Guy Talk

Lee pulled up to the curb in front of Amanda's house one Saturday morning and saw Jamie shooting baskets alone in the driveway.

Not seeing Amanda's car, he decided to get out and make sure everything was okay.

When he reached the driveway, he managed to catch the basketball that got away from Jamie!

Walking toward him Lee smiled and stated, "Hey, Ace. Where is everyone?"

Jamie shrugged and answered, "Mom and Grandma are out shopping and Phillip is at the park with his friends."

Lee queried, "You didn't want to join him, huh?"

Jamie shook his head and replied, "Nah. All they wanna do lately is talk about girls. Yuck!"

Lee nodded chuckling as he remembered feeling the same way at Jamie's age but not too long after met a girl named Alice who he'd wound up defending against a bunch of bullies. He thought, Someday Jamie you'll change your tune.

Then he realized suddenly that Jamie was talking to him.

Jamie remarked, "Hey! Are you gonna take a shot?"

Lee broke out of his reverie and shrugged replying, "Uh, sure. Why not?"

He dribbled a bit and then with perfect aim, managed to get the ball into the basket from where he stood!

Jamie watching him half smiled and nodded stating, "Cool! You're better than Billy Barton any day!"

Lee grinned and responded lightly, "Yeah? Not bad for an old guy, right?"

Jamie shook his head embarrassedly and stated, "N-No, I-I didn't mean that-"

Lee put up a hand and replied gently, "It's okay, Pal. I get it."

Then Lee saw Jamie's expression change as he had gone to put the basketball away in the garage and came back to sit on the front steps and he asked, "Something wrong?"

Jamie shrugged as he put his elbows on his knees and rested his chin on his palms and answered, "Nah. Just thinking about stuff."

Lee nodded and gestured toward the steps querying, "May I?"

Jamie without a beat stated, "Pull up a step."

Lee chuckled lightly and sat down next to Jamie. Things were still tentative with Jamie at this point but Lee thought jokingly, We could take this act on the road.

But he wasn't a fool. He knew they still had a long way to go until things were comfortable and fell into place.

He had to get on the right footing with both boys while building a relationship with them. Lee considered Phillip the easier one to relate to but as Amanda had explained to him, Jamie would need the extra time as he was younger and more sensitive of the two. Phillip was into cars and action movies while Jamie steered more toward photography and books.

Lee finally cocked his head and looked at Jamie asking, "Anything I could help you with?"

Jamie surprised responded, "Really? But I'm just a kid."

Lee shook his head and answered, "No. Here we are just two people having a conversation, and I am your sounding board. So go ahead, lay it on me."

Jamie thought for a moment and sighed. Lee really seemed to want to listen. Jamie originally wanted to talk to his father about this but then reconsidered thinking how awkward it would've been and he felt that Phillip just would've made fun of him.

Deciding to give it a try he shrugged and asked Lee point blank, "Well, Dad's gone again and you're here now and that's okay, but for how long?"

Lee was thrown by the question! Was Jamie feeling that insecure about things? He had to tread lightly here.

Clearing his throat he replied slowly, "L-Look Jamie, I care very much about your mom and vice versa. I mean if things weren't working out well I just wouldn't be here, you know?"

Jamie nodded as he thought back to when his mother was dating Dean but then wondered if this was the same thing and queried, "I guess so but is Mom really happy, do you think?"

As Lee was about to respond Amanda honked her horn as she was pulling her car into the driveway and parking.

Getting out of the car were not only her and Dotty, but Phillip as well.

Amanda smiled remarking, "Hi! Look who we found on the way home."

Lee called out, "Hey, Chief!"

Nudging Jamie gently he stated, "Why don't we go help your mom with the bags and then you can ask her yourself, huh? C'mon."

So the three men helped bring in all the groceries and as Amanda and Dotty were putting them away Phillip piped up, "Hey, when's lunch? I'm starving!"

Dotty shook her head and giggled stating to Lee as she ruffled Phillip's hair, "Do you know that just this morning he ate three pancakes and a big bowl of cereal? I don't know where he puts it all!"

Lee shrugged and remarked, "Ah he's just a growing boy, Mrs. West."

Amanda nodded giggling and answered, "That's what I keep telling her!"

Recovering slightly she then asked, "Okay, Fellas. Thoughts on lunch?"

Phillip responded, "Pizza would be awsome, Mom. You too, Jamie?"

Jamie shrugged and sat down on the couch in the family room with a book mumbling, "I guess."

Amanda looked at Jamie and then asked Lee, "What's the matter?"

Phillip shook his head and stated, "Don't worry, Mom. He's been a dweeb all morning."

Amanda shook her head and remarked, "Don't call him a dweeb! Now, why don't you go and wash up? We'll call you when lunch is ready."

Phillip shrugged and muttered as he headed upstairs, "What a baby!"

Amanda sighed and queried to Lee, "Okay. What's really going on?"

Lee cleared his throat and replied quietly, "Uh, Jamie isn't really sure that you and I are a solid thing right now. That you're not really that happy. Look, it's obvious you should talk alone so I'll just be going-"

Amanda put a hand on his arm and shook her head stating, "No, you don't have to leave. This concerns all of us. Let me just call Phillip back down-"

She went to the landing and called up, "Phillip? Sweetie, could you come down for a second please?"

Phillip got to the stairs and remarked, "You decided on pizza, right?"

Amanda shook her head and answered, "Not yet. We're having a family meeting now. C'mon."

Dotty saw them all gather in the family room and commented, "Well, if you'll excuse me I'm in the middle of a very good chapter in the book I'm reading so I'll just be upstairs."

As she headed up, Lee shook his head. Dotty had the strangest timing, he thought. Every other time he and Amanda were attempting to be alone somehow she managed to interrupt, but now that Amanda called a meeting? He couldn't figure it out. Oh well, some women were harder to figure out than others. He'd worry about it later.

He went ahead and sat in the wing chair while the boys sat on either side of Amanda on the couch.

Phillip asked, "What's up, Mom?"

Amanda stated, "Okay. I've included Lee in on our discussion because I'm here to tell you now that he is it for me. I'm not looking for anyone else and he feels the same way, so if you both have anything you'd like to say pro or con wise you tell us now. Phillip? Why don't you start, Sweetie."

Phillip shrugged and answered, "I'm okay with everything. He's a lot better than Dean was-"

Amanda shook her head and sighed replying,"All right. I'm well aware of how you felt about Dean but that's over with, okay? No need to rehash that anymore."

Looking at Jamie she remarked, "Jamie? Honey, anything on your mind?"

Jamie sighed and commented, "Well, you're a lot busier than you used to be and I dunno. You just don't seem happy to me and I was worried. Are you happier now then when you were dating Dean?"

Amanda kissed his forehead and nodded stating, "Of course I am, Sweetheart. Because this time I know Lee and I are right for each other. We've known each other almost four years now and we spent most of that time working and getting to know one another. It doesn't mean that we won't fight but we'll at least try to keep it down to a dull roar around here, okay?"

Phillip suddenly realized what Jamie was trying to get at and groaned as he made a face! He responded, "Oh, gross! He's just wondering why you two aren't slobbering all over each other!"

He then made kissing noises near Jamie until Jamie got up and ran after Phillip and they chased each other out the front door slamming it as they went, with Jamie in hot pursuit!

Lee and Amanda laughed uproariously at the situation! When they recovered slightly, Lee pulled her close to him and queried, "Why don't we ever slobber all over each other?"

Amanda attempted to answer as Lee began to devour her neck slowly making her crazy! She smiled and replied, "W-Well, b-because we-we're a-adults and we-we h-have de-decorum! Stop! That tickles! Ha-ha-ha!"

Dotty came down the stairs then hearing the laughter and witnessing the scene in the family room she looked up toward heaven and remarked, "It's nice to see our girl so happy isn't it, Carl?"

The End