(I didn't intend to, but this continues "A Close Call, and Then..." It can be independent but that story will add some depth and background to the characters here.)
It was two weeks later that I heard from Gary. I had spent a lot of that time fantasizing about him and I was beginning to think he might not ever call. I wasn't devastated. I was not in love with him. I didn't really know him. But I was disappointed. I had enjoyed our encounter and was hoping for more. Then he called. I had left my cell on the little table near the stairs where we keep bills and such like. When it rang I was upstairs and my mom didn't see me so she answered it. I could hear her.
"No, I am sorry. This is Linda's mother but I will take the phone up to her." I didn't know who it was but from the expression on her face I could tell it was a boy. I had not dated. Ever. Even junior prom was a no show for me. I didn't know any boys I liked and my parents didn't much approve of dating. They didn't forbid it, but they made it clear that boys were not to be trusted and that I was better off staying at home till I was younger. There was so much resistance that I had just never tried, probably because I didn't find any of the guys I knew particularly attractive. I took the phone and went upstairs to my room so we could speak in private.
"Uh, hello, Linda. This is me, Gary. If you remember me -"
"Of course I remember you! How could I forget?"
"Well, yes, I had hoped it was memorable. I was thinking that maybe we could go out for dinner. Or something. I would like to get to know you, in a more social way that is. I am thinking a traditional old fashioned boring first date kind of thing. No alcohol. No pressure, no, uh, expectations."
I didn't have to think long. "Yes, I would like to see you again." That didn't sound too eager did it?
He breathed a big sigh. "Good. Good. Maybe Angelo's. You like Italian?"
"Who doesn't? You would have to meet my parent before they would let me go out with you though. They are pretty conservative and protective."
"Sure. I sort of figured they didn't know about the little excursion you made to the bar? And there are a lot of predators out there, so their protectiveness is warranted." I was remembering the other Gary who was a predator. I had been stupid and lucky.
"Absolutely they did not. They thought I was with Linda, uh, another Linda that I hang out with a lot, that I was spending the night with her like I had done a lot."
"So you didn't get in trouble?"
"No. Though so many things could have gone wrong. It makes me cringe to think of it."
"Yes. Well, your parents' good opinion of you is really important. So I will come by and reassure them. I have respectable credentials. Say Thursday at 6."
"That should be good. My dad will be home by then and they will have some time to grill you."
"OK. I will bring some Bar BQ for the grilling."
"Ha. Ha. But I think they will like you."
"I hope so. See you then."
I hung up and knew my mom would be waiting to find out who had called and why, so I decided to get it out in the open as quickly as possible. I zipped down the stairs and found her tidying up near the hall closet, obviously waiting for me. Her eyebrows were still arched.
"Mom, that was a guy named Gary. He asked me out and I would like to go if that is OK."
"We'll need to know the details of course and meet him before we can say yes. Who is Gary exactly? A boy from school?"
"I told him you would want to meet him first so he will come over Thursday at 6."
"Good. He's a nice boy, I assume, and responsible."
"Oh, yes, absolutely." I had a sudden flash of memory of him naked and cum dripping down from his penis. "Yes, he is very respectable. I think you will like him." I don't know if my mom could tell I was blushing. This was Tuesday afternoon so my parents had time to get their interrogation organized. And I knew they would be ready.
Gary appeared promptly at 6. I answered the door and showed him in to the living room where my parents were sitting, casually, as if they always sat around casually waiting for someone to come in to grill. My dad stood up and shook Gary's hand as I made the introductions.
"So Gary, tell us a little about yourself. I assume you met Linda at school?"
"Actually, no, I met Linda while she was waiting for a friend by the mall. I graduated school two years ago."
The cards were stacking against Gary, one by one. Gary was now "an older man".
"What have you been doing since you graduated, Gary."
"I am an intern reporter for the local county paper. I plan to go to college when I can save up money and major in journalism. My dad is a policeman. Perhaps you have heard of him or maybe you have seen my byline on articles in the paper, Under Gary Perkins."
Now the cards were unstacking a little. "So your dad must be Ronald Perkins? I've not met him but he has been in the news occasionally. Seems like a no nonsense kind of guy."
"Yes, he is that."
"You've been out of school a while now so you must be in your 20's?"
"Actually, I got advance placement in high school and graduated a year early. I just turned 19."
The cards were hardly even leaning together now.
"How did you happen to meet Linda at the mall."
"I was working on an article about the future of the mall, how it is attracting fewer customers and some of the stores are laying off people. It may be a problem for the local economy. The article will be out this Saturday if you are interested."
"Great. I will look it up." That seemed to take the wind out of his sails. "Where will you be going then?"
"Linda said she like Italian, so I was thinking Angelo's."
"That's a nice place. Expensive. OK, kids. Back by 10." As we left, he was turning away but called over his shoulder, "And no wine."
We went out to his car, which was not flashy by any means but was not a junker either, a 2007 Corolla. After we got in I said, "Well you lie believably."
"Actually I do, but the only thing I told your dad that was a lie was about how we met. I could hardly tell the truth about that."
"True! So you are a journalist in training and saving for college and a star student in high school and all that."
"Yes. And you are a star student yourself, if my spies inform me correctly."
"You have spies in the high school?"
"It is helpful to journalists to have contacts. Spy is the wrong word. But I am still friends with some of the teachers, some of your teachers."
"Well, we have four hours. How do you want to spend it?"
"Uh, you said you might be OK with a repeat of our first uh, night together. If you haven't changed your mind we could go somewhere after dinner and..."
The truth was I really wanted to go somewhere after dinner and ... "Yes. I would like that. Where could we go?"
"My friends, let's call them Curly and Moe, are away until early tomorrow and Curly gave me his key. He knows what we might intend and is completely on my, that is, our side. We could go there."
"If it is safe."
"Completely. And I am not a controversial enough journalist -- yet -- to be followed by anyone. Even my dad doesn't follow me."