The Circle of Friends

XIII - Surprise Visitor-4

“Very beautiful,” commented Heather, nodding her approval of the new furniture.

“And it still doesn’t begin to fill up this room!” boasted Sarah, standing with her arms spread in the middle of the bedroom.

Lori smiled and returned the album to its box on her desk. “It was very thoughtful of my parents. I still haven’t stopped thanking them for everything.”

Heather leaned closer to the bookcase. “Can I see that photo?”

Lori retrieved the picture from the top shelf. She handed it to Heather, who laughed at the picture.

“Obviously the first day in the Bahamas,” she said, holding it up for the other two girls to see. “No sun burnt noses!”

Sarah grabbed a chair from the corner and sat down rather unladylike. Rachel took a more graceful pose on the computer chair. Lori returned the frame to its shelf and sat next to Heather at the end of the bed.

“So how’s Jason adjusting to living here?” asked Heather. “Is it weird with your parents here and everything?”

“Not really,” said Lori, shaking her head. “They’ve been very good about respecting our privacy. I’ve always had the upstairs to myself, anyway.”

“Yeah, hate to have them interrupt anything!” said Sarah suggestively.

Heather reached over and popped her on the leg. “You are terrible! Shall we discuss your s*x life?”

“Ow!” cried Sarah, rubbing her thigh and grimacing.

“You and Matt are made for each other! Always got s*x on the brain.”

They talked for several minutes, avoiding any further references to the subject of s*x. Rachel occasionally asked a question, apparently still curious about the girl Jason had married. It would have been challenging had Rachel come alone, but with Heather and Sarah present, Lori had no difficulty dealing with Jason’s former girlfriend. She did not feel sorry for Rachel, but neither did she harbor animosity.

Eventually the conversation shifted to the upcoming pool party and the girls wandered downstairs. Lori showed Rachel the poolroom, and Sarah seized the opportunity to soak her feet. Heather did the same and sat on the edge of the concrete. Lori had already been in the water four hours today and sank into a nearby chair. Sarah slowly walked down the first two steps into the water. Rachel was about to join them when suddenly Heather kicked water in Sarah’s direction.

“Heather!” screamed Sarah, turning away from the splash.

Rachel changed her mind and selected the chair beside Lori. They silently watched as Heather and Sarah engaged in a splashing match, which eventually ended in a draw.

“Thanks a lot, Heather!” growled Sarah, still standing on the steps with water dripping off her body.

“Lori?”

While they were upstairs, Rachel had said very little. Her soft inquiry caught Lori’s attention immediately and she turned to face the young woman.

“Obviously, you’ve been really good for Jason. He seems very happy now.”

“Thank you,” said Lori, unsure what to make of her sudden candor.

Rachel nodded, her eyes on the pool. “He definitely adores you. I’ve never seen him so… physical with anyone.”

“Thank you, Rachel. I’d assumed he was that physical with everyone.”

Rachel adjusted her posture and solemnly shook her head.

“Lori!” cried Sarah, stomping out of the pool. “Do you have anything I can wear? My pants are soaked!”

“I’m sure I can find something,” she answered, rising to her feet.

“We should go,” said Heather, shaking off her feet. “Thanks for letting us see the pictures before Jason!”

“He’ll see them this evening,” said Lori.

Lori escorted Heather and Rachel to the front door while Sarah ran upstairs to change. She reappeared wearing an old pair of jean shorts and promised to return them in a day or two. They chatted in the foyer until Sarah suddenly remembered she was meeting Matt at five o’clock and scurried out of the house.

When Jason arrived home at five-thirty, Lori allowed him to shower and get a drink before presenting him with the pictures. Though not as outwardly excited as the girls, he seemed quite pleased with the wedding photos.

“I’ll want one of you showing off the back of your dress for my room at college,” he informed Lori, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Lori smiled and snuggled closer to him on the couch. His hair was still damp from his shower and she absently played with the locks. Despite his appearance when he came home from work, Jason always cleaned up to perfection. He was also acquiring a very dark tan from so much sun. Lori’s skin looked rather pale in comparison.

“I take it the girls came over earlier?” he asked, still flipping through the album.

“Yes,” said Lori slowly, “and Rachel came, too.”

Her comment definitely got his full attention. “Oh?” he asked, eyeing her warily. “She came here?”

“Heather called first to make sure it was okay. Said she really wanted to see the pictures.”

“That rather surprises me,” said Jason, his gaze returning to the pictures. “Guess she’s accepted it then. Good!”

“She said you seemed very happy,” commented Lori, closely watching his face.

Jason closed the album and smiled. “I am!” he said, giving her a kiss. “And the pictures are great! Are you ordering enlargements?”

“Of course!” she said brightly. “We need to drop off an album for your parents, too.”

“We’ll go after dinner,” said Jason. “Which is hopefully soon!”

Laughing, Lori went downstairs to retrieve their supper from the oven. Thank goodness for the maid, she thought to herself. Perhaps she could take a cooking class this coming year.

They arrived at his parents’ house around seven. His mother was overjoyed to receive her wedding pictures. Lori and Jason sat on the couch as his parents looked through their album. They were forced to endure many loving but embarrassing remarks from his mother. Lori felt relieved she would be absent this evening when her parents looked through the album.

“Oh, these pictures are going to make me cry again,” his mother exclaimed. “My baby, all grown up and married now!”

“Mom,” said Jason, his eyes half closed in exasperation. Beside him, Lori giggled.

“You’ll always be my baby,” said Gloria defensively. “These pictures are beautiful! We’ll have to get some enlargements. It’s going to be so hard to choose…” she said, flipping back through the album.

An hour later, Lori and Jason stopped at Maria’s house. She thanked them for being so considerate and selected several photos she wanted to purchase. By the time they returned home, Lori’s parents had looked through their album. Rhonda appeared far more excited than Lori anticipated and had already begun making a list of desired enlargements.

“I’ll need some for my office, too,” she explained, “and so will your father.”

Jason had already noticed that Rhonda certainly had no difficulty spending money. Lori was not quite as frivolous with cash, but she was accustomed to a lifestyle of high standards. Once Jason acquired an NFL contract, he would be in a position to provide Lori with her heart’s desire.

They saw Rachel two more times before she returned to New York. The final evening found the friends at their favorite pizza hangout, and she sat across the table from Lori. Rachel spent most of her time talking with Lori, which amused Jason. No one could resist Lori’s winning personality for long. Rachel even told Jason she was very happy for him and wished them well when she departed.

Jason quickly realized just how wonderful it was to come home to Lori after a long day of work. Construction work could be quite strenuous and wore on muscles to the point of exhaustion. Now instead of living with the aches and pains, he had someone who was quite adept at massaging tired muscles. He had enjoyed an occasional rub during football season, but the nightly massages he now received were a blessing. This occasionally led to other physical activities, which he also relished enjoying on a daily basis.

Unfortunately, it would all end when they returned to college.