Can We Start Over?

Josh wouldn’t tell me where we were going, and I hated that. As we drove through the wealthier part of town, I started to worry that we were going to his parents’ house. Would he do that? Take me to his parents place without telling me? Nervously I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and looked down at what I was wearing. Argh! Damn Chad for getting sick on me.

“Please tell me where we are going.” I begged him.

He began to slow down and turned into a driveway on the right side of the road. Putting the car in park, he turned to me and smiled. “We are going here.”

Looking out my window, my heart fell; it was his parents’ house. “I can’t go in there.”

“Sure you can,” Josh simply said as he opened his door and came around to my side.

Reluctantly, I took his hand and let him help me out of his car. “But Josh, just look at me.” I thought he would understand why I was nervous, I looked like crap. Besides wearing old sweat pants and shirt, my hair was messy from when they were tickling me earlier and from the nap we took. But as his eyes slid over me, a naughty grin appeared on his handsome face.

When his eyes traveled back up to mine, the look he gave me was enough for me to know exactly what he was thinking. “Josh…”

His hand wrapped around the back of my neck and he lowered his head, brushing my cheek with his lips. “Do you want to get back in the car and make out for a little bit?”

Gasping, I batted at his arm. “Josh! We can’t do that!”
“Sure we can,” he glanced towards the house and back again. “They’ll never notice.”

I laughed, “Uh huh. I’m sure they wouldn’t. Let’s go inside.”

Josh sighed, “Ok, if you insist.”

I knew he got me to do what he wanted. Even though the idea of making up with him was way more appealing than meeting his parents looking like I did. I didn’t think that making out in broad daylight in their driveway would make a good impression.

We were in the front entrance taking off our jackets when Josh slipped his arms around my waist and pulled me tight against him. “You look great, you will be great. My parents will love you because I do.”

I wanted to tell him that wasn’t the case but the sound of someone clearing their throat behind him interrupted. “Hello mom,” Josh went to her and gave her a big hug. “How are you?”

“I’m just great Joshua. Your father and I had a good time visiting Louise.” She looked past Josh and spotted me. “And who is this?” She asked him, her expression was difficult to read and that made me nervous.

Josh turned to me and held out his hand. “Mom, this is Anna.” I slipped my hand in his and he gave it a squeeze before he pulled me to him.

His mom looked at us, her expression unreadable still.

“Nice to meet you Mrs. Baker.” I held out my hand and smiled.

Josh’s mom raised her brow at him, looked at my hand and then at me. All my anxieties about meeting her came rushing back. Oh my god, she doesn’t like me. She’s thinking that Josh is crazy for liking me. My smile started to waver, and my hand began to shake. I felt like such a fool holding it out there but I didn’t seem to have control over my arm to pull it back.

His mom touched her fingers to her mouth; she looked so upset like she was going to cry. I wanted to run for the nearest exit but Josh’s arm around my waist prevented me from even moving. I looked up at Josh, he wasn’t smiling anymore. “Mom?”

Her eyes turned to his and she dropped her hand from her mouth. “Oh Joshua,” she moved towards us. Her hand grasped mine and shook it. “It’s nice to meet you,”

“Mrs. Baker,” I started but I didn’t know what I wanted to say. I wanted to tell her who wonderful I thought her son was and how great Jesse was but didn’t want her to think I was trying to butter her up.

She smiled at me. “Oh Anna dear, please call me Helen.” She looked up at Josh, “Your father is in the study with Roy and Walter.” Josh nodded and took my hand. “Don’t worry about Anna; I’ll take good care of her.”

I watched as she shooed him off in the direction of the study. I wanted to scream for him not to leave me alone, I was afraid that she wouldn’t be friendly once he was out of the room.

“Come on Anna, you can help me with dinner.” She started down the hall and I had no choice but to follow her.

Once in the kitchen she put me to work making a garden salad while she checked on the roast she had in the oven. “So Anna?” She closed the oven door and came over to the counter and sat down across from me. I smiled up at her and waited for her to continue, prepared for anything she threw at me. “How old are you?”

Except that one. “I’m 23,” I told her in what I hoped was a voice that seemed confident.

She nodded slowly, “You know Joshua is 32, right?” I said yes. “Don’t you think the age difference will cause problems between the two of you?”

I stopped ripping the lettuce and looked her in the eye. “I don’t know for sure if it will or not. I have no reason to believe it will because Josh and I are able to talk through any issues that come up.”

“Like your roommate?” She shook her head, “I know Joshua has told me that there isn’t anything between you and the youngest Pollett boy but I can’t help but be concerned. Joshua has been hurt pretty badly before and I don’t wish for him to go through that again. So if you are not in this relationship for the long term, I want you to get up and leave right now.”

I jumped up, staring at her.

“Just go," she sighed. "I’ll tell him,” she got up and headed for the doorway.