Chapter 40: The Bridal Shower

“Grandpa, grandpa! We’re having a party!”

Frank Boscow looked down at his granddaughter. Holly had just opened the door for his wife and Frank had entered after her, his arms filled with shopping bags full of groceries. Shirley had also been carrying a full load of groceries when she had come in, but she had quickly sidestepped the little girl to dump the bags in the kitchen.

“Yes, I know. It’s your mother’s bridal shower.”

Holly looked up at him curiously, her head tilted to the side. “That’s what Mommy said, it was a shower. Why isn’t it called a party? Do we have to give her a bath?”

Frank began to laugh but stopped, his mouth open as he looked down at Holly. He really had no idea why it was called a shower! “You know, I don’t know. Maybe you should ask your grandmother.”

From the kitchen, Shirley looked daggers at her husband, and surreptitiously flipped him a middle finger, which brought a smile to Frank’s face. Holly bounced over to her grandmother. Frank set his bags down and beat a hasty retreat through the dining room, almost running over his grandson.

“Here for the party, grandpa?” asked Jimmy. “I thought guys couldn’t be here.”

“We can’t. I’m just here to bring groceries and then run away.”

Jimmy snorted and laughed, then they both turned to the living room as Helen came in through the front door. She was carrying several bags as well. She loudly greeted the others and settled into the kitchen with the other women.

“How come I can’t stay?” asked Holly to her mother.

Lauren smiled down at her youngest child. “Well, it’s sort of a big girl’s party.”

“Is Heather staying?” asked the moppet, trying to finagle a way into staying.

Lauren grinned at Heather, who was listening in curiously from the kitchen. “It’s a really big girl’s party.”

Heather snickered and interjected, “Besides, Robby and I are going out tonight, remember? It’s our prom!”

Frank came into the kitchen at this point and asked, “So when does this shindig start, anyway?”

Shirley replied, “Oh, people are going to start showing up sometime around three or four, I suppose. We’ll have the shower here, along with a late lunch or early supper or something, then we’re all going out.”

“You’re going out?” he asked curiously.

Shirley nodded. “Soupy’s in charge. She’s got something planned for tonight. Don’t wait up for me.”

Frank stared in disbelief. “Soupy’s running this thing? What, you couldn’t find any adult supervision?”

“Daddy! What’s wrong with Soupy?” asked Lauren.

“Are you kidding me? She’s been getting you in trouble since the two of you were in grade school together!”

“And how do you know it wasn’t me getting her in trouble? Hmmm?” answered Lauren snootily.

Frank snorted in derision. He turned and looked out the picture window in the living room to see a Chrysler Town and Country minivan pull up at the curb. Several women climbed out and looked around the neighborhood curiously. “I think your first contingent has arrived.” He opened the front door and stepped outside. “Looking for the Graham house?” he called out. He waved an arm at them and held the door open.

Four women, all in their thirties, came to the door carrying a variety of packages. Susan Tomball was in the lead. “I hope we’re not too early. I really don’t know Union Valley all that well and I didn’t want to be late or something.”

Lauren heard the commotion at the front door and hurriedly dried off her hands and came out of the kitchen. “Susan!” She pulled the busty little blond into the living room and gave her a firm hug. “It’s so good to see you!” Next in were her other future sisters-in-law, Helen, Jennifer, and Melanie. “Where’s Meredith?” she asked.

“Young Frank and Teresa are graduating today. They’re there. Momma and Big Frank, too,” replied Melanie, setting down a wrapped box. She waved her fingers at Holly, who was peeking around the door excitedly.

“They all send their love, and we’ve got a few things from them too!” chimed in Jennifer.

“How are the kids?” asked Lauren, as she led the women towards the kitchen. The conversation immediately turned to gossip and children.

Frank waited for his grandchildren to get bored with the grownups and pack their duffel bags for the overnight stay. Their leaving was delayed. Over the course of the next hour another car showed up with Carol Canneloni, an old school friend of Lauren’s, carrying several jug bottles of wine. Carol was followed by a catering truck with several oversized sub sandwiches and a tray of condiments and side dishes. Just after the meal was dropped off and the catering truck left, Peter’s Jeep pulled up, with a large van following behind.

Peter curiously noticed the growing congestion in front of his future home. He walked back to the van and motioned the two occupants to climb out, then went around to the rear of the van. He undid the catch holding the rollup door down and heaved it skyward. The spring-loaded door pulled up, exposing a large quantity of furniture inside. He shrugged to the driver and helper and said, “We might as well get started.”

“No shit,” said the driver good-naturedly. “Is something going on here today?” He nodded back over his shoulder to the house, where Lauren and Peter’s sisters had just come out onto the lawn.

“Uhhh...” Peter looked over at his fiancée curiously then back at the driver. When was that shower of Lauren’s? Was it today?

“I think so,” replied the helper. The first thing he grabbed was a galvanized steel tub of ice and beer. “Why don’t I put this inside somewhere. You want to show me where we’re putting this shit, Peter?”

“Let me guess, you forgot we’re having a shower here today,” commented Lauren as she approached the truck. She shook her head in amusement.

Peter shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. “This isn’t going to screw things up, is it? I mean, we’ll have this moved in in no time at all...”

“Yeah, right.” Lauren leaned over her husband-to-be’s filled arms and kissed him, then stepped back out of the way.

“Nice going, Sherlock,” commented Susan as Peter came into the house. Melanie laughed as well.

Peter returned to the truck with Frank and Jimmy in tow. “More helpers!”

“Do we have to share the beer?” asked the driver with a laugh.

“I’ll buy some more!” answered Frank. “It’s a bleeding hen party in there! We were lucky to escape with our lives!”

Jimmy stared into the back of the van in awe. There was no way all that stuff would ever fit into their house! He was woken from his reverie when Peter stepped in front of him and handed down a pair of small hand weights. “Here, take these. You know how we’re setting up the gym. You’re in charge of that.”

“Right!” cried Jimmy excitedly. He turned and took off for the side door, with Peter and the others following, carrying considerably larger loads.

The van was only carrying a portion of Peter’s furniture and belongings. His weight equipment would go in the gym built where the former garage was, while his living room furniture, all chrome, glass, and leather, was going into the study where the dining room had been. They really didn’t need another set of dishes and appliances from the kitchen and hadn’t decided what to do with them. Finally, while they had to furnish another pair of smaller bedrooms upstairs, Peter’s existing bedroom set was too large for either of the bedrooms. Between Peter’s and Heather’s furniture in storage, they would finish furnishing the house. Peter would bring over his computer network and set it up the following weekend.

By mid-afternoon, the furniture was in the proper rooms and the men had commandeered the kitchen. They laid claim to part of a six-foot sub and the tub of cold beer and had lunch. It quickly came out that the two furniture movers were actually a pair of workers from Peter’s office, lured by the promise of a hundred bucks apiece and a free load of beer. The women oohed and ahhed as Lauren gave them a tour of the remodeling.

By four, the van had left, and the final guests had arrived, several of the secretaries from Lauren’s office and a few other friends from around town. Frank looked at his future son-in-law and commented, “I think it’s time we made our escape.” He turned to Jimmy and Holly and asked, “You two ready to go?”

“Actually, Frank, I was thinking of borrowing Jimmy for a bit. Lauren says he needs a new suit.”

“A suit?” protested Jimmy.

“Ahh...” commented Frank in understanding. “That would be your problem. You’ll bring him over afterwards?”

Peter nodded. Turning to the boy, he said, “Throw your bag in the back of your grandfather’s car and wash up. We need to go out.”

“A suit?” replied Jimmy, disgust evident in his voice.

“Yes, a new suit!” answered his mother coming up behind him. “A nice blue suit!” she repeated. “And go upstairs and take a fast shower.”

“A shower?” cried the horrified boy.

“You smell!” she replied.

“This sucks! Two showers in one day and I have to wear a suit!”

Lauren stared down at her son and balled up a fist. “What are you more afraid of, a suit or me?”

“Aw, jeez...” Jimmy got wearily to his feet and headed upstairs.

Peter smirked, catching his fiancée’s attention. “You want a piece of this, buster?” she asked, waving her fist at him.

Peter laughed and held up his hands. “I’m afraid, okay, I’m afraid!”

Lauren kissed her fiancé. “A nice blue suit.”

“A nice blue suit,” he agreed.

As soon as Jimmy came back downstairs, Peter grabbed the boy’s duffel bag and led him outside to the Jeep. Surprising Jimmy, he first went to his apartment. After unlocking the door and ushering him inside, he commented, “I need a shower, too. You wait here, and I’ll be out in ten minutes.” Jimmy nodded and looked around the now empty living room, populated only by a wide-screen television. The furniture had all been moved into his home already! He wandered into the kitchen and dining rooms, curious about what else would need to be moved.

When Peter returned, his hair damp and carrying his shoes, Jimmy asked him. Peter looked around and shrugged. “Not sure yet. The TV is going into your living room, since it’s bigger than yours, and we’ll put yours in the den or something. The computers I’ll bring over next week sometime.”

Jimmy’s face lit up. “We’re getting the big TV? That is so cool!”

“Cool!” agreed Peter wryly. He had just remembered Lauren’s last visit to his apartment. They had watched a porn movie in his living room on the wide screen television. It had been a fascinating experience in some ways, especially from a gynecological standpoint. “Let’s go.”

It was a short drive to the nearest mall, which had a JC Penney. Peter was fairly certain they would be able to provide a ‘nice blue suit’ for a boy and quickly found himself with a helpful clerk in the boy’s department.

“Do I really have to wear a suit?” complained Jimmy. His heart really wasn’t in it, but he decided he had to complain anyway.

“You really have to wear a suit,” answered Peter. “Listen, it won’t be for all that long. After the wedding and the pictures, you can take off the tie and jacket and goof off like everybody else.”

“I have to wear a tie, too?”

“It’s sort of like a uniform, you know. Don’t worry, we’ll get a clip-on for you. Real easy to take off afterwards.” The bemused clerk quickly had the boy outfitted with a ‘nice blue suit’, a white shirt, and a clip-on tie. Jimmy already had good black shoes for church.

Peter grabbed the shopping bags and pointed towards the door. “Let’s get you over to your grandparent’s house. I bet they’re waiting for us for dinner.”

Jimmy nodded in agreement. “What goes on at a wedding shower, anyway.”

“I have no idea,” replied Peter. “That is one of those eternal mysteries, like why women have to go to the bathroom in groups, you know. It is not meant for men to understand.”