Chapter 10

I drove Kala home and walked her to her door. Her mother met us at the door and invited me in. She told me she’s been talking to my mother and she’s really looking forward to meeting my parents tomorrow.

I grinned and said, “You know that once you meet my parents it’s the same as if Kala and I are engaged.”

She surprised me. She didn’t look the least bit worried. She said, “Kala could do worse. I have to warn you, though. If you try to get married before you graduate my husband will probably castrate you.”

Kala squealed, “MOM!”

I just smiled and asked, “Why? Is my voice too low?”

She chuckled and said, “You don’t fluster easily, do you?”

There were a few more minutes of teasing, good natured banter. Then Kala kissed me goodbye, right in front of her mother. As soon as she turned me loose her mother laughed and said, “But you do fluster!”

I left before I got in any deeper.

When I got home there was a message on the answering machine from my mom. She suggested I have a snack if I’m hungry. She wants to wait until we pick my father up and stop for something to eat on the way home from the airport. She checked with the airline and his flight is still scheduled to land at eight this evening.

I can’t help being excited about my dad coming home. It has only been a week. But with him and my brother gone and my mother working most nights I’m starting to feel like an orphan. It would have been worse without Kala, and to a large extent Cass to occupy so much of my time and so many of my thoughts. But I’m still looking forward to being a complete family again. Hell! I even miss my little brother!

Mom came home at a little after six. It’s obvious she’s even more excited than I am. She seems really tightly wrapped this evening. She and dad are very close. It always gives me a warm feeling to see them together because there can be no question that they are still very much in love, even after eighteen years of marriage.

We got to the airport early and waited near the luggage claim area. We never meet him at the gate when he travels. It’s a lot easier to meet in luggage claim than to go through security to meet him at the gate.

Dad was one of the first passengers to arrive not long after we got there. We picked up his bags and headed for our favorite pizza place. Next to his family the thing he missed the most while in China is good pizza.

While we were driving, and then at the restaurant, the first major topic of conversation was Kala. It’s kind of funny. Mom did most of the talking. She’s nearly as excited about the love of my life as I am! I sat in the back and for the most part I kept my mouth shut. I took advantage of the opportunity to find out what she thinks of Kala and I liked what I heard.

Mom also passed along my suggestion that they hire Kyle’s dad to be their new plant manager.

Dad glanced up and our eyes met in the rearview mirror for a few seconds. He asked, “Do you think he’d want the job? He’s been working at Carson’s for a long time.”

“He doesn’t really have much of a choice. And yeah, as long as the job offer didn’t sound like charity I’m pretty sure he’d be interested.”

I told them what Kyle told us about his dad’s health problems growing up and why he decided to quit school. He may not be well educated but we know he’s intelligent. I think we all know he’s the perfect man for the job. He’s organized, self starting, a wizard with machinery, and probably the most honest man we know.

Dad promised to call him and see if he’s interested. Then he told us about his trip to China. He has been there several times in the past. We’ve learned a lot about China from his stories of his previous trips. The main topic of conversation this evening is the result of his meetings which went very well.

Dad is exhausted. It’s a long trip with almost as much time spent in airports as in the air. But when we got home he paused in the garage to examine the GTX and ask how it’s running.

I raved about the car, of course. It’s been perfect, flawless. It’s better than a new car. The look on his face said that he almost wishes he could trade with me but he smiled at my enthusiasm. He’s happy for me and I know him well enough to know he’s pleased that he could be responsible for how excited I am over the car. We stood together, staring at the car and talking about it for a few minutes. Finally we grabbed his bags and went inside. Its obvious mom and dad want to be alone so I said goodnight and went to my room.

After coffee the next morning I went over and picked up Kala. When I dropped her off yesterday her mother had some errands for her to run this morning. I offered to drive her just so we could spend more time together.

I picked her up in dad’s Mercedes. He wanted to take my car for a drive. I think he’s curious to see if it’s as much fun as he remembers. I think mom was more nervous about him driving it than about me driving it.

I don’t mind driving dad’s new Mercedes. He bought the S600 about six or seven months ago. I don’t know if it’s really worth the hundred and fifty thousand dollars he paid for it but it’s a damn nice car. This is the first time I picked Kala up in it. She’s certainly impressed.

We tooled around town running errands. Since I didn’t have to keep changing gears we were at least able to hold hands. But I know that when I start looking around for my next car it’s going to have to have a bench seat in the front if anyone still makes a car like that. I hate having that fucking console between us.

By the time we finished our errands it was time to go to Kala’s house for the cookout. We stopped at my house to pick up my parents. When we went inside mom and dad were ready with a cooler of drinks and a couple bowls of food mom is taking.

I introduced Kala to my dad. He smiled and said, “My goodness! Your mother wasn’t kidding, Dean. What is a beautiful girl like this doing with you?!”

I laughed and said, “Thanks dad. Way to build up my self esteem!”

Before we left, Kala cleared her throat and in a halting voice indicating she’s very uncomfortable about something she suddenly said, “I don’t know how much Dean told you about my family.”

She hesitated and blushed while she seemed to try to figure out how best to say what she was thinking.

Finally she sighed and said, “We aren’t rich. We don’t have a pool or a big fancy house. I just ... I don’t want you to think...”

Mom put down the bowls she’s carrying and put her arms around Kala. She gave her a hug and said, “There you go sounding like a blonde! Listen, little girl! We’ve had a lot of luck in our lives and we know it. But we didn’t start out living in a nice house like this. The first eight years of our marriage we lived in a tiny rental trailer in a run down, crime infested trailer park.

“We don’t judge people by how much money they have. I’ve talked to your mother on the phone and I like her. She sounds like a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to this afternoon. As long as I don’t hear gun shots all afternoon I’ll be just fine.”

Kala laughed self consciously. She’s still blushing. She said, “I’m sorry. I just ... I love my parents and I’m proud of them. But I don’t want you to think...”

Mom laughed and said, “It’s okay. I understand. And don’t worry. I’ll try to behave myself so I don’t embarrass you.”

She handed Kala a bowl, I grabbed one end of the cooler and we went back out to the car. We put the cooler in the trunk. I got in back with Kala. Dad got in and said, “You two behave back there. I have a mirror.”

In response, I put my arm around Kala, pulled her close and kissed her.

Dad laughed and said to mom, “I guess behave has a different meaning now than when we were young.”

On the ride to Kala’s house dad raved about my car. I got the impression, though, that he isn’t telling me everything. He doesn’t want mom to know that he still has that much teenager in him.

Kala still seems nervous about how our parents are going to get along. She needn’t have been concerned. As I have already learned, her parents have a great sense of humor and my parents are just as weird. The two couples were quickly at ease and enjoying each other’s company.

I soon found myself with cause to worry, though. I began to fear the pleasant mood might be spoiled if Kala’s parents saw how often I had to remove their daughter’s hands from my privates. She relaxed significantly when she saw how well our families got along. But when she no longer had that to worry about she concentrated on teasing me.

Even more embarrassing, her little sister caught her several times. She came over to where we were sitting once and whispered, “If you guys want to sneak up to our room I’ll cover for you.”

Now I’m the one blushing. Kala thought it was amusing.

At three o’clock I went to pick up my brother. The bus is due to return everyone from geek camp at three-thirty. I drove over to the intermediate school to pick him up. Kala and Sam both came with me.

Sam got in and fastened her seatbelt. As we were pulling away she exclaimed, “Damn! I didn’t know you were rich! You seem so normal!”

I looked at her in the rearview mirror and said, “We aren’t rich. My parents have their own business and it’s been doing pretty well in the last couple of years. I guess we’re upper middleclass. And I’d appreciate it if you two stop picking on me!”

Kala leaned over and said, “Oh, poor baby. Would you like me to make it up to you?”

Her hand was back in my lap. I heard Sam giggling in the back seat when she saw it.

I gently and regretfully removed Kala’s hand from my lap and held it on the armrest between our seats. I thought it best to warn them about my brother before they met him. I usually leave that chore to my parents so I wasn’t really sure how to say this.

I turned off the radio and said, “Before we get there, there’s something you need to know about Tony. He’s a good kid. I love him like a brother. But he sometimes makes people uncomfortable until they get to know him.”

Sam asked, “What’s wrong with him?”

“Nothing is wrong with him. But he isn’t like most of us. He’s smarter than Einstein. His IQ tested right off the charts. They can’t even measure how smart he is. For fun he reads college text books or scientific journals. He could probably build a super computer from the contents of the junk drawer in your kitchen.

“Sometimes he seems to people who don’t know him like he’s a little slow. But that’s just because if the conversation gets boring to him his mind wanders. Sometimes he does complicated math problems in his head just to amuse himself.

“He’s a good kid. He has a nice sense of humor. You just have to understand him.”

Sam seemed fascinated. Suddenly she wanted to know much more about him. She was curious about why he’s just graduating from the ninth grade instead of college like the geniuses she has seen on television.

I explained that our parents want him to stay with his peer group. He’s taking college courses along with his normal school work, though. They offered him the option of going straight to college. But after looking into it, and talking with two kids who went that route, the three of them decided there’s no rush. Tony has a lot of friends and he plays sports. They’re in no hurry for him to grow up.

Sam asked, “Does he have a girlfriend?”

Now I’m curious! I asked her, “How come you don’t know him? You’re the same age. Weren’t you in the ninth grade?”

She shook her head and said, “No. I didn’t get a couple of the subjects I needed when we lived in India. When we moved to Australia I had to repeat the year. I just graduated from the eighth grade.”

Then she said, “You didn’t answer the question.”

I laughed and replied, “No. He doesn’t have a girlfriend. He’s scared to death of girls.”

I smiled at Kala and asked, “Sound familiar?”

Sam chuckled and said, “Oh yeah. It took you a year. And even then she had to make the first move. God! She used to get so mad at you!”

We pulled into the parking lot at the school. There are already a lot of cars waiting. The bus hasn’t arrived yet. I parked and shut the car off. Sam took her seatbelt off and sat up so that she was leaning in between the backs of our seats.

Even with her sister there I still had to keep a tight grip on Kala’s hand to keep it out of my lap. Sam saw what was going on and laughed. She said, “I don’t mind. You can let her play with your dick. She told me some of the things you guys do.”

Kala saw the shock on my face and laughed. She said, “Relax. She’s old enough to start learning about sex.”

I can feel my face burning at the thought that she’s aware of some of the things we’ve been doing. I finally responded, “She may or may not be old enough to learn but I don’t know that I want to be a training aid!”

I dreaded the answer. But I felt like I had to know. I looked at Sam in the mirror and asked, “What has she told you?”

Sam had such an evil grin on her cute little face when she turned to Kala and said, “Everything?”

Kala furrowed her brows in thought for a moment and then smiled and said, “Everything.”

I moaned and slumped in my seat. She took advantage of my shock to pull her hand free and put it back in my lap. Her fingers found my cock and it quickly started to grow despite my embarrassment.

Kala gave my cock a gentle squeeze and said, “You really do need to relax. It’s just sex. You Americans make such a big deal out of it. Don’t you and your brother ever talk about sex, about girls?”

I thought about it for a moment before I answered honestly, “No. Not that I can remember. Of course, unlike you, I didn’t have anything to tell him. I was a virgin until Monday.”

Sam said, “Maybe it’s time your brother and I both learn more.”

Thankfully I didn’t have to respond to that. The bus from geek camp pulled up and we got out to greet Tony.

A crowd of parents closed in around the bus when the kids started getting off. We hung back, leaning against the side of the car. I was standing with my arm around Kala’s shoulder. Just before Tony emerged from the crowd pulling his suitcase toward us, Sam lifted my other arm and placed it around her shoulder.

It was then that Tony spotted us. He came to a sudden stop and stared in disbelief at me with my arm around two nearly identical beautiful blondes. We went over to meet him halfway. I took his suitcase from him and said, “Welcome home, Einstein. How was girl scout camp?”

He gaped at Kala and Sam. He ignored my sarcastic question and asked, “Have I returned to an alternate universe?! You with a girl! Two girls! Two beautiful girls!! This is not the big brother I left behind a week ago.”

I introduced everyone. He said hello, and then he turned to Kala and said, “I’ve seen you around school. I never expected to see you with Dean. What’s a beautiful girl like you doing with him?”

Kala went up and put her arms around Tony. He looked like he was going to panic when she smiled and kissed his cheek. She said, “I think I’m going to like you! Welcome home.”

Then she turned to me and asked, “Why does everyone ask me that question? Is there something wrong with you I don’t know about?”

I laughed and replied, “No. I’m pretty sure you know all the things that are wrong with me.”

Tony was disappointed. He thought I was going to pick him up in my car. I promised him a ride tomorrow and that seemed to satisfy him.

We got in and I listened in amusement as both girls flirted with the poor kid all the way back to Kala’s house. He told us a little about the camp. But he was more interested in how I finally got together with Kala.

It was all pretty amusing until Kala turned her attention back to sexually harassing me and I heard Sam whispering to Tony in the back seat.

I had to fight her off again. I don’t want our parents to see me walking in with an erection. As it turned out, I managed to avoid it. But when he got out of the car in their driveway a few minutes later, Tony had to discreetly adjust the bulge in the front of his pants. I don’t know what she did but Sam seemed pretty damn proud of herself.

Everyone greeted us when we walked in. Mom and dad welcomed Tony home and introduced him to the Wendells. Mom got him a plate of food and they tried to draw him out about the camp. It wasn’t easy. He’s never been much of a talker. He’s even more shy than me.

After he ate, our parents went back to talking among themselves. Sam talked Tony into taking a look at the old computer she and her sister share. They’re having a problem with it freezing up. Tony was happy to take a look at it. He’s more comfortable around computers than people anyway.