Chapter 11

The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, we packed our bags, got in her car, and headed for San Diego. We left just before noon, and it was about a ten-hour drive. We drove part of the way on the coast road, since Sheila said "Oh, you have to see it!" She was right, it was beautiful.

We actually didn't get in to her house until 11 p.m. Everybody was up, waiting for us. Sheila's Mom came running out of the house as we pulled up. Sheila got out of the driver's seat-we had switched off the driving, but she drove to her house since she knew where it was-and her Mom gave her a big hug.

"Welcome home, sweetie," Mrs. Mitchell said.

"Glad to be home." Sheila stepped out of the hug. "Mom, this is Brendan."

"Finally I get to meet you!" Mrs. Mitchell gushed, and wrapped me in a hug.

"Good to meet you, too," I managed to get out. Sheila just grinned.

"Hey, honey, get the bags?" she said.

"Get the bags. She's the one that packed a gazillion suitcases, she has more muscles than I do, and it's 'honey, get the bags'," I smirked. Her mother cracked up.

"Oh, OK, I'll help," Sheila said, popping open the trunk. "Weenie."

"Jock." She stuck her tongue out at me. "Uh-huh," I grinned. "Here, just grab some of these small ones, I don't have enough hands. I'll take all the heavy ones. Wouldn't want you to rupture any swimming muscles or anything."

"Got that right."

"What did you put in these things, rocks?" I asked as I hefted the bags. She just laughed. "We should've brought Jake."

"Jake is Brendan's roommate," Sheila told her Mom, who had been watching all this. "He's a football player."

"And very handy to have around for lifting heavy things," I grinned. "All right, I've got them," I said. Sheila and her mother led the way into the house. We got in, and I put the bags down. Her father was there.

"Dad, Brendan. Brendan, this is my father."

"Good to meet you," he said, holding out his hand. I shook it, and returned the greeting.

"And that is my sister Jenny," Sheila grinned.

"Hi," she said to me. "You're a miracle, you know."

"How so?" I asked.

"You lasted more than two dates," she said with an impish grin... "Most guys join Sheila's Trail of Broken Hearts long before this." Yup, she was Sheila's sister, all right.

"Oh, you just be quiet," Sheila said.

"Do I lie?" Jenny said. "Anyway," she walked up to me, "nice to meet you. Now I have a face to put to Sheila's incessant 'Brendan' blather when we talk on the phone."

"Nice to meet you, too," I laughed.

"Bren, there are days when you should be very glad you don't have any siblings," Sheila laughed.

"Oh, you love me and you know it," Jenny said. "Well, I'm going to bed. I just stayed up for the grand unveiling," she giggled. "See you all tomorrow." She headed upstairs.

"She's such a pest," Sheila said. I started laughing. "What's so funny?"

"All I could think was, yup, you two are definitely sisters," I laughed.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Sheila giggled.

"Come on, let's show Brendan to his room," her Mom said. I would be sleeping in the guest room. Decorum, and all that. I didn't mind.

They got me set up, and Sheila showed me where her room was. It was too late to sneak in one of the rooms and fool around a bit, so she just came in and kissed me goodnight. In the skimpiest nightie I'd ever seen in my life! And she knew it. And she thinks her sister is a pest?

"You'd better wear that some night when I can do something about it," I told her.

"I promise," she grinned. "I just wanted to get you going a bit. Don't worry, Mom and Dad will give us some time alone this weekend-they're not stupid."

"OK." We kissed, and she headed off to her room. I fell asleep immediately.

I woke up the next morning to the smell of bacon cooking, and the sounds of talking. I could tell that Sheila, her Mom, and her sister were in the kitchen. There must have been an air vent or something from the kitchen to the room I was in, because I could hear every word.

"So. Brendan," Jenny was saying. "He's not your typical guy."

"That, little sister, is why he's lasted longer than two dates," Sheila giggled.

"I guess I'm just surprised," Jenny said. "He seems like, I don't know, kind of a geek."

"He is a geek," Sheila laughed. "You know how we first met? I asked him for help with Calculus." Jenny cracked up laughing.

"You just never dated anyone like him before," Jenny said.

"First of all, I dated way, way too many assholes. It just took me too long to figure that out. Second of all, I dated who asked. Guys like Brendan never asked me out. And him I manipulated into doing it."

"You're kidding," her Mom said.

"Nope. Brendan's painfully shy. Well, was. He's getting better. He had a very bad high school experience all-around, and it made him feel like he was socially hopeless. He's not, but that's the way he felt. But I knew I wanted to go out with him right from the first, so I used my feminine wiles."

Jenny cracked up at that. "So, tell me, big Sis. Have you guys slept together?"

"Oh Jesus," Sheila moaned. "You ask me this in front of Mom?"

"Since when have you ever been shy about telling me anything?" her Mom laughed.