Chapter 4: First Date

Monday and Tuesday went by pretty quickly. It was starting out to be a typical week for me and my mother, once we returned from my grandparents' place. I was usually up before six, taking one of my jogging routes. Mom usually didn't get home until sometime after midnight, so she normally would not get out of bed until after seven. By the time she hit the shower, I was busy getting our breakfasts together. Our varying schedules meant that I had to be somewhat independent and take care of myself, since Maria didn't arrive until nine. Knowing that, Mom and Maria had taken time over the past few years teaching me many of the basics of cooking, so I would not be so tempted to subsist entirely on junk food. By the time I was fourteen, I was taking care of breakfast for the both of us. I owed my mother a lot. This was one small way that I could show her just how much she meant to me, and I could give her back a little.

Typical breakfast for me was two eggs, some sort of meat, fruit and coffee. Mom had yogurt, fruit and coffee most mornings. If she wanted anything different, she would leave me a note on the counter letting me know what she would like to have. On the weekends, if she didn't have any early commitments, I would bring 'breakfast in bed, ' and we would talk about our plans for the day. It was routine, and might sound a little boring, but we both enjoyed being close to each other. Our bond was very strong, and getting stronger.

After breakfast I would handle whatever chores I had been assigned for the day, and then find Mike or Sparks to hang out. Until this summer, that meant going wherever our bikes would take us. However, Mike's sixteenth birthday was just after the fourth of July, so we able to expand our 'sphere of influence' as it were, since he was allowed limited driving privileges by his parents. Included in that 'sphere' was our growing infatuation with chasing a little white ball around a glorified cow pasture known as Four Pines Golf Club. The course was flat, mostly straight with virtually no water in play, few trees and short rough. You really had to try, to lose a golf ball, there. However, Mike and I found several ways to do just that over the summer. It was maddening, but fun, and we had a great time telling each other just how awful we were playing.

The seven-mile route was feeling less and less of a chore, so I spent part of Wednesday on my bike scouting out a ten-mile course. This route took me to Glen Miller Park before I turned around and retraced my steps. When I got home, I Googled the area, highlighted my new route and left a note describing the route for Mom to review. That afternoon, Mom texted me and asked me to be home by four to talk with her, before she left for the station.

"Mike's mother said that you guys are going to a party this weekend, is that right?"

"Yeah, Craig Gentry's having a party. Mike is picking Alice up as well."

"Parents going to be there?"

"No, I think they are out of town."

"So ... alcohol?"

"Probably."

"I want to ask a favor of you before you go to that party. I know you've been to other parties where they've had alcohol. Have you had any drinks? Beer or otherwise?"

"No, not yet."

"Are you planning to do so at this party?"

This was another in a long series of tests to which I knew my mother was subjecting me. Most teenagers, I'm sure, receive much the same test: 'how much can I trust what my son/daughter is telling me?' For us, it was deeper than that. One of the good things to come out of the incidents I was involved when I was twelve, was an understanding between my mother and I. She expected the unadulterated truth from me, at all times, with no sugar-coating. In return, she allowed a much broader license to operate, and quicker forgiveness. She would treat me with the respect of an adult, as long as I continued to let her know everything that was happening in my life. It was a communications channel that had been a challenge, particularly at first, as I was reluctant to give her as much detail as she required. But, as we built and strengthened the trust between us, she had proven time and again that she would not hold what I said against me. Situations like this, to most teenagers, would have prompted a lie ... or at least some deception to get what they wanted. For me, the decision to tell her exactly what I expected to happen at the party was now automatic. I wouldn't say there were no secrets between us. There was just one secret that I protected at all costs, but this conversation had nothing to do with that.

Besides, I was pretty sure that she and Mrs. B had already talked at length about the party coming up this weekend. Mike had few secrets from my mother either, more because he just couldn't keep his mouth shut at times.

"Yeah, I was planning on it. Mike and I had talked about having a beer or two."

"Don't."

"Why not?"

"Phil, I trust you and you know just how much; but if this is your first time drinking, I would rather it not be at an unchaperoned party a little more than two months after Mike just started driving. If you can't convince Mike not to drink, promise me you'll call a cab or do something else to get home. If you get desperate, you drive Mike's car home. I would rather you get busted for driving with just a permit, than for underage drinking, or ending up wrapped around a tree somewhere."

"Geez, Mom. We weren't planning to do something stupid, just a couple of beers."

"Phil, until you know what having a couple of beers will do to you, you have no idea how easy it is to do something just that stupid."

The conversation was not going the way I had expected and it felt like Mom was challenging me for no good reason. My arms were folded defiantly in front of my chest and I could feel my heart race increasing as my mood darkened.

Mom saw what was going on and motioned me over to the kitchen table. She pulled her chair next to mine, taking both of my hands in hers as she softened her look.

"Phil, hunny, I'm not trying to ruin your good time. I want you to have fun. But you have never experienced this before."

My expression was unchanged.

"You remember the first time you and Mike went golfing? You guys said that you were going to play like Tiger Woods." We both chuckled at the memory. "It didn't go that way, did it?"

I remembered Mike and I not having the best time that day. By the fourth hole, Mike had wrapped his 3 wood around a small oak tree and I had purposely thrown one of my golf balls into the woods, figuring that it was destined to go there, anyhow. I was just saving it the trouble.

"No, it didn't turn out the way we thought it would." I paused, took a deep breath and pulled myself back from the edge. "You're saying that this could be entirely different from what we expect, and we could get into trouble because of it."

She nodded in agreement. "How many of your friends have made some rather unwise decisions, just in the past few months? How many times have you heard me report late night car accidents involving teenagers and alcohol?"

Even if I didn't see Mom's 'News at 11' broadcast, I had set the DVR to save it, so I could watch it later. Mom appreciated any critiques I had that could help her. I appreciated it for other reasons ... and, yeah, there had been several incidents involving teenagers, moving vehicles, and alcohol.

Then my mind really started switching gears. She wanted something. Maybe I could turn this in my favor somehow.

"What do I get out of it?"

"Other than my undying love and gratitude, what else could you possibly want?"

My mind was still churning, when she came up with an idea.

"Okay, how about this. If you don't have any alcohol Friday night, I'll get some for you to try Saturday night."

My eyebrows went up. 'Keep going', I was telling her.

"We'll get you a six-pack and pizza and you can have as many of those as you would like, provided you enjoy them here, with me, under controlled conditions."

"Are you going to drink as well?"

"I don't know. The point of this, is to let you find out how you feel after you have a few drinks in you. Hey, maybe we can setup that driving game you have? We can have a few races after you've had a few drinks, just to let you see first-hand how it affects you," she said. She was getting a little excited as her plan started to develop. "C'mon, Phil, this will be FUN!"

I know, I know. For most teenagers, having their first alcohol buzz with a parent would seem kind of lame. I get that. But if you haven't figured it out by now, our relationship was a little bit different. She was as much my friend and confidant as my mother, and it would certainly be entertaining – especially if I could convince her to have a couple with me.

"Okay, deal; but you have to have a couple of drinks, also." Her look told me that she was about to object. "C'mon, Mom. When was the last time you were able to loosen up a bit?"

She stuck out her tongue at me and blew me a raspberry, then said, "Fine, but I'm only having a couple. I'll stop by the store tomorrow and pick up the 'hooch' and maybe a movie or two – definitely chick flicks, though." When I protested she added, "Hey, I'll need something to do when you pass out!"

I called Mike after Mom had left for work and broke the bad news to him. "Yeah, I know, my mom already talked to me. I knew we were doomed when she said she needed to talk to your mom about it. Crap. We gotta figure out a better plan next time."

I talked to Christy later that night to make sure she was still going to the party and just to let her know I was thinking about her. She indicated that she expected to be there around eight or so, and was looking forward to seeing me again. It was still early, and we had only talked on the phone and texted a couple of times after the meeting at the batting cages, but I was finding that I was thinking about her more and more. It would be cool to have a girlfriend to hang out with, just like Mike ... especially one as hot as Christy.

Friday night came soon enough and after a quick "Remember our deal!" from Mom, she was out of the door and headed for work. Mike dropped by just after eight, and we headed over to Alice's house to pick her up. Alice didn't have the prettiest face I had ever seen (she had a bit of an acne issue), but she was a very nice girl and had a great little figure. Craig's house was only ten minutes away, so there wasn't much conversation outside of the usual greetings.

Craig Gentry lived with his parents in a rather upscale subdivision that bordered a much nicer golf course than either Mike or I could afford to play. The house was a small mansion located at the end of a cul-de-sac. It had a fountain in the front and a wrap-around driveway that could handle a bunch of cars. The party was in full swing when we arrived, and parking now extended out into the cul-de-sac.

The inside of the house was elegant and, to my thinking, way over the top with all of the marble, mahogany and such. But as nice as things were inside, the outside was just ridiculous. There was a large, stone patio that overlooked a garden, a large pool and a whirlpool. A large barbeque pit and full outside kitchen was located just behind the pool, next to the pool/guest house that was nearly as large as the house where I was living.

It looked like close to a hundred people were here at the party. Most of them were from our high school, but some I didn't recognize. Craig was playing the role of host well and was wearing what appeared to be a smoking jacket. Craig had a great sense of humor and this was right down my alley. He showed us around and told us where to get drinks and snacks.