"So, I've got a date tomorrow night with Kitty Clifton."
The statement hung over the breakfast table for a second, before Angela squealed with delight.
"Oh, that's so wonderful, Max. I guess you really have been feeling more confident, huh?"
"Yeah," Max replied, blushing. "Our talks have been really helping me."
"Kitty Clifton? Isn't she the daughter of Mark Clifton?" Gus raised an eyebrow at his son, who looked back at him in confusion. Why was he acting like he didn't know about this? Max had told him the night before.
"Uh, who's he, Dad?" Angela noticed how Max seemed puzzled, and looked back and forth between the two men in her life.
"Only the richest guy in town," replied Gus. "He has fingers in just about every pot around. In fact, he's the main shareholder in my company."
"So what are you saying, Dad?"
"Just that you'd better treat his daughter right, or I'm sure to hear about it." Gus knew he was sounding repressive, but he couldn't help himself.
"But why are you telling me this now? You could have told meβ"
"Never mind that," Gus interrupted. "Just do the right thing by the girl, you understand?"
"Gee, thanks for the advice, Dad. You really know the right thing to say to make a guy relax when he's about to go on his first date," Max fumed, before storming out of the room to get his stuff for school.
Gus turned his attention back to the newspaper, pretending to be unconcerned. He didn't want his wife to know that he had encouraged his son to be free with her. He was enjoying letting his rougher side loose in bed.
"Gus?"
"Hmmm?"
"Did you know about this date?"
"Uh, I guess so, honey," Gus replied sheepishly. Angela frowned.
"Well, what the hell does that mean?" She was getting furious now. She thought he understood what she was trying to accomplish with Max, and now it seemed like he was deliberately undermining her. "That was kind of important information, wouldn't you say? Do you see what kind of damage you've done?"
"Now, wait a second, Angelaβ"
"No, you wait a second. You're going to have to help me out here. We've got a son in a delicate situation here, on the verge of maturing into a sexual adult. He's tenuous right now, and your pulling the rug out from under him is destroying all my work. What if he becomes some kind of a pervert because of this?"
'You mean, the kind of pervert who makes out with his mother,' thought Gus, but didn't say, because he could see how explosive Angela was becoming right now.
"All right, all right, I see what you mean," Gus conceded. "But what can we do? Don't kids have to figure this stuff out for themselves?"
"Not my kid," hissed his wife. She never looked so gorgeous as when she was angry, he thought. "I'm not going to stand by and watch our beautiful son have to deal with a painful rejection that we might have set him up for, do you understand?"
"Okay," Gus said, cautiously, "so now what?"
"You just back me up, you hear me? Whatever I say goes."
A sinking feeling pervaded Gus as he nodded. He hoped this wasn't the end of the extreme sexual gratification he had been enjoying the last couple of nights.
*****
Max' day at school had been one of desperately trying to avoid Kitty Clifton. If he ever caught sight of her, he had turned around immediately and found his way to the boys' bathroom. Had he really asked her to dress sluttily for their date? And now, it turned out, her father was like the most important guy in town. If things took a sour turn, it might spell disaster for his father's business interests.
He had never felt such relief as when the final bell sounded and he managed to slink out without being noticed by Kitty or any of her clique. As he trudged home, his thoughts revolved on what his father had said that morning. Perhaps it would be best if he just called off this ill-fated 'date' with Kitty. Or would that just be worse? Would she report back to her father that he was a wuss?
He was so pre-occupied he almost didn't notice the sheet of paper on the floor of the front hall. He picked it up absent-mindedly and looked at it.
Hi Honey β (the note read)
I'm going to be out all afternoon, but I have some errands for you to run. 1. Pick up flowers at Blooms 'n' Such 2. Pick up dry cleaning 3. Call Mike's and order an Italian sub the way your Dad likes it, and have them deliver at 6:30 PM
Car keys are on the hall table.
Love, Mom
He looked at the note and frowned. He had planned on relaxing this afternoon, trying to clear his mind, and now he had stupid errands to run. At least he got to drive... and then he saw that the keys were for his Dad's Porsche 911 Turbo. He had never been allowed near that car, it was the apple of his father's eye, as nearly as he could tell. But, he wasn't going to question his good luck, but grabbed the keys and rushed out to the garage.
*****
An hour later, he came back, exhilarated from the speed and handling of the little car. It had been more of a rush than any video game had ever provided him. He had been a little cautious at first, conscious of how much the machine meant to his father. But then, as he was driving on the highway, he let it rip. Jesus, how the car had responded to the slightest move on his part. It seemed to know just what he wanted to do, and almost do it for him.
He had been confused when he found out that the dry-cleaning was his blazer and slacks. He also didn't know what to do when the florist asked him if he wanted to fill out a card to go with the bouquet of flowers he picked up. But still, now, after the thrill of driving a high-precision automobile, he felt like he was flying.
Another note awaited him, telling him to take a shower and shave, and get dressed in his newly pressed clothes, to be ready by 6:45 PM. He shrugged mentally, and went upstairs to his room.
*****
Gus Johnson was dejected. He knew a sketchy outline of what his wife had planned, and he wasn't sure that he liked the direction things were heading in. But it was at least partly his own fault, wasn't it? He had encouraged Angela in this strange new obsession of hers, recognizing the short-term benefits he was enjoying because of it. Now, he wondered what the long-term effects might be.
For example, right now. He was sitting in the dining room with his Italian sub, alone. And just what was going on upstairs? He knew that both his son and his wife were getting dressed up to go out to dinner together, although he was unaware that Max still had no idea what the plan was. And he was meant to stay at home. "Go along with whatever I say," had been his wife's admonition. He thought he had better stick with it, if he had any hope of continuing the joys of the last few nights.
He heard his son's door close, and the sounds of the teenager coming down the stairs. Against his better judgment, Gus stood up and came out to the hallway to see how Max looked.
"Hey, Dad," the boy said as he came down the last few steps. He looked pretty damned good, actually, Gus thought. His hair was combed and gelled off of his face, and he had clearly done a careful job of shaving. In his blue blazer over a pink Oxford shirt, unbuttoned at the collar, and a slim pair of khakis, he looked like a young college student. Gus couldn't help but admire how well his son filled out his clothes, his swimming prowess shaping the young muscles of his arms and chest. He had a lovely bouquet of flowers in his arms.
"Looking good, Max," he said.
"Yeah, I guess so, huh?" The teenager smiled sheepishly, showing his good-natured ability to make fun of himself.
"No, really, son. You've turned into quite the young man."
"Uh, sure, Dad. If you say so. Do you know who these flowers are for?"
"For me, silly," came a voice from the top of the stairs. Both men turned to look up.
*****
Angela Johnson had been having butterflies in her stomach all day long. Was she really going to go through with this plan? Was she really able to take this strange step in the hopes that it would give her son all the confidence he would need for the rest of his life? Or was she overstepping the bounds of normalcy? She was so unsure of herself; but at the same time it was as if the steps of this path were so obvious before her, so easy to take, that she had little choice.
Every little thing had to be just so, and she had written a long checklist to make sure that nothing got left to chance. And now, the shopping was done, the personal hygiene taken care of, the beauty shop visit completed. The final product was going on display, and it had to be done right.