Chapter 21

By the time they curled up like puppies together, it was five in the morning. As a result they slept late, or would have except the phone rang, waking Bob and Val up. Becca rolled away from Bob as he got up, but didn't wake up.

It was Sunny letting him know where everyone was and wanting to know if everything was all right, and why her daughter hadn't called her the night before.

"We got in pretty late," said Bob, "and we were all so tired we pretty much just went right to bed."

Sunny said she understood. Then: "I went out this morning and gave the news people coffee and told them you were in hiding and wouldn't be coming back for days. Actually I told them I didn't know when you'd be coming back. They didn't even try to interview me! Anyway, they left. I called Mom and she said she'd do the same thing. I think she's about ready to call a news conference or something just to get the media off our backs."

"I haven't been awake long," said Bob, "but I've been awake long enough to doubt that that will work."

"Well, you can bring them back," said Sunny. "I imagine you're probably tired of being around a bunch of teenaged girls."

"I love my great granddaughters," said Bob. "I don't think I'd ever get tired of being around them. Besides, they're fun to look at too."

Val came over and took the phone from Bob.

"Mom? Hi Mom. We're fine. We're not little girls any more Mom. You don't have to check up on us ... What? ... Of course we're being nice to him ... Yeah, we stopped at Wal-Mart and got some things. It's really beautiful up here in the mountains."

They talked on for a while and Val made it quite clear that they would be home when they got around to it, but that they weren't in a hurry. Finally she hung up.

"Why do parents worry so much?" she groused.

Bob walked up to her, took her in his arms, and kissed her soundly, thrusting his soft prick into the juncture of her legs. He cupped a breast and tweaked a nipple. Then he finally pulled back.

"I can't imagine." he said, smiling.

They got dressed and made breakfast and then the girls wanted to explore. Bob was still tired, having gotten only a couple of hours of sleep, so they accused him of being old and told him to take a nap while they went to see the sights. Bob was asleep within minutes of them leaving.

Within an hour the girls had run into Sally. Bob had told them about her and the book, and within minutes of meeting her they were all sitting around on the porch as Sally added to her store of knowledge about Bob's life, and how it had affected his family members.

The main reason they went back home that day was because Becca's date with Denny was that night. As soon as she got home she called her aunt to make sure she'd be ready on time too. Polly made a weak attempt to try to renege, but Becca wasn't having any of that. Finally Polly said she'd be ready.

Denny and Brian were supposed to pick Becca up first, and then go get Polly. As it turned out, Polly was so nervous that she got ready two hours early and then paced up and down and moaned about how stupid this all was until Francine chased her out of the house and told her to go be with Becca.

Gidget didn't help things any. When Polly showed up, Gidget took one look at her and snorted, saying that outfit would never do.

"You look like a frumpy old lady." she said to her sister.

"I am a frumpy old lady." moaned Polly.

"No you're not. Come on!" Gidget took Polly's hand and dragged her toward her bedroom. "Now, I think I have an outfit that will be just perfect..."

Becca grinned as the voices faded. She was a little worried herself. Now that the date was imminent, her self confidence was suffering a little. She had chosen a man's western style shirt that she'd gotten for a costume party the year before. She tied the tail in a knot under her breasts, leaving her midriff bare and put on a pair of tight short shorts. Her mother said she looked like a prostitute, but didn't try to make her change. She was fiddling with the buttons on the shirt, trying to figure out how many to leave undone. She was going braless tonight because it made her feel sexy.

She went to her bedroom and opened her jewelry box. It had her fake ID in it and she picked it up. "What am I thinking!" she thought. "I'm going out with a cop and my aunt, neither of whom is likely to let me drink anyway." She dropped the ID back in they box and turned to dab on some perfume behind her ears. She put a dab between her breasts too. She looked in the mirror and pulled the shirt tight across her breasts to see if her nipples showed through. They didn't, and she felt vaguely disappointed. She checked her watch ... fifteen minutes to go.

The doorbell rang.

Becca's head jerked up and she heard loud complaining voices from down the hall in her mother's room.

"I'll get it!" she yelled down the hallway and trotted to the door.

It was Denny. He stared at her.

"You're early!" she said, smiling. Her stomach was already doing flip flops.

"I guess I was excited." he said. "I haven't been on a date in a while."

"Where's Brian?" she asked.

"He's in the car," said Denny.

"Well tell him to come on in. Aunt Polly is here - plan B - and she's still getting ready."

Denny turned and waved, making hand signals. Becca heard a car door slam. She realized Denny was still standing on the porch.

"Well, come on in." she said, standing back.

"You look fabulous." he said as he passed her.

"Thank you sir." she said feeling more of those flip flops.

Brian bounded up the steps wanting to know what was going on. When he was told, he simply went in and sat down on the couch. Denny stood, looking around. Becca suddenly couldn't think of anything to say. She went to the hallway and bellowed "They're here!"

A door opened and Gidget's voice called out. "Almost done."

Gidget showed up first, walking down the stairs like the advance guard of a diplomat.

"She's just touching up her lipstick." she said. No one believed her. "I thought, since you all are going miniature golfing tonight, that she might look good with a retro look. She's worried you'll think she looks silly."

"Even if I did, Ma'am, it would be unprofessional to mention it," said Brian. "Nice to see you again Ma'am."

Gidget blushed. "If you're dating my sister you have to call me Gidget. It's a rule." she said, smiling.

"Yes Ma'am, Gidget Ma'am." teased Brian.

There was a noise behind Gidget and she turned around.

"Come on." she urged.

Gidget stepped out of the way as Polly came into view. Gidget had put her in Capri pants, that came to the middle of her calves. They were tight, with a wide shiny belt. Tucked into that was a blood red silk blouse that had a wide collar with long pointed ends. Her hair was up on top of her head, held together in some mysterious manner and she had long dangly earrings on that swayed as she stepped down. She was wearing high heels.

"I feel stupid." she said.

Brian stood up.

"Gidget?" he said. Both Polly and Gidget looked at him. "I know about Becca, but you didn't tell me you had another teenaged daughter."

Gidget giggled and Polly frowned. "If you're going to make fun of me then this date is already over."

"You're gorgeous," said Brian seriously. "If you don't go out with me tonight I might do something rash and self destructive."

Polly looked startled. Her cheeks went pink. Gidget pushed her toward Brian.

"Are we ready to go?" asked Denny.

"Yes!" said Becca. "Do I need a purse?" she asked.

"I'm driving," said Denny. "And us manly types are paying tonight. You're both gorgeous just like you are. I don't think so."

The miniature golf course was mixed in with a number of other entertainment and tourist places along US 50 outside of Placerville. It took an hour to get there, which gave them all time to relax and talk. Both Denny and Brian were attentive listeners and it wasn't too hard to get Polly started talking. She relaxed too as Brian began coaxing information out of her. In the front seat Becca flirted with Denny, reaching out to touch his thigh when she asked him a question and turning in her seat to face him so he could see down the gap in her shirt. She felt excited being on a date with a grown man.

Polly claimed not to know anything at all about golf, and her first few strokes suggested she was telling the truth. By the time they'd gotten to the 10th hole, Brian had used every opportunity to end up behind Polly, his arms around her, helping her stroke the ball, while his groin pressed into the tight fabric of the back of her Capris. Becca noticed that her aunt didn't make any real effort to get away from the pressure and spent a lot of time blushing and watching Brian as he played his own game. At the end of the game there were celebratory hugs and each man got a quick kiss on the lips.

Then they were off to find a drive-in where they could get chocolate shakes. The smells reminded them they were hungry, and it turned into burgers and fries and onion rings ... and chocolate shakes.

The girls were able to begin dragging information out of the men ... about their lives and their jobs ... what it was like being a cop. Brian claimed to have learned more working the first week as Denny's partner than he did in the whole police academy class he attended. Denny said that, for a wet-behind-the-ears rookie, Brian wasn't half bad.

All in all there was no pressure, and no pain, and all of them had a pretty great time. On the way back there was a little hand holding in both the front and back seats, and Polly sat a lot closer to Brian than on the trip up, but other than that there was no hanky panky. Polly's car was at Becca's, so they ended up there, standing on the porch. Becca set the stage by putting her arms around Denny's neck and pulling his face down for a kiss.

"That was fun." she said, when the kiss was over. "Tonight, I mean."

"The kiss wasn't bad either," said Denny, his hands sliding up Becca's back.

Four feet away Polly was anxious again. She wanted to kiss Brian, but felt silly. Brian pulled her up against him, but didn't try to kiss her.

"I had a good time tonight too." he said softly.

"Really?" asked Polly.

"I want to see you again." he said.

"Really?" she repeated herself.

Then he kissed her, long and hard, sliding his right hand to the tight pants and cupping one firm buttock. He squeezed it and she wiggled against him. She was breathing hard when it was over.

"Really." he said.

"Okay." she said softly.

They stared at each other for a few seconds and were suddenly kissing again. Like teenagers they made out in the dark of the front porch. Brian's hands roamed all over her back, but he restricted them to that area. She felt good in his hands. He hadn't been sure that dating an older woman would be a good idea, but her attitude at the hospital had twanged a string in him. He was very glad he'd decided to do this now.

Becca and Denny didn't stand and watch the other two. They did a little making out of their own. Denny's hands confirmed what he'd suspected all night long ... that she wasn't wearing a bra. He crushed her against him as her tongue began flicking against his.

Ten minutes later the men left. Both women stood and watched them drive away.

"Thank you baby," said Polly.

"What for?" asked Becca.

"For making me do this tonight."

"Had fun huh?"

"I haven't had fun like that for a long time. It's a good thing you were here." she said to her niece.

"Why's that?" asked Becca.

"Because that boy would have had me naked and screaming for more if you hadn't been here." She giggled conspiratorially.

"So ... we going to double date again next time?" asked Becca.

"We'd sure better." sighed Polly. "I haven't been this horny in as long as I can remember. I don't think it would be a good idea to go out with him alone."

Dr. Adams called and told Bob his test results were all in and asked him to come in. Bob returned to the hospital and went directly to Dr. Adams' office. Adams looked up tiredly from the piles of papers he was going over.

"This is as puzzling as anything I've ever seen." he sighed.

"It's pretty puzzling to me too," said Bob.

"You didn't age while you slept. All the tests show normal indications for a man in good health in his mid twenties," said the doctor. "Your daughters insist they didn't feed you. I don't think they're lying, but I can't see any way that this happened unless you were in suspended animation. Since there is no documented case of suspended animation in a human being, that doesn't make any sense either. But they couldn't have fed you without a feeding tube and, of course, there's no evidence they used that technology either. You didn't eliminate, but all that suggests is that you weren't fed. If you'd have been out for a week or two, all this would make perfect sense. But you weren't." He blinked. "It's almost like hibernation, except that you didn't use up your fat reserves."

The doctor stretched, yawning, and went on.

"That drops this whole thing into the realm of genetics. Genetic research has made amazing strides, but the human genome still hasn't been mapped completely, so the answer to this lies in one of several million genes that we don't understand yet."

"So," said Bob. "What do we do now?"

The doctor looked at him and frowned.

"I'm convinced that you have a gene that reacted to the alcohol you drank just before you fell asleep. You said it was home brew ... moonshine, I believe they used to call it."