Irreversibility Attractive

The routine that Joey had gotten into after Juniper had left for university was to quietly eat breakfast in the kitchen, alone, and calm his nerves about the upcoming onslaught of anxiety that often came from arriving at school. He could think through his day, what his classes would be like, who he would have to talk to. Normally, Joey kept his head down and tried to fly under the radar, unnoticed, but Joey was pretty sure that those days were now behind him.

Surprisingly, Joey was finding that he didn't mind.

Yes, his stomach still filled with butterflies when he imagined himself in a crowd, or worse, in front of a crowd, but now there was something else on top of that. Last night, sitting in the car, having that stranger look at him with such respect in his eyes, just because Joey's own mother was acting in such a physically intimate way, had filled Joey with a pride he'd never felt before. Of course the stranger had no way of knowing the details of the relationship between the two. From his perspective in the other car, all he saw was a young man and a beautiful older woman sharing an amorous moment.

And it had felt great.

And the texts he'd gotten from Nick.

Legend.

Nick had called him a legend!

Joey was a lot of things, but he was damned sure that he wasn't a legend. Suddenly, though, that didn't matter. Friends, strangers, all of them looked at him differently. Joey was, in the eyes of the people around him, a different kind of man. Gone was the loser, gone was the loner, gone was the failure. Joey was the kind of guy who could get Madison Ashford to fall for him. Joey was the kind of guy who could go out with a sexy older woman. And while he knew it was wrong, while Joey knew he should be doing everything he could to fix things, to change them back, a part of him hesitated. He had never felt that way before, and to give it up now that he'd had a taste was more difficult than he could imagine.

"Would you like some more orange juice, darling?"

His mother's voice brought him back to the present. His routine, his time to centre himself before he left for school, was another thing that was different that morning. There would be no taking the time to understand what his day would be, what he would need to do to prepare himself. No. While his father had left for the office thirty minutes earlier, his mother had opted to stay behind, citing banked time owed to her.

Her question was perfectly normal. Perfectly normal words. But Joey's stomach twisted, because nothing about this felt normal.

Joey’s mother had always been the picture of sophistication; her wardrobe a masterclass in power dressing, all perfectly tailored pencil skirts, fitted blouses, and designer heels that signaled confidence with every step. But this morning… this morning, something was off. Or maybe not off. Just different.

Her blouse was still expensive, still professional, but the fabric clung to her like a second skin, the buttons strategically undone just enough to hint at the lace of the bra beneath. A bra that, if he looked too long, he would have to acknowledge was far sexier than any she should have been wearing. Her skirt, normally a sleek and modest knee-length, now hugged high on her thighs, emphasizing the slow, deliberate sway of her hips as she moved. Even her heels were different; taller, slimmer, more predatory, forcing her posture into something that was less corporate powerhouse and more… suggestive.

And then there was the way she stood. The way she leaned just a little too close when she reached for the coffee pot, her perfume lingering in the air between them. The way she traced a lazy finger along the countertop, her nails clicking softly against the marble, as though lost in thought, or wanting him to notice.

When she finally turned toward him, she didn’t just look at him, she appraised him. A slow, knowing once-over, her lips curving into a smile that felt dangerously indulgent. For a brief moment, her tongue slipped out of her mouth, teasing her lips in an incredibly suggestive manner. Seeing his mother dressed that way, acting that way, was filling Joey's emotional make-up with a deluge of internal conflict, many things he was afraid to admit to himself that he felt. His relationship with his mother, while it had never been strong, was now more messed up than ever.

And worse? He knew exactly who had made it this way.

"No thanks," Joey said, eyeing the half-full glass in front of him. Still enough to finish his breakfast with.

"Or eggs?" she offered, walking behind him, trailing her finger over his shoulders, causing him to shiver, "Or... anything?"

If only there were a way that he could keep the respect of strangers, have them see him like that man in the car had, while not having his mother coming on to him at every opportunity. Yes, his mother was a beautiful woman, but she was still his mother. While his attempt to fix things the day before had failed, he had to try again.

"Mom," he said, "I think we should try to make things go back to the way they were before. You really shouldn't be touching me like that."

"Sweetheart," she said with a smile, sitting on the stool next to him at the breakfast nook, her perfume enveloping him in something heady and floral, something that made his pulse hammer in his throat, "It's not my fault that you're practically irresistible. Women like me are naturally drawn to your charm."

"Seriously mom," Joey said, jerking his head away from his mother's fingers that had found their way into his hair, "You have to stop it."

"Joey Granger," his mother said in a stern tone, "I know things have changed quite a lot between the two of us in the past couple of days, but I am still your mother and you will show me some respect. Just because it's a proven fact that you're the new perfect guy doesn't mean you can order me around."

Joey remembered then that it wasn't about giving orders. It was about explaining. When he'd tried to undo the changes he'd made in the restaurant the night before it hadn't worked. Maybe he couldn't erase changes, but maybe he could stack them so that he could still get the same result.

"Um... actually..." he said, trying out his idea, "Because I'm the perfect guy is precisely why I can order you around."

It was simple, it was quick. He stared at his mother as a confused look briefly crossed her face, replaced by a pensive one, which was chased away by one of perfect clarity.

"Well, obviously you can order me around," she said, smiling, "I don't know what I was thinking. But that doesn't mean that I'm not here for your sexual gratification. There's still time before school and your father's not around. Do you want to spend some time touching me?"

"I want you to stop coming on to me," Joey ordered, his voice meek despite the authority he guessed that he now had. He'd never been one to stand up to his mother so forcefully, at least without losing his temper. She was a powerful woman, not one to be trifled with.

"Yes sir," she said, giving a small salute, "I can give you some space, at least until you're ready for me. I know what I'm here for, and I know what you're allowed to do, and I know what I want..."

"No," Joey said emphatically, "I order you to stop thinking of me that way. Go back to the way you used to think of me, not as your perfect guy, just as your son."

"You might as well ask the wind to stop blowing," she said, "or the sun to stop rising. Some things are just natural, baby."

She got up from the stool and made her way toward the hallway.

"If you're not going to let me come on to you, that's fine," she said in a sultry tone, "You don't get to be as successful as I am without knowing more than one way to get what you want."

And she left the kitchen, leaving Joey alone with the weight of his anxiety. He needed to get out. Taking one last bite of toast, he brought his plate to the dishwasher, grabbed his backpack and headed to the front door.

"I'll see you tonight, sweetheart," his mother called from her bedroom, "I'll count the seconds!"

Joey yanked the door open, heart pounding. “Yeah, okay, cool. Gotta go, Mom!”

He stepped outside, the morning air shocking against his flushed skin. And there, standing at the edge of his driveway, was a scantily clad Madison Ashford, looking as alluring as he'd ever seen her, fresh in the morning light.

She smiled, looking him up and down, her eyes shining with something eager and determined.

“Morning, handsome.”