I stepped out of the shower, only to find Gina waiting for me in my room.
"Remember to open the door for her, and do everything you can to treat her like a lady," she told me, as though I didn't already know. I was getting ready for my date with mom, and for some reason, Gina had gotten it into her head that I didn't know how to treat a woman, properly. "You may be tempted to use your switches on her, but avoid it if you can." There was only one switch in my mother right then, and I couldn't move it, unless I was in physical contact with my sister, as that was when I'd made the switch.
"I know, I know," I protested. "Now are you going to get out so I can get dressed, or do you plan on watching me?" I should have known the answer before I asked.
"I'm staying, of course. Look, I just want to make sure every goes good for her tonight. She is a strong woman, but I can see she is still hurting inside." How could she tell that? I had tried to keep an eye on her myself, but she seemed to be handling my dad's leaving better than I would have thought. Was it some kind of feminine intuition?
"I promise I will do everything in my power to make tonight a good night for her," I realized what I said a moment after her eyes went wide. "I meant I would do what I could, WITHOUT using my powers." Gina then spent the next twenty minutes critiquing everything I tried to wear, until she was finally satisfied with my raiment.
When I finally made it out of my room, mom was nowhere to be found, and an idea occurred to me, to try to make this more like a date. I slipped outside; catching my breath in the frigid cold. I went to my car, and grabbed a small bouquet I had purchased earlier, and then rang the doorbell.
Gina and Summer both answered the door, and grinned widely when they saw it was me.
"Hello young ladies," I told them, unable to hide my own grin, "I believe I have a date with the lady of the house. Is Mrs. Xavier here?"
"Mom, your date is here," Summer called over her shoulder loudly, and then turned back to me. "You'd better treat her right, tonight, Mister." We all laughed, but the laughing stopped when mom walked out.
Mom looked absolutely stunning, in a black shimmery dress, that hugged her curves all the way down to her ankles. She was wearing matching high heels, but I couldn't seem to pull my eyes away from the low V-cut of her dress that showed her cleavage nicely. She did a little spin when she saw us looking, spreading her arms out and smiling. It was also a backless dress.
"You like?" she asked, with a small sparkle in her eyes. "Summer helped me pick it out."
My throat was dry, and I couldn't get any words out. Summer had helped her pick that out? She looked like an mature sex goddess, ready to ravage the town! She looked ten years younger. She looked... She looked... Dammit, she looked delicious!
I had to clear my throat a couple of times, to get it working again which set the two younger women giggling, and mom to blushing. "Shall we, milady?" I asked as I held my arm out to her.
She took it in her hand, a huge grin splitting her beautiful face, and we went out to my car.
"We really don't need to go there tonight if you don't want to," she told me as I pulled out of the driveway. "I know how expensive it is, and it was the girls' idea, more than mine."
I knew it had been the two other women, helped some by Nancy, who had come up with the idea of going to the fanciest restaurant in town, and while it meant I would have to dip into my savings, I didn't mind at all. I knew she really needed this right now.
As promised, when we arrived at the restaurant, I made sure to open the doors for her, and the reservation was under Mr. Xavier. My dad's name was rather well known, so it had been no problem getting us a table.
When I opened the menu, however, I had to stifle a groan; it was more expensive than I'd thought.
"We really don't have to eat here, son," mom told me as she looked over her menu.
"I promised you a date to anywhere you wanted, so this is fine," I told her, meaning it. My savings could handle it. "Besides, when was the last time you went out, and had a good time?"
She thought about it for a bit, before looking me in the eyes, and telling me, "Last Christmas, when we had our date then."
I smiled, remembering the simple date at a local fast food joint, and then ice-skating afterwards. "I remember. You skated circles around me, and laughed every time I fell down."
Mom smiled again and we both laughed, until she looked back down at the menu. "Everything looks so expensive, son. I don't dare order anything."
I reached out, and pulled the menu from her hands, which unfortunately revealed her cleavage, and I had to look away before I got caught staring. "Then I will order for my beautiful date, tonight." She tried to protest, but I wasn't going to have it.
When the waiter came and took our order (and stare at my mom), she complained again. "I saw that on the menu. That is too expensive, son. And the champagne? Son, I know you can't afford this." She looked around at those close to us, before leaning over and whispering, "We should go, now, before he comes back with our food." Unfortunately her leaning over only brought my attention back to her open cleavage.
To say I was shocked to hear my own mother recommend ditching after ordering would be an understatement. To see her bending over in that dress set my heart to racing.
"Relax, and enjoy the night, mom. I've got this." But she didn't seem to want to listen.
"At least let me pay for some of it," she insisted.
"Mom, if this were a date with dad, would you be so worried?" She shook her head. "Then enjoy the food, and hopefully my company, and let me take care of the woman that has meant the most to me, throughout my life."
She sat back then, and looked at me wide-eyed for a few seconds, before saying, "The most... What about Gina?"
I heaved a sigh before answering. "I won't deny we fool around," it felt odd talking to my mother so openly about it, but she had to know by now that we were doing it, "but other than that we are just friends." The waiter arrived and poured us the champagne, and then left the bottle with us on ice. That bottle was as much as half a paycheck for me. I took a sip of mine, and smiled, before continuing. "You have loved and cared for me my entire life. Even when I was a kid and screwed up, you were there for me. When I was hurt, or alone, I could always count on you." I looked her hard in the eyes, and smiled, "So just sit there, and let me take care of you for once."
She met my gaze for a few seconds, taking a sip of her drink. "And what about Nancy?"
I choked, trying to take a swallow. "Nancy?" I spluttered.
"I'm sorry," her cheeks were turning red. "I shouldn't have said anything. It's just, well, she told me about what you all did. Oh, don't give me that look. I'm not so innocent, myself." I looked at her curiously, still trying to clear my throat, but to no avail, "I know who tucked me in that first night and I remember what I did, also."
Thankfully I didn't have anything in my mouth at that moment, because I would have likely spewed it all over the table. She remembered kissing me? And by the sound of it, it had been no accident.
I was saved from having to say anything immediately, by the waiter bringing our food. He gave mom a little more attention than was necessary. I started to get a bit annoyed by him, but he finally left us to eat. It smelled great, but I was a bit disappointed by how little there was on the plate.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you that," mom said, after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence. "You probably think less of me now, and I've ruined our date." She looked down at her plate, and suddenly I felt terrible for her.
I reached across the table, and gripped one of her hands in mine, but she continued to look down at her cleavage. "Mom, you are a beautiful woman. I would have to be a fool to be upset by a kiss from someone as hot as you." She finally looked back up at me, and I could still see some worry in her eyes.
"I'm not that, son. You don't have to lie to me. I'm old, and used. That's why your dad did...why he did what he did." Her voice was soft as she spoke, but I had no problem hearing her.
"No!" I exclaimed indignantly. "Haven't you noticed how the waiter looks at you? He can't stop staring. Look, he's even staring now," I waved to where our waiter stood, looking at our table, before turning back to mom. I couldn't claim she was young, not with the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes, but I couldn't stand to hear her get down on herself for what dad did, either.
I knew I'd promised not to use my abilities on her, but I figured this would be forgivable. I made two quick switches, one for the elasticity of her skin, and one for her aging. I turned up the former, and slowed down the later. I couldn't touch her 'happy' switch.
"Dad was an idiot for what he did to you," I went on. "You look absolutely stunning tonight. Any man would be lucky to sit in my seat right now, across from you. But it just so happens to be that I'm the lucky one and I WILL NOT complain." I tried to sound forceful, willing her to understand what I was telling her.
She smiled tremulously at me, before dropping her gaze down to her plate. "Let's eat," she said then, and I figured she just wanted to change the subject.
The food tasted as good as it smelled, and thankfully it was a little more filling than it looked. Mom filled up her glass of champagne one more time, but otherwise refrained from drinking more. Since I was driving, I only drank the one glass.
