Chapter 7

He was in a good mood. He had been calling a criminal calendar and most of the cases were handled by plea bargains. He went to their bedroom to change clothes. He returned quickly and gave my mother another hug.

He said, “How was your day today?”

I said, “Joe came over with Marilyn to swim.”

“This is the Marilyn from your class?” I nodded. He looked at little surprised. “Is she any nicer than she used to be?”

“She seems to be different on that count. However, she was wearing a Wicked Weasel suit. It vanished when it got wet. She was on display. She is a pretty girl but hasn’t as good a figure as Alice. I’ve seen both in revealing suits.”

Alice looked at me hard. “My suit wasn’t near as revealing as her suit was. I will not be on display like that ever.”

Mom said, “I wouldn’t say that. I can imagine a circumstance where you would be revealed.” She smirked.

Alice said, “That event will be far into the future and then only before my eventual husband.” She blushed slightly.

Mom said, “I will say this though. I’ve seen both you and Marilyn in your suits. Your figure is better than hers. Her figure is very good but yours is superb.”

Dad and I both grinned. Alice blushed a little bit. I kept my mouth shut tightly though I agreed wholeheartedly.

Supper finished cooking and all three of us helped Mom serve. After a blessing, we ate.

After we finished eating, Mom and Dad moved to the TV. Alice took my hand. “Jerry, I want to talk with you.” I nodded and led her into the den. We went in it though I left the door half open.

Alice noticed. “Jerry, is that a rule?:”

“Yes but it’s also good sense. Besides, we aren’t doing anything for which we would want to close the door. I’ll admit there is some teasing but it’s in good spirits. If you want it to stop, just say the word and I’ll talk to Mom and Dad. They like you too much to do something you don’t like.”

Alice said, “I sense that your mother likes me. You father is harder to read.”

I smiled. “He can be inscrutable but he likes you and thinks highly of you, too. They both like having you here and the emotional bond we seem to be creating.”

“I guess that’s some of what I want to talk about. I’m not used to having my boyfriend’s parents tease me about my sexuality. I didn’t even know that I had any sexuality to be teased about.”

“Their teasing is a reflection of their enjoyment of having you here. They like you and they like us as a couple. I like us as a couple.”

“Jerry, I like being here with you. I just didn’t want you or your parents to get a wrong idea.”

“No, but I feel my mother is pushing us some. That’s because she really likes you as a person and us as a couple. I’m enjoying getting to know you though am not surprised. You are a pleasant person. You’re nice, intelligent, and beautiful.”

“Thank you, Jerry. You always say things that make me feel good about me.”

“You should. You’re a great person.” I chuckled. “I don’t guess this conversation is going quite how you had thought.” I smiled. “I would like to kiss you.”

She grinned. “After all you have said, you had better and should do it thoroughly.”

I gently took her in my arms and kissed her taking my time. I hope she enjoyed it. I did. After a few moments, we finally came up for air. I looked into her eyes and saw a deep caring and possibly even love. We needed more time but I was headed into being in love with her. It would be a new sensation since I had never had even puppy love before.

Alice said, “Wow! That was a kiss. Jerry, we got emotional with that kiss. You’re a neat guy. We need to know more about each other but everything that I learn about you is good, very good.”

“I want you to be enthralled with me before you find out all the bad.” I smiled.

She smiled back. “Jerry, I’m guessing that Jerry is a nickname. What is your real full name?”

I grimaced. “As you will find out, I don’t use it much. It’s Jerome Evelyn Short. Now, you will understand why I use Jerry all the time.”

“I can understand that you might not want to be Jerome. Where did the Evelyn come from?”

“It’s my great grandmother’s name on mother’s side. I got to know her before she passed. She was a neat person and was proud to share a name with me.”

Alice said, “Her great-grandson is a very neat person.”

I was still holding her though we were sitting. I kissed her again taking my time to do it thoroughly and emotionally. We finally moved our heads back. I looked into her eyes smiling. She was smiling, too.

I said, “What else would you like to know about me?”

She asked, “Why math or physics if you’re going to be a lawyer?”

“Two reasons. First, I’m not sure I want to be a lawyer. I’ve watched Dad deal with the pressures even more as a judge and it can be a tough life sometimes. Second, I enjoy science and that may be my direction. Even if I decide to go to law school, having a science degree would serve me well. Many aspects of law are science-related.

“It’s no crazier than you going for engineering or chemistry...”

She said slowly, “Yeah. I guess that is different for a farm girl. I’ve always liked science and math. As much as I love the farm, I don’t want to be a farmer or a farmer’s wife.”

I asked, “Is Alice your real name? What’s your full name.”

She chuckled softly. “Somewhat. My full name is Galadriel Alice Meadows. My parents have been and are fans of ‘Lord of the Rings.’ Dad is more than my mother. He wanted my middle name to be Arwen but my mother insisted on Alice which was her grandmother’s name. I like it but it’s not me, Alice is.”

“Ah, but it is. You have an other worldly aura and an unbelievably good body encasing a great mind and heart. I like that name for you.”

“Jerry, no one ever said those things about me. My family thinks well of me but that’s expected. It’s nice to hear it from you.”