Chapter 8

BOB
(Monday 11/21)

The Monday of Thanksgiving week, I felt we had made enough progress with Ana to give it a shot. At study group, I managed to get George and Sherry away long enough ("Go smooch in the kitchen for a little bit, please. Take your time.") to make my sales presentation to Natalie.

As I'd done once before the first week of school, I put my hand over hers. "Natalie, if it were in any way possible, would you give me the great honor of accompanying me to the Christmas Dance?"

Her eyes got real blue-bright and I got a great Natalie smile. "I'd love to but..." then she shed a tear or two.

"Yes, I know the no-dating policy is still in effect. However, you and your folks are coming to our Thanksgiving dinner party this Thursday. Maybe we can stuff them so full of turkey they'll be too sleepy to put up a fight if we ask. It's worth a try."

She gave me a smile, "If we don't ask, it probably won't happen."

Mother and I started cooking on Tuesday night. We made pumpkin pies, pecan pies, mincemeat pies, key lime pies, everything we could prepare and knew would keep a couple days.

Bill, Father and I absconded with one of the pumpkin pies and covertly feasted in the back yard. We'd done it every year for the past fifteen years, so of course Mother knew exactly what had happened. She did her customary moaning about "losing" or "miscounting" her baking while grinning to herself.

We did more Wednesday evening. We prepped the turkeys, hams, chickens, roast beef and all the vegetables. We managed an early bedtime but got up at 3:00 to cook some more.

(Thursday 11/24)

Ana, Don and Natalie came over about 8:00 to help out. Between us, we managed to get all the meat in the ovens and started getting the cooked vegetables ready. We guys put up the full dining room table and set up three additional tables in the back yard.

We'd invited literally everyone we knew. The Matthews and their grandparents of course but also all the construction crews and their families, the McCambridge teachers (the single ones especially were happy), George and Sherry with their families, Bill's current girlfriend and her family -- dayum near all of Burbank.

As each one of the construction crew arrived, the entire family called me "Righteous Bob" and Father "Big Dave." I caught Natalie looking at me with a little smirk once and snapped at her.

She looked really shocked but with good reason. It was the first time either of us had shown the least signs of inappropriate emotion. I apologized almost immediately, but we'd had our "first fight."

By the time 2:00 came around we were ready. Natalie, Ana, Mother and I were the main servers and made trip after trip from the kitchen to the tables. Somehow, I got tricked into carrying all the heavy stuff, like a 25-pound turkey in each hand. The ladies had made some remarks like, "I'm so delicate," so of course I had to take pity on them.

NATALIE

I wondered why they kept calling him "Righteous Bob." Once when a three-year-old girl called him that, I smirked at him -- and he snapped at me. Shit! It was just a little snap, but it was so sudden and had never happened before.

He apologized immediately, but I'd seen some deep emotion underneath it all -- for dayum sure I never wanted to have him mad at me.

I'd tried to make-nice by rubbing my tits on his arm and back and grabbing his cute ass when he wasn't looking. He'd groan, roll his eyes and hide his crotch. Wasn't fooling me a bit, he was as turned on as I was.

We kept on the run for over an hour getting the initial food load out and the first refills available. Finally we were able to settle down ourselves and eat. Of course, since we'd done all the arrangements, we got to sit together.

I promptly slipped off my shoes and ran my foot up and down his calf. He glanced at me then pretended to glare and growl.

When I had my best manners in (you know, one hand on the lap), I kept grabbing his leg beside me. He'd jump each time and I felt him get aroused.

He finally growled, "Don't make me get out my Rod of Chastisement, little girl."

I managed to look both innocent (I think) and (definitely) expectant at the same time. "Please..."

Mom and Don kept glancing at us. I know they felt what was going on, even if we'd kept it down pretty much. I also kept feeling Dave's eye on us, too.

But despite all that, I could see Mom and Don were both having a great time. Maybe there was hope yet.

NATALIE

After Thanksgiving dinner, Mom and Dad were standing in the Reynolds' back yard admiring the mountains and enjoying the California weather. Bob told me, "Let's go talk with them." We walked over and asked them, "Can we talk a bit?" I led us over to a quiet area in the back with some chairs.

Bob grinned at them, "Let's talk about the weather. Did you get days like this where you came from?"

Mom and Dad glanced at each other. "In the summer, it was fine. We'd get a spell of really good weather," Ana allowed.

Bob looked around at the sky and the mountains. "The air's clear, a few nice clouds to break things up. Nice temperature; the air fans your cheek like a silk scarf." He paused a moment. "The sun shines down. It purifies the air, makes the earth grow and lets us see as far as we can.

"My dad's parents live in Ohio and I've visited several times. It gets pretty nice there, too but days like this are pretty common in Southern California." He looked at them a bit, not really expecting any answer.

My heart was going like a snare drum but I managed to keep my expression pleasantly interested and my mouth shut. Bob continued, "Natalie and I have been hanging together with my crew at school and studying together at your place for almost three months now," he said, looking directly at Mom. She nodded and didn't say anything, just waited.

"The second day of school, Natalie told my of your family's policy on no dating or other activities, so we agreed to be just friends. With any other young lady, it would probably have worked out okay. With Natalie, however, it hasn't worked out that way. My friends really like her, too and their approval means a lot to me."

Mom and Dad looked at each other again and looked back at us. Bob turned and looked at me and spoke to us all, "You light up my life and make me happy just by being there. When you smile, I feel so much joy I could cry -- and I have several times. You're the California Sunshine in my life and make me want to be the best person I can be to be worthy of you."

He looked at all of us, "Am I in love with her? We're just coming up on 18, and I've never felt this way before about anyone. I've nothing to compare it to, but it sure seems to be love as I know it." He nodded at me and gestured it was my turn.

I felt my tears running, "Bob, you make me feel all I've been through the last seventeen years was simply to get me up to the level to where I had a chance to understand what being with someone could really mean. Most of the time I've been with you, I've had to hold off falling into your heart and just grabbing you with my whole heart. During the little time we've been around each other, I've grown to feel we make each other whole, complete. I want to make you happy; not just physically but as the wonderful person you are."

BOB

I wasn't really surprised at what she'd said; I'd been picking it up from her for weeks now. That she did have the guts to tell me in front of her parents raised my appreciation of her to new levels.

I turned to Don and Ana and told them, "Since the second day, we have held to your policy; we haven't tried to get around it, find loopholes somehow, or ignored it. We haven't held hands, done any physical smooching or tried to find places to get off to just to be alone together. Yes, we've touched each other a lot as you've seen, Don. The most we've ever done physically you've seen, either at your place, here or on the golf course. Now, it doesn't mean we haven't done a lot this way." I pointed to my head.

"And we rarely do even that; it more takes us too far down that path and makes more pain for us. In my opinion, you can be extremely proud of your daughter for respecting your wishes and her agreement no matter what it has cost her so far."

I saw Natalie smiling through her tears. Don and Anna weren't particularly dry-eyed, either. "What all this comes down to is that in view of what I, at least, would call our demonstrated reliability, is to ask you both this: What must happen and what must I do to get your permission to take Natalie to our Christmas Dance in December?"

I'd finally put The Question to them. The answer was in their hands now.

DON

I knew what I wanted but Ana was the key. All I could do is look at her and try to convey what I felt without putting the entire burden on her.

Ana looked down at her hands for a minute then wiped her eyes and looked at Natalie. "You make me so proud of you. You've not only kept your word, you did that and more without a word or look of complaint despite all the feelings you've been having.

"When we made this agreement, I never realized how much I would hurt you by letting my fears spill over onto you. During the times I've seen you and Bob studying and working together, I've seen both of you behave with complete responsibility -- except for the same lapses I'd done when I was your age."

She looked from one of them to the other. "On the other hand, I've also seen the way you look at each other when you think no one else is watching. I've seen both the longing and the pain, but so far I've done nothing to help end it. I've contributed to your pain by not doing anything about it. That's my responsibility.

"Thank you both for trusting us enough to tell us how much you mean to each other. I know few who would have the courage to do that."

She looked at Bob respectfully and said, "You did well in choosing your home ground to bring this up." Bob shrugged a little and raised his hands slightly in agreement.

She continued firmly, "However, this isn't easily resolved, even with what you've both so willingly told us, and I don't really feel it's appropriate to continue right now.