Bill gave a final wave and put his Model 3 into drive, his dad standing next to his mother with his arm around her shoulders while they both waved back.
"That went well," Lavender said as the car accelerated with barely a sound.
"Why does it always sound as if you're surprised?" Bill shot back.
Lavender shrugged with a grin and quickly kicked off her shoes before pulling her knees up to her chest and placing her bare feet on the dash.
"Do you know what your mom kept bugging me about?" Lavender asked.
Bill snorted and rolled his eyes.
"Let me guess, probably the same as my dad about when we were going to start a family of our own," Bill replied.
"Yep," Lavender said with a grin, "She told me practicing was all well and good, but at some point you have to let all those little soldiers have a chance to make it to the finish line for real."
Bill choked back what ever he had been about to say and had to slow down while he got his coughing fit under control.
"She did not!" Bill was finally able to gasp.
Lavender gave a nod while grinning at Bill.
"She did," Lavender replied, "And she also suggested that when we decide to try that I use pillows beneath my butt to 'elevate my hips' afterwards to help things along."
"Oh my god!" Bill said with a laugh, "We're still talking about my mom and not one of your hippie friends, aren't we?"
Bill came to a stop at a light while waiting to merge onto the interstate and looked over at Lavender. The two of them seemed to be polar opposites, Lavender tall and slim with dirty blond dreadlocks down to the middle of her back and always wearing a hemp skirt and linen sleeveless top, almost always barefoot just like now, Bill in dark slacks and polo shirt, his black hair cut short and clean shaven. Almost all of the ample amount of skin Lavender had on display had some tattoo, each with a story to go along with the ink while she had only talked Bill into getting a single one on the thigh of his right leg. A place that wouldn't even be visible wearing a bathing suit most of the time.
"You'd be surprised about some of the things your mom has wanted to talk to me about," Lavender replied smugly.
"Nope!" Bill shot back and turned onto the onramp, "We are not having this conversation! Not. At. All."
Lavender laughed, Bill glancing over at her profile and smiling. No matter their differences, he still was amazed that such a beautiful, wonderful, sensual and sexual woman had decided that she wanted to be with him.
"So... when are you going to introduce me to your mom?" Bill asked several minutes later.
Lavender had rolled down her window and stuck both feet out while leaning back onto Bill's shoulder and gave a noncommittal shrug without answering.
"Do you really think your mom will hate me that much?" Bill asked, "If I really have to I can always lie about who I voted for last time around."
Lavender snorted and pushed her head back against Bill's shoulder.
"Ask me no questions..." Lavender said softly.
"And I'll tell you no lies," Bill replied, "Alright... no politics... but seriously, when do I get to meet your mother?"
Lavender still didn't reply, her head pressed back against Bill's upper arm.
"Lavender, seriously, you've told me what Crystal is like and she sounds exactly like you and I love you," Bill continued after a minute of silence, "Why don't you want me to meet her?"
"Remember the first time when I took you to Blind Creek?" Lavender suddenly asked.
"Mmmm," Bill replied, his voice a little deeper at the memory of seeing Lavender walking nude with so many strangers around... as well as all the other nude women he had discreetly ogled, "Yea, I remember."
"What if you saw your parents there?" Lavender asked.
"Jesus!" Bill said with a laugh at the non sequitur, "Can you imagine!"
"Seriously, what would you do?" Lavender pressed.
"Uhhh, run away?" Bill finally said.
Lavender pulled her feet back in the window and sat up in her seat with her arms wrapped tightly around herself.
"Lavender, what does that have to do with anything?" Bill asked when he saw how upset Lavender was.
"That's... that's why we can't meet my mom," Lavender said softly.
"What?" Bill asked in confusion.
"What do I usually wear around the house, Bill?" Lavender asked softly.
"Usually?" Bill said with a laugh, "Nothing? Maybe your underwear when it's that time of the month?
"It took me so long to get used to your lack of body modesty, to learn that lesson myself and enjoy being naked just as much as you do, but that is seriously one of the things I love about you the most!"
"Would you want to be around your mom and dad like that?" Lavender asked.
Bill was silent for a minute while he drove before shaking his head slightly.
"No," he replied quietly, "And I'm guessing that means your mom..."
"I have no problem... I enjoy being naked because that's just how I grew up," Lavender admitted, "My mom and dad both until he passed away... we hardly every wore clothes at home and it was just... normal and natural and..."
They both drove on in silence while several exits came and went.
"Maybe we could invite your mom out to dinner?" Bill finally said to break the silence, "I mean, I haven't seen to many naked people at the Outback."
Lavender snorted and gave her head a shake.
"No... she's been living at the Palmettos Sun Ranch for almost three years," Lavender replied, "It's like some... badge of honor or something for her that she that she brags about not putting on more than a shawl in all that time.
"She's not going to go out to a restaurant, she hates eating out anyway."
They continued to drive in silence for a few more miles until Bill took a deep breath.
"I'd still like to meet her," he finally said, "Maybe ask her permission for something."
Lavender's head snapped around and then she grabbed the back of her neck.
