Kayla's birthday dinner went well. My mother showed up on time, dressed to the nines as usual. My dad worked for the railroad during the depression and found my mother in South Carolina. She was 100 percent southern belle, except she didn't have a lot of money. Mom and dad lived well enough to always have money for things they needed though. Dad told me once when we had a serious talk about life, her family booted her off the gravy train when she fell in love with and married a roughneck. If you got her drunk, she would tell you a story of how her family lost most of their money when the south lost the war.
Corinne seemed unusually tired, but she chalked it up to not being used to sitting around, since she was on vacation this week. Privately she gave me the lustful look and said she was tired from the afternoon delight she enjoyed. At the time, we had no clue and couldn't know she was cancerous. Ironically, my mother happened to mention to her she should go to the doctor for a check-up. It would be another few years before she would be forced to go, and by that time it was too late. Had she taken my mother's advice on Kayla's twenty-first birthday, she might still be alive today.
Kayla showed up wearing a different outfit. It still matched of course, and she still had socks and shoes on, giving me her coy little smile when she noticed me looking. Trina told her to get her suit on, and jump in the pool with her and Ken. I told her that was a good idea since it was very hot out today, but she refused to take a swim in the pool with her brother and sister.
My sister Bridgette, of course was a no show. I talked to her on Sunday over the phone and told her to stop in for Kayla's pre-birthday dinner. At least she would have a decent meal in her once. My mother worried about her, funny how mom doesn't worry any other time. Like when we take her to the hospital in an ambulance because she got drunk, used drugs, passed out - and the people she was partying with called because they thought she was dead. Besides Corinne, and more recently Kayla, my sister is the only other female who freely allows me to see her naked body and nylon feet quite frequently. When she was young, she was very pretty. Thus began my masturbation years, with my sister the subject of my masturbation fantasies. Years later, after Corinne took my virginity and got me addicted to sex, my sister would let me bury myself deep inside her when Corinne and I would break up for a while. Bridgette loved feeling my penis pump sperm inside her. If I notice in the logs the ambulance hasn't been at her dump lately, I stop in to make sure she is still alive. If she is drunk when I stop, she gets naked and fondles me through my pants and begs me to fuck her or let her blow me. Sometimes she stops by and asks to borrow money to pay the rent, or other things she needs. She always offers to repay me with sex since she doesn't have money. When I told her Corinne got me addicted to her nylon feet, Bridgette would wear nylons when she came over and added footjobs to her repayment plan. If she is baked when I show up, she doesn't recognize me and has no clue I was even there. She is not as pretty now as she used to be. I promised mom I would stop in by her tomorrow and make sure she was okay.
I jokingly told my mom we were getting Kayla golf clubs, which started the golf club story. Her brother and sister got her each a sleeve of golf balls for a joke, but then pulled out prepaid gas cards. But grandma on the other hand, went all out with the golf clubs story. I don't know what she was thinking. She got her a temporary membership to a very exclusive Country Club, with a fifty dollar bar tab, and a fifty dollar food tab. The temporary membership lasted a month, and costed a thousand dollars. Considering a salad in the place costs twelve bucks and a regular beer about the same, I knew Kayla wasn't going to get drunk in there. She couldn't afford it. Hell, I couldn't afford going there. Corinne and I went there on our anniversary two years ago, and practically had to take a second mortgage on the house just to pay our bar tab. Then, mom gave her the really big surprise.
"I have reservations for you and that nice Matt boy you're seeing this Friday night. There is a table for two reserved in their main dining room, and they are having an orchestra for dancing during dinner. I'm sure you both will have a fun time there." Mother's southern drawl said proudly.
"Gee thanks grandma...but I'm not with Matt anymore. He broke up with me." Kayla sighed.
"Oh my lands." The southern drawl again. "I'm so sorry to hear. Surely you must have somebody else to escort you then."
Kayla sighed again. "No, I don't grandma. I've been too busy with work and school to be looking for a boyfriend right now."
"Oh my lands." Again with the southern drawl. "A southern belle mustn't go by herself-my lands, surely you must have a gentleman friend to escort you."
What? My daughter is a southern belle? When did this happen? She was practically a tomboy until her teen years-then she became all girly. She definitely hasn't behaved like a southern belle lately. Mother must be getting senile.
"Sorry grandma." Kayla put her elbow on the table and rested her head against her hand. "I'm going to have to cancel the reservation. I'm sure I won't find a "gentleman to escort me" in only two and a half days. I would have to shop for a dress also. I don't have the time or money to do that."
"Well...my lands." The southern drawl said. She thought for a moment then turned to me. "Surely Brady, you can and must escort your daughter to this. A southern belle cannot be held responsible for not having an escort and cancelling reservations."
Kayla perked up when she heard that, Corinne put a hand to her mouth and stifled a laugh, Ken and Trina didn't bother to stifle a laugh, as I stood in front of the grill stuttering for an excuse.
"That would be a great idea daddy." A rejuvenated Kayla said.
"Absolutely Brad." A stifling laugh from Corinne chimed in. "You could take her there for your official last dad/daughter date. You guys just ended it with no fanfare."
Ken took his shots at me too, while Trina, who added shots of her own building on Ken's, had a scowling, hopeful, distasteful look on her face as if to relay to me, 'If you don't take her, take me.'
"I can't take her. I don't have a suit to wear for something like that." I said, trying to get out of it.
"Lands." Scolded the southern drawl. "You can, you are, and you will Brady Baldwin. No son of mine is not a gentleman. A gentleman could and should be escorting a southern belle; even if she is your daughter." Mom folded her hands in her lap. "I will give both of you money to obtain proper attire."
"But ma—" I pleaded.
"I've spoken my piece, and counted to three." said the southern drawl softly and gave me the mother look. That pretty much meant that was the end of the conversation.
Kayla beamed at me full of happiness. Corinne continued to stifle her laughter as Ken kept up the pop-shots at Kayla and I. Trina still added hers on to Ken's. Before my mother left, she gave me money for a tuxedo, and Kayla money for an evening gown. I still tried to get out of it by handing her the money back, but she just gave it to Corinne who openly laughed now, and assured her it would be used as her wish.
After my mother left, making me promise again to check on my sister tomorrow, Ken and Trina went to hang with their friends while Kayla and Corinne did the dishes. I covered the pool and cleaned the grill. Looking in through the patio door, I could see Kayla talking excitedly to her mom. I opened a beer and sat down in a deck chair on the patio to relax a moment and take in the night air. Stars filled the cloudless sky, and crickets chirped in the darkness. An occasional slap would end the life of a mosquito. The patio door opened, and Kayla walked out toward me.
"I'm going home dad." I stood up and she put her arms around my waist giving me a hug. "Thanks so much for making my birthday special this year." She sighed. "Everything from the new car to making steaks on the grill, to taking me to that country club Friday night; this is the best birthday ever." She hugged me a little tighter. I put my arms over her shoulder and gave her a hug back.
"No problem turtle dove. Drive safe home. See you Thursday for coffee?"
"Maybe dad. I'm going to have to hunt to find a dress, it might take a couple days." She laughed.
I gave her a kiss on her blonde hair. "Okay then. If you don't, I guess I will see you on Friday when I pick you up."
Kayla still held onto my waist as she backed up a little, stood on her tip-toes, and gave me her standard daughter good-bye kiss on my lips. She put on strawberry flavored lip gloss before she came out to say good-bye, and I ended up licking my lips on reflex when she pulled away. She giggled at my reaction and whispered in a fake southern drawl: "I s'pose y'all think you're going to see my feet in nylons Friday don't you?"