Chapter 11
When Bonnie first married Pete, she had the impression that her in-laws didn't particularly like her. Not that they came right out and said so in so many words, but she could tell from the disapproving look in their eyes, especially in Ann Upson's eyes, that she didn't think her son was getting the best of the marriage bargain. The expression on Pete's mother's face clearly indicated that in her opinion her son could have picked a better mate.
The expression on Joe Upson's face at the wedding was similar to that of his wife, with one exception. While it was apparent that he didn't think his son Pete was getting such a good bargain in Bonnie, he was man enough to ogle Bonnie with the approval a man has for a beautiful girl.
The main reason Dad and Mom Upson didn't approve of Bonnie as a wife for their son was because of her background. Bonnie came from the so-called wrong side of the tracks. Her family was poor, and half the time they were on welfare. Her father had a drinking problem that interfered with his ability to find work and hang onto a job.
On the other hand, Pete's folks were somewhat snobbish, being wealthy cats and living in a nice home with all the conveniences of the good life. When Pete trotted Bonnie home and announced he was going to marry her, the senior Upsons literally hit the ceiling. The expressions on their faces were of sheer dismay and disbelief.
Now, staring around Pete's face while kissing him while being fucked by Harry, she became acutely aware of the same expressions of disapproval. She paled. She gulped. She stopped wiggling her fanny to accept Harry's juices. Bonnie came to an abrupt, screeching halt while she stared at the interlopers. Finally she found her voice. "Mom and Dad Upson!" She stumbled over the unfamiliar words. It had always been difficult for her to call Pete's parents Mom and Dad. She only did it at Pete's insistence.
Pete frowned. "What're you yammering about?"
He tried kissing her some more. He still had a few more drops to deposit in Alison's hot box and wanted to kiss his wife while doing the depositing.
"Turn around!" Bonnie hissed.
Pete turned. He forgot all about his last deposit. "Mom! Dad!" he croaked, his voice hoarse and filled with dismay. "How ... what...? "
Dad and Mom stood rooted to the spot as though unable to move. The shock of what they were witnessing seemed to have sapped them of the ability to move.
Joe Upson flushed. His handsome face was a deep red. He found his voice. "Ooops! Pardon us. We didn't mean to barge in. We rang the bell. No one answered. We saw your car out front. We knew you must be around. We heard the noise from this room. The door was open. We stepped in..." The words tumbled from Joe's lips. He edged toward the door. He added with a tight smile, "We wanted to surprise you two by dropping in. We're passing through the city on the way to visit your sister. We wanted to surprise you," he repeated, still edging toward the door.
Pete forced a wan smile. He hopped from Alison and from the bed. He fumbled to get into his pants and shirt. His face matched his Dad's in redness. "You sure did surprise us." He followed them from the bedroom, still trying to come up with a logical explanation of what they'd witnessed.
Harry, still deeply imbedded in Bonnie and frowning a bit, took up where he left off. He, too, had a few more drops to deposit into Bonnie's hot box. Twice this afternoon he'd been interrupted in the middle of a diddle. It was maddening. He was beginning to think he'd have more privacy on the San Jacinto freeway than here in this bedroom. It seemed to him as though people were barging in and out all afternoon. He finished depositing his last drops in her cute little bank; then he slid away from the chute and plopped onto his back. He was a thoroughly contented man, but he was also very curious. "What in 'ell was that all about?" He inclined his head toward the door through which the mob had vanished.
Bonnie sighed. Her feelings were mixed. She had the feeling that her popularity with her in-laws had reached a new low. "That was Pete's mother and father," she announced sadly.
"What?" The expression on Harry's face was of sheer horror. "His folks barging in while we were..." He shook his head. "I'm getting out of here." He quickly slid into his clothes. "C'mon, Alison. This is no place for us."
Alison was in complete agreement. She quickly dressed and headed for the door. She peeked out.
Bonnie was alone on the bed. Alone and naked. She wailed. "How 'bout me? What'll I do?"
Harry cast a sympathetic glance. "That's your problem, doll. They're your in-laws." He peered out. "They seem to be in the living room-arguing. Let's sneak out the back way."
"Wait for me. I'll go with you." Bonnie quickly dressed and joined the whispering conspirators at the doorway.
Harry shook his head. "No, hon. You'd better stay and face the music. We'll see you later." Grabbing Alison by the hand he tiptoed his way down the carpeted hallway, slowly eased the hallway door open and slid out the back entrance that led to the parking area.
Bonnie was tempted to sneak out the back way, too. But Harry's advice seemed best. After all, they were her in-laws. She'd have to face them sooner or later. Bracing herself for the ordeal, Bonnie squared her shoulders, straightened herself and briskly strode into the living room. She wore an expression of nonchalance on her pretty face. "Hi, Mom and Dad," she greeted cordially. "So nice to see you again." Inwardly she was thinking if she never saw them again it would be too soon. Outwardly, though, she exuded charm and wore a welcoming smile.
"Hah!" Ann Upson cut loose with the same expression of discontent on her face that Bonnie remembered from the first time she'd met the older woman when Pete had announced they were getting married.
"Hah!" The expression on Joe Upson's face almost matched that of his wife.
Mr. and Mrs. Upson stared at the younger Mrs. Upson as though she were a creature from the Black Lagoon, or something that had crawled out from under a rock.
Bonnie sensed that a certain warmth was lacking in their greeting to their only daughter-in-law. She forced a disarming smile. "You kind of surprised us, dropping in like this." She kept her voice bright and cheerful, though inwardly she was seething and still loaded with embarrassment.
Pete, sensing that Bonnie's efforts to be casual were not going over, forced a smile. An unconvincing one, but the best he could do under the circumstances. "I've been trying to explain to Dad and Mom that what they saw wasn't unusual. Not in this day and age. like I've been trying to explain that mate swapping is an accepted thing of the new generation."
"And I've been trying to tell Pete to forget it." Joe cut loose with a shrug. He smiled. "Ann and I never interfere with our son and daughter. We figure they're both married and living their own lives. How you live 'em is your business, not ours. I keep trying to change the subject, but Pete keeps insisting on trying to come up with an explanation of why you were doing what you were doing."
Bonnie smiled. She kind of liked Joe. He showed flashes of common sense for an older person. "Okay, let's change the subject. Can I pour you folks a drink?" She headed for the built-in bar.
"Make mine a double, or maybe a triple. I need it-after that long drive from Royalton to here." Joe joined her at the bar. "How 'bout you, Ann? A double, or a triple?" He smiled at his wife, who still seemed in a state of shock.
"A double will do." Ann gave a huge smile and reached for the drink. She downed it, then handed it back for a refill. The initial drink seemed to calm her. "We planned on staying overnight, dear." She beamed at her errant son. "Then tomorrow, we're going to drive upstate to see your sister." She flushed and added, "Only this time, we'll stay outside until we're invited in. No more surprises." She glanced over the top of her glass at her son, and crinkled her nose.
Bonnie slid onto the sofa beside Pete and took his hand in hers and regarded him with a loving expression to show his folks that they were still a happily married couple. "We have plenty of room. There's the spare bedroom. We have the refrigerator loaded. I'm sure glad you can stay." Bonnie heaved a deep sigh. The embarrassing moment seemed to be receding into being just a memory. r
"I'll get the bags from our car. We parked at the side of the apartment office." Joe hopped to his feet and headed toward the door.
"Drive your car around back. Here, I'll go with you." Pete left with his dad.
Bonnie forced a big smile when she was left alone with Ann. She felt vaguely uncomfortable in the presence of this majestic woman. She knew that the handsome, wealthy Ann Upson never really cared for her. She knew of the resentment built up inside the older woman at this young snip I of a teenager who'd snatched her only son in marriage.
Bonnie glanced at her watch. It was still early afternoon. "I have a nice big steak in the refrigerator. I can broil it for supper. Do you and Joe like mashed potatoes? And corn?" Bonnie catalogued a planned meal to hide her embarrassment and to make with the conversation.
Ann regarded her fixedly, glancing down her patrician nose and cutting loose with a tight smile. "Anything you make will be fine." Her voice was clear and sharp, in the manner of the mistress-of-the-manor speaking to a maid.
The arrival of the men negated the need for more conversation. Joe and Pete each lugged a bag into the room. Pete was his usual smiling self again. "Joe saw our pool, hon. He figures he'd like to take a dip in it to refresh. How 'bout you, Mom?" He turned to his mother.
"Yes. It sounds like a good idea."
"Pete and I'll join you in a little while." Bonnie decided she and Pete needed a chance to talk.
"Fine." Mom and Dad headed toward the bedroom. In a few minutes they reappeared. Dad was dressed in swim trunks. Mom had on a two-piece swim suit.
Bonnie sucked in her breath when she watched the two leave the room. Joe was sure a handsome hunk of man. He was an older edition of Pete. At age forty-five he still cut a swashbuckling figure and with a tinge of gray'in his dark hair he was a good-looking guy. His figure was still muscular and trim.
And Mom. She was practically beautiful. She still had a wondrous figure. She was a wondrous sight to behold. Slim, built like a bathing beauty contest winner, and her face was still pretty and flawless.
Looking at the handsome older couple, Bonnie could easily see where Pete got his good looks. When the door closed behind them, she turned to Pete. She frowned. "I guess you might say we were caught in the act!"
Pete strode morosely up and down the room. "I've never been so embarrassed in my life. My own parents barging in like that!" He turned to her with a glare. "Why'd you get involved with Harry and Alison today?"
"Hold it!" Bonnie raised her voice. "Don't you go pointing the finger of blame at me! After all, this whole damn stupid idea of swapping was yours. I was against it from the beginning."
Pete thrust his nose to within inches of hers. "We agreed last night. No more swapping. Yet I came home today and found you on the bed with
Harry. Him fucking hell out of you."
"Eah, and it didn't take you long to start screwing his wife!"
Pete backed away. His accusations had backfired. He sighed and flopped onto the sofa. "Damn! It was so embarrassing. What're we going to do about it?"
Bonnie shrugged. "There's nothing we can do about it. We were caught in the act. We can't deny what we were doing. They saw us." Bonnie sipped at her drink.
Pete got up and began pacing again. "Mom and Dad have always been so strait-laced. like squares. I'm afraid they didn't buy my explanation of how most modems swap mates."
"I could detect a gleam of skepticism in your mother's eyes!" Bonnie chuckled.
Pete snapped. "It ain't no laughing matter!"
Bonnie chuckled some more. The humor of it all began seeping through. "I'll never forget the expression on their faces when they walked into the bedroom! I sure wish I had a picture of it. If that Harry had been behind his camera still taking shots." When Harry left he had taken his equipment with him. "Maybe," added Bonnie, an impish gleam in her eyes, "we can borrow Harry's camera and get your Mom and Dad to re-enter the room and try to capture their expressions of horror." She giggled.
"Knock it off!" Pete didn't see the humor of the situation. "It ain't funny. It's my Mom and Dad. If it was your folks, maybe I'd think it was funny."
Bonnie went into the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator. "I mentioned to your mom we could have steak and mashed potatoes for supper. That okay?"
Pete nodded. "It's Dad's favorite dish. Just make sure you don't burn the steak. He-likes his medium. That's all we'd need-for you to louse up dinner!"
"Cook it yourself if you don't think I'm capable. Or maybe you can get your friend Alison. You seem to think she can do lots of things better'n me!" Bonnie slammed the door shut.
"Cool it, hon." Pete sighed. "It's just that I'm upset about what happened. I'll never be able to face Mom and Dad again. Every time I look at them, I'll be thinking they're thinking about what happened." He sighed ruefully.
Bonnie was contrite. She nuzzled up to Pete and kissed his troubled lips. "I understand, dear. I sure wish I could turn back the clock and make like it never happened. But it did. I'm sorry. In a way it was my fault. I should've sent Harry and Alison away when they showed up. But after seeing the pictures they'd taken of Bill and Kim, I sort of figured maybe you'd like to have some taken of us. I should've told 'em to come back later, when you got home."
Pete held her close. "It wasn't your fault, hon. You didn't know my folks were going to surprise us. I didn't know Bill's damn car was going to break down. I wanted the action just as much as you. We'll have to stop blaming each other, and face the music together." He sighed. "Dad'll probably be more understanding about it than
Mom. Him being a man and all. Mom's the one I'm worried about."
Bonnie opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. She picked up the kitchen extension. "Oh, hello, Alison!" She listened a few minutes, then hung up.
Turning to Pete, she said, a puzzled frown on her face. "That was Alison. She wants to see me."
"What for?"
"She didn't say. I'll hop over and see. You wait here 'til I get back."
Still puzzled, Bonnie stepped across the patio and entered Alison's apartment. She greeted Alison with a question. "Hi, what gives?"
"Look who I met at the pool!" Alison led the way into the kitchen. She was still dressed in her bikini, and it was still moist. She had a towel thrown around her shoulders.
Bonnie gulped. Joe Upson was seated at the kitchen table, downing a cup of coffee. "Dad! What're you doing here?"
Dad invited her to join him at the table. Bonnie did. Alison poured more coffee. Bonnie stirred in sugar and cream while awaiting Joe's explanation.
Joe grinned. "I met this lovely blonde at the pool. Her and her husband. We introduced ourselves. You and Pete didn't introduce us at your apartment!" He grinned impishly.
Bonnie flushed. "We didn't feel it was necessary at the time."
"Anyway, we got to talking. Sort of like comparing notes. And getting around to explaining what had happened. How embarrassed you and
Pete were-us barging in. And how embarrassed Mom and I were."
"And don't forget about me, lover boy," purred Alison, stroking Joe's bare arm. "I was embarrassed, too. So was Harry."
Bonnie frowned. "Okay, we've agreed everyone was embarrassed. But how does it explain your being here with Alison? Where's your wife? I mean where's Mom? And Harry?" Bonnie shot a suspicious glance at them.
Joe hopped to his feet. Then, beckoning to the two lovelies to follow him, he stepped across the living room and headed for the bedroom area. Shoving open a door, he said impishly, "Prepare yourself for another shock, Bonnie..."