Opposites Attract

Meet The Tempests

"Rufus Tempest," his hand shot out, almost knocking over the large vase of flowers in the center of the table, coming to a stop inches from Jeff's nose.

"Oh, yeah, Jeff Tracy, good to meet you." Jeff scooted back in his chair and managed to get his hand up enough to clasp Rufus's and move it away from his face. In one smooth move that Selene was very envious of, Jeff stood up and pushed her dad's hand away while shaking, making it look effortless.

Rufus pumped away at Jeff's hand although he didn't seem to hear anything anyone was saying to him.

Jeff politely but firmly extracted his hand and offered it first to Adam, who declined in favour of clasping his hands together in prayer position and offering a "Namaste" and then to Celia, who grabbed it in both hands.

"Ohh, you're so strong," she twittered. "It's so nice to meet you, Mr Tracy. I'm Celia, Selene's mother."

"Please, call me Jeff, and let me introduce you all to my mother, Sally, and Miss Kyrano, Kayo to friends and family, and my sons Scott, Alan and of course, John."

As a unit the Tempests nodded to Kayo, Alan and Grandma before settling on Selene, seated between Scott and John.

"So which is it then?" Celia demanded to know. "Or is it both?"

Selene rolled her eyes, used to her mother's theatrics and her tendency to believe everything she read online. "Just this one," she lifted her hand, dragging John's with it.

"Not dimples?" her mum looked vaguely disappointed.

Selene shook her head. "Just swoosh hair."

John didn't know what to think, how to act, if he was ever going to make it out of this alive, or why he had been demoted to nothing more than a hairstyle. It was the first time he'd ever had to meet someone's parents and so far it was as horrifying as he had imagined.

Selene's brother was staring at him like he was looking into his soul and John was pretty sure he hadn't blinked in the last minute. He had his hair shaved almost down to nothing, the same long nose as Selene and the same blue eyes, set in a thin, angular face. In complete disregard to their surroundings he was wearing a roughly knitted poncho and had a stillness about him that even Virgil hadn't mastered.

Adam suddenly grinned at John, catching him off guard. He forced his lips into an awkward smile in return, though he was sure it looked more like he had an uncomfortable case of gas.

"Just him?" Selene's mum clarified, still stuck on her daughter's apparently unconventional relationship choices.

"Just him, who is perfect and amazing by the way." John squeezed her hand in thanks but was still too nervous to look away from her brother.

"Young man, what are your intentions towards my daughter?"

John jumped like he had been shot, tearing his eyes away from Adam's penetrative gaze to face Rufus.

"Erm... I..."

"What do you do for work?" Celia demanded to know and John's head swivelled to face her.

"I work in space-"

"Space is it? And what do you do up there all day?"

"Communications-"

"Communications? Then you should have learnt to speak up, lad."

John's eyes darted back to meet her father's.

"I..."

Selene, having had enough of her parents demanding questions, slammed her hands down on the table top, making them all jump.