Punishing the Brats

“That’s fine, I was just joking. Don’t be so awkward, yeah?”

“Mm,” Matt hummed back at her.

What was that? Chastity thought.

* * *

They had the car packed by half past eight, and Chastity tried her best to cut a drawn-out goodbye with her mother short, but to no avail.

“Don’t step on coral.”

“Yeah.”

“Make sure you wear enough sunscreen.”

“I know, Mum.”

“And for God’s sake, keep your mouth closed if you’re going to fall off the surf board. Don’t swallow sea water!”

“I don’t plan to, Mum.”

…

“Yes, Mum.”

…

“Okay, Mum.”

…

“I got it, Mum, take it easy!” Chastity got into the car, closed the door and rolled up the window. Her mother looked at her, disapproval plastered on her face, hands on her hips, shaking her head.

“Let the girl have some fun, Beth,” Chastity heard Matt say. She watched, feeling a pinch of seething envy, as the two kissed goodbye. It was just a peck, too! God, if Chastity had been in her mother’s position, she would have taken Matt’s lips so fiercely… she would have put her tongue down his throat and she would have-

“Ready?” Matt asked, climbing into the car.

“Yeah!” she shouted, snapped out of her lurid thoughts. “Um, yeah.”

And then they were off, first out of the driveway, then out of the district, and then out of the city, zooming along the motorway, with the sun shining brightly overhead.

“Hey, Matt,” Chastity said, looking over at him. His side profile was silhouetted against the reflection of the sun from the car in the next lane, and it made his strong jaw and chin that much more obvious.

“Yeah,” he said, turning briefly and breaking the image.

“I was, uh, thinking that we could use this trip to bond.” She felt distinctly foolish saying it.

“Bond?”

“Yeah, you know, like get to know each other.”

“Honey, I’ve been your step-father since before you were a teenager.”

“I mean, for me to get to know you.”

“Oh,” Matt said. Obviously that hadn’t occurred to him. “Well, okay then. Uh, do you feel like you don’t know me?”

“I mean, I know you,” Chastity said, moving her hands vaguely in front of her as though the gesture articulated the thought. “But I mean, like, your history, or whatever. It’s just I was thinking I don’t know much about you prior to you meeting Mum. I mean, I know you’re a contractor, I know you oversee building sites and all that; I know your job, but I don’t know much else, you know?”