"How are you today?" Tina asked when Tommy got to work the next afternoon. "Get enough sleep?"
Tommy nodded. "Yeah, my aunt let me sleep until eleven," he replied.
"I'm really sorry I kept you up so late," Tina said. "I hate imposing on you like that."
"Hey, come on," Tommy said, "I'm glad I could help you."
Tina smiled, shook her head, and said, "Why couldn't I have married someone like you instead of a jerk like Ron?"
Without thinking, Tommy replied, "I'm available." He felt his face get hot the minute he blurted it out. He'd thought it, but had no intention of saying it.
"You're quite a kidder, aren't you?" Tina laughed. "I appreciate the compliment, but believe me, you don't want to be saddled with an old lady and baby. That wouldn't be fair."
"I guess so," Tommy replied softly. He wasn't kidding when he said he was available, but Tina thought he was. It was just as he thought, there was no way he stood a chance with her. She saw him as the kid she worked with. Maybe he was just being silly. She was right, he was young, had another year of high school, and college after that. There would be other girls, lots of other girls. He looked at her as she walked away, putting on her apron. Maybe there would be other girls, but he doubted he'd ever feel the way about anyone else he did about Tina, whether it was dumb to feel that way or not.
The Inn was busy, so Tommy didn't get much chance to talk with Tina once customers started coming. Finally closing time arrived. The pretty red-head seemed to be rushing to get the setups for the next day done.
"In a hurry to get home tonight?" Tommy asked her as she rapidly placed salt and pepper shakers on the freshly-set tables.
"Greg's picking me up," she said, looking so cheerful it caused the young man pain.
"Oh," Tommy replied. He had been hoping for a chance to walk her home. No luck there.
Just then Greg walked into the dining room. "Ready to go, gorgeous?" he said to Tina.
"I've got a little more to finish up, then I can go," she replied.
"Ah, look, Tina, why don't you just take off," Tommy said, "there's not that much more to do. I-I can handle it."
Tina looked at him carefully. "You sure?" she asked.
Tommy nodded. "Go ahead," he told her. "I can handle this."
"Thanks, Tommy, you're a sweetheart," Tina said. She took off her apron, got her jacket, and left with Greg.
Tommy finished the setups, then he left, too. He was walking down the street, about half-way to his aunt's house when a car pulled up beside him and stopped. Kim smiled out the open passenger side window at him. "Want a ride, cousin?" she asked.
"Ah, sure, I guess so," Tommy replied. He wouldn't have expected something like this from his cousin. But then he'd been getting a lot from his cousin he hadn't expected.
Kim got out and let Tommy in the car, a big station wagon with a wide front seat. An attractive, slim blonde sat behind the steering wheel. The back seat was folded flat, so Tommy had to sit in front with Kim and the girl who was driving. Tommy recognized her as Donna Lawson, a friend of Kim's. She had attended the same high school he was presently attending, but had graduated a couple of years before he was scheduled to graduate.
Donna was a cheerleader and homecoming queen when she was in high school. Tommy, a freshman then, worshipped her from afar and never dreamed he'd get close to her. Certainly not as close as he was right then.
Donna had a slim, athletic body and long straight blonde hair that reached almost to her hips. She was wearing perfume and the scent filled Tommy's nose. He felt turmoil begin in his groin.
She turned and smiled at him. "Hi, Tom." Her voice was silky, soft and husky.
"Ah...hi, Donna," Tommy replied. He couldn't believe it! She'd always seemed so unattainable! Being in the same car with her, sitting next to her, was something he'd never imagined he'd do. Of course he never imagined he'd be making love with his aunt and Kim, either, so...