The T Shirt Chronicles Pt 04

The T-Shirt Chronicles- Part 4

This is for my wife. Mrs. Bear is the most wonderful woman I have ever known. I love her. It will be clear later.

So here we are--two young people, on a Saturday morning, driving to a nice outing in the country. A hot, well-maintained car is eating up the road, and a cool breeze blows through the windows.

Let's move it along.

The Mustang purred along Route 290, moving eastward towards Brenham and the Blue Bell Creamery. If you don't live in Texas, you probably have no idea of Blue Bell's draw on folks when it comes to ice cream. Suffice it to say it's one of the best-kept secrets in the Lone Star State. We arrived, parked, and went on the tour, learning the history of the creamery, Texas, and ice cream in general. It takes about an hour and a half and ends with sufficient amounts of ice cream to make you want more, for a fee.

We exited the Creamery when I should have been saying 'I Do', but I wasn't. Instead, I told Janice about two great restaurants I knew of.

The Lone Star Southern Grill was a very good steakhouse. High-end and a little pricey, but great food.

Los Cabos Mexican Grill and Steakhouse was the antithesis of the other. Not food-wise, but very inexpensive and more down-home. It was Tex-Mex, and you would love the difference.

Sarah did not. We had been to Brenham once before, and she opted for the Lone Star Southern. It was much classier. Plus, who wants to eat 'tacos and frijolies?'

I did, but that didn't matter. So, where do you think we wound up? GUESS.

However, Janice heard Mexican, and all she said was "Do you think they have Papas-Nachos?"

Oh, I'm more likin' this girl every minute.

If you're not from around here, Papas-Nachos are nachos with your choice of fajita chicken or fajita beef meat, cheese, Guacamole, chopped onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers, and Salsa served over slices of potatoes. Some people also include refried beans.

No, I do not.

Dude, it's awesome! And one of my favorite go-to foods. (Don't even think about asking for ground beef or shredded chicken.)

And this girl (Lady) just asked for them- BY NAME!!

Hell yeah, they had them, some of the finest in Texas. So I ushered her to the Muskrat and we booked to the Southwest side of town.

On a Saturday evening, the place was just starting to come alive, so we had no trouble getting a table on the sprawling patio. The waitress came with menus and asked for our drink orders. I looked at Janice, and she blushed.

I grinned, and ordered a Margaret, on the rocks, with salt for myself, and 'A large Dr.Pepper for the lady'. She blushed deeper (if possible) and averted her eyes, whispering that she was sorry but didn't drink a lot. She didn't want to get tipsy on our first date.

I looked at this cute little woman, and said, "Second date, and I don't try to get to a woman's virtue through alcohol, or ice cream. You can have whatever you would like to drink, and your reputation and honor are safe from me. Let's just have a good time, shall we?"

She blushed again but raised her eyes and smiled at me.

"I'd like that, Daniel. I'd like it a lot." Drinks arrived, and we gave our waitress our orders. A large order of steak fajita Papas-Nachos for me, a small order of chicken for Janice. Chips and salsa completed the meal, and the young lady whisked away to place the order.

We sipped our drinks and engaged in small talk. Janice was giggling like a schoolgirl at my rather lame jokes, but I was warming to the fact that she was hanging on my every word. So the afternoon wore on.

Dinner arrived, and we proceeded to demolish the food. We were having a great time. I learned a little bit more about her past.

She had graduated from high school and gone to the local community college, then to a technical school for computers and internet applications. She had an associate's degree in business administration and several certificates in computers and cyber functions. She was very intelligent, and you could tell just by listening to her talk that she was very much 'into' her chosen field.

Mr. Dutton was expanding his business, and he knew computers, computer graphics, and AI were the future. So, Janice was the beginning of the next step. Plus, she was extremely bright and eager. He had no idea about her history with Daniel, and he was a little concerned. But he knew about Daniel's upbringing and his history. Hell, his dad and he were good friends. Not as good as he and Brian O'Malley, but still cut from the same cloth. So he wasn't too worried about the young lady. He would just keep an eye on them, that's all.

Dinner went smoothly. Daniel learned about her family and the fact that her two sisters were teachers, and her brother was a State Trooper, down in Montgomery County, north of Houston. He was married, and one of her sisters was engaged. Her Dad was getting ready to retire from the fire department, and Mom was a maternity ward nurse.

Daniel filled her in on his family. His two brothers, two sisters, their families, and his Mom and Dad. Mom was also a teacher, a middle school ass't.principal and his Dad was a local police Captain. This will prove interesting as the story progresses. But for now, it was just 'getting to know you time.'

But time passed. After coffee and churros, Daniel paid the bill, and they rose to leave. As they did, and Janice was gathering her purse, she... well, she burped.

Time stopped. She almost fainted. If she was blushing before, it was third-degree burn time now. She almost burst into tears. She started to hiccup and cry, as Daniel caught her and held her. She was sniffling and apologizing. He stared at her. 'WTF??' he thought.

"I'm sorry, Daniel. I'm so embarrassed to let you see this and hear this".

"A BURP? Why would you be embarrassed by a burp? Hell, it wasn't even a decent one!"

Sniffling, she glared at him. (For the first time)

"IT was not at all lady-like. I am so embarrassed," she said, casting her eyes down.

Daniel had everything he could do to keep from busting out laughing.

"Sweetheart, it was only a burp. You just say 'Excuse me', and make like nothing happened." He was now smiling like a lunatic as he held her hand. Janice, on the other hand, was staring at him like he was an alien creature.

"You called me 'Sweetheart', and you don't think this was disgusting??"

Daniel was not thinking now.

"Well, how are you going to act when I belch around our kids, they crack up, and say 'Do it again, Dad'?"

'Uh, Oh!! Where did that come from? WHAT THE HELL WAS I SAYING??' he thought.

Janice looked at me with wide-eyed amazement. She shuddered, took a deep breath, and in a low, whispery voice, asked, "Did you just say our children?"

Well, it was time to 'fish, or cut bait', as they say. Daniel swallowed deeply, cleared his throat, and looked deep into Janice's eyes.

'Here goes,' he thought.

"Janice, I dodged a bullet and have been given another chance. You may be that second chance. I don't know where this is going, but so far I like the direction it's headed in. I DON'T want this to be just a rebound relationship. I like you too much to have that happen. Besides....."

He hesitated.

"I've got this T-shirt that I like. I have to use it,... with the right woman."

She stared, open-mouthed at me, not knowing what to say. She was slightly frightened, not sure if she was hearing him correctly. She wanted to hear what she thought he was trying to say, but was afraid it was because it was what she wanted to hear and not what he wanted to say. She swallowed hard and looked into his eyes.

"Daniel," she whispered, then coughed and raised her voice slightly.

"Daniel", she said with more confidence, and a trifle louder, "I love you. I have for the longest time. But you never noticed me. You left to join the Marines, came home to go to college, and got engaged to her, and I figured we had no chance. I gave you the T-shirt because I only wished you the best.......

"Maybe I am the best. I can only pray!"

Well, the normally confident, self-assured young man was, to put it mildly,

STUNNED. SPEECHLESS. CAUGHT UNAWARE.

He lost it for a brief instant, then snapped back to the present. He stared at the pretty young woman in front of him, who was embarrassed to shit, and trying not to cry. But she stood her ground. He grinned.

"Janice, I am damaged goods right now. I'm not looking for a rebound affair or relationship. But I would love to have a warm, affectionate human being who cares for me, helps me to heal, picks up the pieces of my heart, and holds them for me until they mend. What do you say, kiddo? Are you up for the job?"

The look on Janice's face was priceless. While he hadn't said he loved her, he had hinted that he did, and he had offered her his heart to care for. She would take that, for now, and work on him. She smiled and took his hands.

"I'll take that job," she whispered.

He smiled, pulled her to him, and kissed her deeply.

Seemed like the right move.

She melted into him and performed surgery on his mouth, lips, tongue, and upper throat. Shortly thereafter, they broke apart breathlessly and stood there, panting, blushing, and trying to collect themselves. Janice was aroused, as was Daniel. He thought maybe he was being too slow about this.

Janice, on the other hand, was convinced she had made the right call. She reached for his left hand and smiled at him.

"Let's go home, Danny."

He returned the smile.

"Sure thing, kiddo."

So he paid the bill, and they left for Anabelle, who waited patiently for the young couple. His reliable Mustang fired up, and they returned to Austin as the sun slowly settled a little farther West. They talked as they drove, to the sounds of ZZ TOP, Bruce Springsteen, Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, and Trisha Yearwood.

Meanwhile......

Saturday was interesting in Austin, particularly in the Wilson household. It appears that no one even considered the fact that the wedding had been cancelled, so everyone was bustling about getting dressed and preparing to go to the First Methodist Church of God. Sarah was being the quintessential 'Bridezilla' and screaming and ranting at everyone, while her mother was trying to run herd on her husband and daughter to get them going on schedule.

Herbert managed to try to call Daniel, then his parents' house. Daniel's number went to voicemail; the Connors' just rang. Herbert assumed they were on their way to the church.

'The simple shit wouldn't even THINK of pissing me off.'

The Wilsons were oblivious to the real world. They figured the lower types would bow to their wishes, especially including Daniel Conner and his 'second-class' family and friends.

Yep, clueless.

So they went about their preps for the 'festivities' unaware that NOBODY, outside of their family and friends, was involved. They left for the 11:00 A.M. ceremony, blissfully unaware that, well, it wasn't going to happen.

They arrived at he church, Sarah in the rented stretch Cadillac limo, and she sat cooling her heels for a good fifteen minutes, Guzzling Champagne and thinking of her upcoming nuptials. Just long enough for her Mother to be escorted down the aisle to a half-filled sanctuary, a skeptical-looking reverend, and only relatives and guests on her side. Oh, and TV news crews from two local networks, reporters from a local newspaper, and a Dallas paper.

No one on the groom's side. No groomsmen, ushers, future in-laws, friends, neighbors, work associates, janitors, deliverymen, waitresses, barflies, NO-ONE!.

Get the picture?

Herbert was unaware of the situation. When his daughter finally deigned to make an appearance,' fashionably and traditionally late', she took her father's arm, and Herbert nodded to the perplexed and slightly scared wedding planner to start the processional.

"UHH, Mr.Wilson? Sir? I think there's a problem."

His stare made her even more frightened.

"Get moving, if you want to get paid!!" he snarled.

The wedding planner swallowed hard, spoke into her mike, and the organ started. She opened the doors, and the seven bridesmaids and three flower girls started down the aisle. As the echoes of the opening march died away and were replaced by the bridal entrance song (you know, 'Here Comes the Bride, All Dressed In White.... etc., etc.'), the slightly tipsy bride-to-be and her rather smug father lined up to walk down the aisle.

Herbert Wilson and Ms. Sarah Wilson proceeded to enter the church proper and sedately walk down the aisle-about twelve feet. That's when the shrieks of his wife, the gasps and subdued smirks and sniggering from the left side of the church, and the total absence of people on the right side, no males on the altar, came crashing down on them, gradually slowing their walk till they finally stopped a little more than half way down the aisle. The bridesmaids and the maid of honor were all huddled on the left side of the stunned and slightly embarrassed Reverend Jamison.

It was time for the meltdown to begin.

Eunice Wilson was screaming, the crowd was starting to convulse, Sarah was cursing at the top of her lungs (in church. Go figure), and the two TV news crews her daddy had arranged to cover the 'Society Wedding of the Year' were running around asking for interviews and comments. The reporters from the Austin American-Statesman were trying to spin this positively.

(Yeah, right!)

They were employees of the paper whose owner was a close personal friend of Herbert Wilson. So, damage control. You know.

But the reporters from The Dallas Morning Herald were not big fans of the blowhard asshole and were busy recording every comment made, good AND bad and snapping photos like it was going out of style.

And what of the father of the bride?

Well, it was a good thing he took care of his health, because his blood pressure and pulse were borderline exploding, spiking like no tomorrow. His complexion was fire engine red, and he was almost catatonic. He was looking for blood, revenge, payback, and couldn't find it.

Meanig Daniel Cooner. Herbert was seething and muttering un-Christian epithets, almost audibly.

As the conversations escalated and got louder, and the diatribes from Mother and Daughter were reaching a crescendo, the Reverand Jamison made his way down to the VERY distraught father-of-the-bride and the exceedingly pissed off bride, and politely told him that they should all exit the church, IMMEDIATELY, and not to bother coming back shortly untill they 'resolved this mis-understanding.' HUH??

That settled it! The little prick would pay!

MEANWHILE

It was now about two in the afternoon. Lunch had been wonderful, and they were very happy.

The two lovebirds were tooling back to Austin, blissfully unaware of the catastrophe unfolding at the aborted wedding ceremony. They were taking their time, a leisurely ride at a comfortable 64 MPH. They were back in town at about 4 P.M. and went to see first Daniel's parents, then Janice's family. Both sets of relatives were overjoyed, even though no solid promises had been made, but anyone could see that the two young people were over the moon with each other. Daniel was thinking of going looking for another ring, and was trying to decide if he should pick one out himself, or take Janice shopping to satisfy her.

He took her home and then returned to his parents' home, and gently parked his Mustang in her spot in the storage shed. He locked everything up and was just making his way to his parents' front door when a large Cadillac limo screeched to a stop in front of their house. Daniel was curious, then slightly alarmed when Sarah's father, mother, two brothers, and the slut herself exited the stretch limo and hustled up towards him. He surreptitiously thumbed #2 on speed dial. He was rewarded with a subdued"Hello?, hello? Son??" Daniel, remaining calm, stood his ground and spoke loudly.

"Well, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson- and look who else showed up at my parents' house. Sarah the Slut. To what do I owe the honor of this 'visit'?"

In the family room, Mr. Conner, or should I say, Captain Daniel Ronald Conner, of the Austin Police Department, was busy calling in 'back-up'.

"This is Captain Daniel Conner. I am at home, and my family is being confronted by some very irate, pissed off individuals, in a Caddy limo. Doesn't look good. I need three units and a supervisor at my location immediately. Lights and sirens. "

"Copy, Captain. Units responding. ETA 5 minutes, supervisor 3 minutes later. Be advised, we are monitoring gang activity and Organized Crime chatter. No info yet about any activity."

"Understood. Keep me advised." Now his wife was looking at her husband like he had lost his mind.

Shelby Conner had been married to her husband for almost 40 years, had been with him through several traumatic instances, including a shootout when he was a sergeant, where he was wounded. But she had never seen him like this. Then he turned and looked at his wife, with a mischievous grin on his face.

"It' O.K., baby, just a misunderstanding. It appears the Wilsons have arrived to talk to our son." This, as he walked to his living room gun safe, retrieved his 9mm S&W, checked the load, and secured it under his T-shirt at his back.

"Just stay in here and watch through the window so that we get an unbiased viewpoint as to what goes down." He was holding her hands now, in comforting mode, trying to calm his wife.

Yeah, how long had they been married?

Shelby Conner bowed up and said, "LIKE HELL I WILL! I'm going outside with you. Come on!!"

'Yeah. I figured as much,' thought the Captain. 'That's my girl!'

By this time, the Wilson tribe had walked up to the halfway point in the Conners' driveway and were about 10 feet from Daniel. Let's see, Mrs. Wilson was livid, her two sons were slowly sizing Daniel up, Ms. Wilson was weaving and slurring her words, and her father was seething, trying to string more than two or three words together. Daniel, for his part, was calmly waiting to see where this would go.

It would appear that after the debacle at the church, everyone had adjourned to the upscale restaurant where the reception was to be held, because the event was non-refundable, and had managed to get even more smashed. The guests and such were blissfully happy to eat and drink the proffered food and booze (after all, it was a party), and it took about two hours or so for Herbert Wilson to ascertain where Daneil was.

By then, his wife was well on her way to madness (not anger, but insanity), his daughter was way more drunk than she had been, his sons were just getting a buzz and figuring they could take the former Marine with ease, and he knew that Daniel had just returned to his parents house. His temper finally got the better of him, and he stood and said to his family, "Let's go!"

Now this decision was made to confront this pissant cretin for disrespecting him, and embarrassing his daughter and his wife, in public. No thought was given to the fact that his dad was a cop. Too bad.

So here we are--a confrontation. Only one of the 'participants' was sober, calm, level-headed, and not terminally pissed off.

Yes, that would be Daniel.

"MR.WILSON: What are you doing here?"

"You little prick. Who the hell do you think you are? Where were you? The wedding was a complete disaster, you and your worthless family and low-class 'friends' never showed up, I was thoroughly embarrassed, my wife was upset, and my daughter was heartbroken!! What do you have to say for yourself?"

About then, Sarah giggled and smiled a slightly drunken smile and spun, unsteadily, in a circle.

"Like my dress, sweetie?"

Daniel groaned.

"At least you cleaned up the brown stains from the back side, slut."

Sarah's smile slowly disintegrated, and she tried to look at her ass, then realized what he was referring to. She lost it.