Chapter 59: Meeting the Parents

Rachel and I slept in Saturday morning. We were tired from the trip we took to Zurich yesterday. Finally, I rolled out of bed around 9:30am.

“Cynthiana wants you,” mom said as she placed a cup of coffee in front of me.

“Shit! That means I have to get dressed,” I exclaimed.

“Here. I washed these yesterday,” she said as she threw some shorts and a t-shirt on the table.

I simply stood and dressed and then forgetting that mom was watching, I thought of Cynthiana’s office and the next moment I was standing there.

“I just can’t get over you being able to do that,” Cynthiana said.

“May I have some coffee, please. I didn’t get to finish mine,” I asked.

“I just wanted to tell you that the pickup was delivered to Rachel’s family earlier this morning. It’s a one ton dually, loaded,” she said, reading from a paper in front of her. “I’ve arranged to have one of those fifth wheel hitches installed when they get back from Wichita, whatever that is. The sales manager said they would want one. I also sent them written instructions to drive it to Wichita tomorrow (Sunday) along with some cash for their expenses. Is there any way you can just zap your way up there or do I need to send the jet?”

“I’m not really keen on trying to go somewhere I’ve never been before. I know I did it once, but it was like something was pulling me there,” I replied.

“That’s okay. I was sending the jet anyway. It will take you and Rachel to Wichita, tomorrow morning and then go back for your mom and sisters and take them to Atlanta. I’m sure your father will be glad to see them. He’s going to stick around Atlanta and then go pick up you and Rachel when you’re finished with the golf tournament. I assumed that you would want to go back to the boat.”

“Sounds good. What did Rachel’s folks think of the truck?” I asked.

“They tried to refuse it, but the salesman just got in his follow-car and drove off. You might want to have Rachel call them as soon as she can. Also, here’s your travel bag with your clothes for the tournament. You’ll need to get anything else you need in the pro shop.”

“Okay,” I said, waiting for her to say something else.

Finally, she looked up. “You still here? Go back to your boat!” she said with a smile.

So I did.

“But Mom...,” Rachel whined. “What do you mean it’s in my name. It was supposed to be a gift to you and Dad.”

She didn’t have the satellite phone on speaker, so I couldn’t hear what her mom was saying.

“Look, we will take care of it when you get to Wichita. It’s only about a six hour drive. Just leave early and when you get close, call me on my cell phone and we’ll come and meet you and show you to the house that Alex has rented for the week.”

More listening.

“Yes, Mom. I’m sure there’s enough room. It has six bedrooms. Oh. And it’s also got a pool so bring your suits.”

More Listening.

“Yes ma’am, I heard him. You tell him I said that if he doesn’t bring his suit, I’m going to make him swim in the nude!”

More listening.

“I know. He can be so funny about things like that. I love you and I can’t wait to see you tomorrow. Bye!”

“So? How did they like the truck?” I asked.

“Mom said it’s really pretty. I think it must be a metallic blue. She was more excited about the trip to Wichita. She said they should be there by four, but I’ll bet they are earlier. Why did you put it in my name?” she asked, changing subjects without warning. She was good at that.

“One, because Isabella didn’t have all their information. And two, you’re the one I am falling in love with.”

“You ... you said the ‘L’ word,” she sputtered.

‘So?” I asked. “It’s the truth!”

“But ... but, oh, shit! I’ll never get packed in time now!” she said as she dove for me, tackling me to the floor as she proceeded to kiss me over and over.

Saturday afternoon was a madhouse with half the crew racing around gathering up stuff they had left strewn throughout the boat. It’s amazing how messy a naturalist lifestyle can be when it comes to packing up.

Archara and Monique were fixing supper and telling the others to not worry about cleaning up. She said that she and the girls who were staying would get to it next week.

I heard Monique fussing in the kitchen. When I investigated, I discovered that I had inadvertently drank the last of the milk she had been saving for tonight’s beef stroganoff. Without bothering to dress, I simply thought of the kitchen in Zurich. It was after midnight there and the kitchen was dark, but I knew my way around. I grabbed the milk from the refrigerator and left with the motion sensor activated intruder alarm going off behind me.

“Here,” I said as I handed Monique the quart of milk. “I hope it’s enough. I need to go phone Cynthiana and tell her I set off her alarm again.”

We arrived at the Seabrook Marina in Galveston just after daybreak Sunday morning and headed immediately to the gas pumps to fill up and dump our waste water. Then Captain Alfred maneuvered the yacht to our assigned berth. We wouldn’t need to be hauled out for the repairs we had scheduled, but he would have to move the boat tomorrow to have the work started. He said he could handle it.

Captain Tony, Monique, and Samantha, along with Mom and my sisters were all sharing a ride to Houston Hobby Airport with Rachel and me. Captain Tony and Monique were catching a flight to San Antonio. Sarah was staying with the yacht and the girls. Samantha was going to Cannes with Carina. Mom and my sisters had decided to ride along with me since dad was flying the plane.

The flight was just under two hours and the co-pilot let me sit in the cockpit with my dad for most of the flight. I enjoyed catching up with him as we mostly talked about the upcoming golf tournament. Although he did bring up an interesting question that I had completely overlooked. Who was going to caddy for me? I’d have to wait until we were on the ground before I could call Cynthiana to find out what she had planned.

It turns out, she had forgotten about caddies as well, so after some discussion, they decided dad and mom could stay in Wichita and dad could caddy for me. So I had dad get a larger rental car and we all headed for the airbnb house on the golf course together.

“Are you nervous?” Rachel asked me quietly. We were sitting in the very back seats of the Cadillac Escalade that dad had rented.

“Nervous?” I asked surprised by her question.

“Well, you are about to meet your girlfriend’s family for the first time,” she said.

“Sweetheart, I’m getting ready to play competitive golf for the first time in six months and I’ve had almost zero time to prepare. On top of that, I have to face the press for the first time since that stuff in Fort Lauderdale and probably the FBI as well.” I told her. “I’m sure that your dad won’t be as tough on me as the FBI. Especially after I bribed him with a new truck!”

“Tell me you didn’t try and bribe my father,” she cried laughingly. “I can’t believe you sometimes!”

“What did he do?” asked Kelly Ann from the seats in front of us.

“He said that the truck was to bribe my dad,” Rachel said with a giggle.

“Sounds like a chip off the old block,” my mom chimed in. “Darrel took my dad hunting and both of them got so drunk, they ended up spending the night in a deer stand.”

We decide to stop at the local IHOP for a late Sunday morning breakfast, then headed for the airbnb. The agent/homeowner met us with the keys and after a cursory look-through, Mom and the three girls headed for the grocery store.

Dad and I turned on a baseball game and soon both of us were falling asleep.

That nap didn’t even last two innings before dad and I heard the doorbell ring.

“Looks like your landlord forgot something,” mused my dad.

When I looked out the window, I knew who it was.

“Welcome to our temporary home,” I said to the six people standing on the stoop. “My name is Alex. My dad, Darrel is inside, busy watching the Braves beating up on the Rangers. Rachel and my mom and sisters are at the grocery store. Won’t you come in?”

“Hey Lady, there are some unsavory characters here looking for their lost daughter,” I thought to Rachel.

“We just wanted to make sure we were at the right place,” the man said. “My name is Carlos and this is my wife, Olivia. These other two ladies are my wives as well, Krystal and Ayumi. These two young ladies are my daughters, Lynn and Jana. I believe you know our other daughter, Rachel.” I already knew from talking with Rachel that her sisters were nineteen and seventeen.

“We just got into the store,” Rachel thought back. “Tell them we’ll be there in about thirty minutes.”

“They just got to the store and said that they would be back here in about thirty minutes,” I explained. “Come on in and I’ll show you around.”

I quickly showed them through the house, pleading ignorance about where everyone was supposed to sleep. I then showed them the pool and the fifteenth fairway, but none of them were golfers, so I’m sure it just looked like a well-manicured back yard to them.

Finally, the house-tour completed, we headed back to the living room where dad muted the TV and I introduced my dad again. A comparison of the Rangers and the Braves came up and the two men were soon in deep conversation. At least for guys.

“The new truck is divine,” Jana, the seventeen-year-old told me. “It’s so pretty and clean and it smells great!”

“Did you really buy that for Rachel?” Olivia Lopez asked me.

“No. I really bought it for you and Mr. Lopez,” I replied. “And Krystal and Ayumi.”

“But, why...?” she replied.

“Because I needed Rachel here and she wanted all of you here too and you needed a new truck,” I patiently explained.

“I don’t understand,” Ayumi said. “How can you afford just to give away that much money?”

I figured her accent was Asian, but it was so slight, I couldn’t determine where she was from.

“If you had a thousand dollars and I needed a dollar, would you give me one?” I asked her.

“You have that much money?” Jana asked after calculating in her head. Rachael had told me she was smart.

“Let’s just say that I have been very fortunate,” I replied, not really wanting to go much further with this conversation.

“Is it because you got hit by lightning?” Jana persisted. “Did you get a huge settlement?”

I just did that teenage thing where I shrugged my shoulders.

“Jana!” Mr. Lopez said sternly from the family room. “That’s not a polite thing to be asking. If he wanted you to know, he’d have told you. Now leave it alone!”

“The truth is, I do not know how much money I have. I was fortunate enough be selected to work for the woman who runs one of the world’s largest Foundations. I’m currently in training, but it will be many years before I can say how much I am really worth. In the meantime, I don’t have a home or a car or anything else except a boat that I live on when I am not traveling on business. In fact, the only car I have ever owned, was a ten year old mini-van that I paid $600 dollars for.”

“Oh. I thought Rachel said you were rich,” Jana replied.

“She is correct. You see, I am rich because I have so many great friends. I hope that you all will allow me to consider you great friends as well.”

I could tell that Jana was chewing hard on that statement, but she didn’t ask anything else. Krystal just flashed a knowing smile at Olivia. Maybe I’d have at least one of the wives that liked me.

“Rachel said that she met the First Lady,” Olivia ventured.

“Did she tell you how that came about?” I asked, curiously.

“Not really. She just said that she had met her,” Lynn chimed in.

“Well, Mrs. Dexter is friends with my boss and she introduced us when I was in Paris earlier this year. Then when the First Lady was giving the opening remarks at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show last month, she asked for a ride on my yacht and we ended up taking her over to Venice, where their home is,” I explained.

“So you mean that the first Lady rode with you and my Rachel?” Olivia asked.

“Sailed. Anita sailed with Rachel and me and my family and some close personal friends.”

“Just how big is this boat of yours?” Krystal asked.

“It’s probably about the size of this house...” I replied. “ ... and sleeps twelve with a crew of nine.”

“Holy Cow!” cried Jana. “Can we sail on your boat, too?”

“Why don’t we see what we can work out later,” I replied. “Okay?”

“Oh boy!” cried Jana and she quickly started asking her mother if she could go.

Thankfully the ladies arrived just then, so I went out to carry in groceries while Rachel caught up with her family. The next time I saw Rachel was after a big supper of barbeque ribs on the two large picnic tables on the back patio.

“What did you say to my sisters and Dad’s wives?” she finally asked me. “They couldn’t stop talking about you. How rich you were, who you know, where you live, your yacht, how you treated them. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that they are the ones falling in love with you!”

“You know me. I hate to talk about all that because I know it sounds like bragging. But I didn’t want to lie to them because they’re your family, but they just kept asking all these embarrassing questions,” I said.

“Oh, they can be a handful at times. Especially Jana. It’s like she doesn’t have a filter on her mouth when it comes to asking questions. Did she ask you anything about our love life?”

“I’m sure she would have gotten there sooner or later. She was just hung up on all the stuff when you got back.”

“Well, we may have a problem there,” Rachel said with a worried look. “Momma wants to stay and take care of Daddy and Lynn is headed back to college in Spain. That leaves Jana at the commune and mom thinks that might not be a good situation for her.”

“Uh-oh!” I thought.

“I heard that!” Rachel replied.

A quick call to the clubhouse on Monday morning got me a practice round tee-time at 11:45am. I gathered up my dad and we headed for the clubhouse to get registered and me some desperately needed time on the practice range.

“Welcome to the Wichita Open. We’re glad you’re here. I hope that you are able to make it past number seven today,” said the young man who signed me in. I did a double-take as his snide comment registered on my brain. He was obviously referring to my early withdrawal in Fort Lauderdale.