Jason was impressed by the Dooley family van, a brand new dark metallic green Dodge with wild silver and black graphics on the side. The roof had been raised several inches and it had fender flares, running boards, and custom wheels. The windows were tinted so dark he couldn't see inside. It was quite a vehicle and had to have cost a pretty penny, he thought.
Mr. Dooley, a short, balding dark-haired man with a ruddy complexion and a harried look on his face, walked around the back of the van and frowned at him. "That your bag?" he asked.
"Ah...yes, sir," Jason stammered.
"Give it here, I think I can stuff it in with all the junk the women think they need," Sylvia's father said. "All of us have more than enough clothing up at the cabin, but every time we go, they seem to think they have to empty their damn closets."
"Milton!" Sylvia's mother exclaimed. "Don't be such an old bear."
Jason jumped a little when he heard her. He looked to his right and realized she was standing right next to him. She surprised him by slipping her arm around his waist. He could feel the warm, silky skin of her bare arm against his. "Don't let him bother you, Jason," she said, giving him a gentle squeeze. "His bark is a lot worse than his bite."
"Just get in the damn van," Sylvia's father grumped. "I want to get going. Jesus, if we don't get on the road soon, we won't get there in time to get dinner."
"Come on, Jason," Sylvia's mother said. With her arm still around his waist, she led him to the side door of the van and opened it.
Sylvia's mother climbed into the van, giving Jason a good view of her very nice bottom as she did. He climbed in after her. Across the back of the van was a sofa. Sylvia was sitting in one of the two captain's chairs located just in front of the sofa, and the other captain's chair was piled full of things, as was part of the sofa, leaving just enough room for two people. Ahead of the middle captain's chairs there were two more. Brenda was in one, and the other was the driver's seat. Sylvia's mother made her way to the sofa, sat down, and patted the space next to her. "It looks like you're going to have to sit back here with me, Jason," she observed, and gave Jason a warm smile. "I hope you don't mind sitting with me."
"Ah...no, ma'am," Jason replied. He made his way through the narrow aisle between the captain's chairs and settled down on the sofa next to Sylvia's mother, acutely aware of the fact that his leg was pressed against hers in the tight quarters they'd been left.
"Would you like to watch a movie while we travel?" Sylvia's mother asked.
"A-a movie?" Jason replied, looking around. Overhead, above the driver's compartment, was a wooden panel with three openings covered by what looked like roll-up doors. "Jesus, don't tell me this thing has a TV and VCR in it!" he thought.
Sylvia's mother got up, made her way forward, and opened the sliding doors that covered the left-hand and center openings. Sure enough, one of the compartments contained a VCR; the center one held a small TV set. She slid open door of the right-hand compartment and began to rummage around inside it.
While Sylvia's mother was still standing and fooling with the TV and VCR, her father got in the van started the engine, put the van in gear, and they started moving. The motion of the van seemed to throw Sylvia's mother off-balance and, squealing with mirth, she stumbled backward and fell right into Jason's lap.