Jeffrey”, was her son’s name.  His death devastated her; after which, she’d lost interest in meeting men, or the prospect of dating; probably for good.

…As the evening drew to an end; Haggerty and Vanessa found themselves looking at one another differently; not just due to their ‘points of view; but when they gazed at one another, the animosity in their eyes was gone; each saw a person in the stead of whom they’d previously, perceived the other to be.

At the door later, leaving; Vanessa thanked Mrs. Haggerty for “a wonderful evening, and meal”; she took Haggerty’s hands in hers, one over the other; pressing her top hand firmly.  To Vanessa’s surprise, Haggerty leaned forward, and hugged her, - warmly.  Jason smiled; he was truly happy at the outcome of the evening.  He would later say: “it was beyond my wildest expectations”…   Vanessa thanked Haggerty one last time, Haggerty telling her to “come back soon” – and meaning it.    Jason smiled at his Aunt, kissed her on the cheek, and walked Vanessa home.