Just a little Seddie family fluff that's been sitting on my computer since August.
"Mom." 17 year old Stephanie whined from the stairway. "Mom. The air conditioning quit in my room again. It's really hot in there."
"The air quit in the family room, too." Her younger brother complained, coming up from the basement in search of a drink.
Sam was sitting on the couch, two fans pointed at her, a bag of frozen peas on her forehead. "So, what do you want me to do about it?" She asked, not raising her head. "If either of you think I'm getting off this couch before the sun goes down, you're due for a trip to Troubled Waters." She resembled her own mother, wearing a bikini top and shorts, her bare feet soaking in a tub of cold water.
"What do we do?" Steph asked. "It's like the surface of the sun today, we need air conditioning."
"Find yourself a fan and something frozen. Maybe a nice cold drink." Sam shrugged. "When your dad comes home from work he can look at it."
"But, Mom. Dad's a computer guy, he doesn't know anything about air conditioning." Matt said.
"Right. And once he admits that, he'll call somebody to fix the central air who knows what the chiz they're doing. If I call, it'll be a half hour lecture about how much it costs to have someone come out and then he'll use the kicked puppy look because I 'don't have any confidence in him as a man', In the meantime, we all just need to suck it up."
The doorbell rang. "Oh, God, I'll bet that's David, he said he might come over this afternoon and I'm all sweaty and gross." Stephanie complained, throwing an orange tank-top at her mother. "Matt, get the door while I go wash my face. And Mom, can you please cover yourself up, you look like Pammaw."
"Yeah, yeah." Sam grabbed the stretched out garment from the back of the couch where it landed and began to pull it on. "Can't imagine this is going to be any better, though."
"C'mon in Dave. Steph's upstairs making herself beautiful for you." The twelve year old smirked, opening the door.
"Hi, David." Sam turned her head toward the door. "Have a seat. Sorry it's so hot in here. Our air conditioner's on the fritz."
"That's OK, Mrs., um Sam." He sat down and tried to look at anything beside his girlfriend's mother in her less than fully clothed state. "Ours has been out since Tuesday. My dad called the guy to fix it and he's booked solid till next weekend."
"Oh, man. That's gotta suck." Matt replied. "I wish we had a pool."
"Yeah, and he called all over town looking for somebody else and no one can come out any sooner."
"Oh, chizz!" Sam said. "Guess we need to stock up on frozen peas."
"David?" Stephanie came down the stairs. "I thought I heard the doorbell." She tried to act all nonchalant and surprised to see him. She approached him for a hug. They kept everything rated G in front of her parents, but Sam knew they had done slightly more just by their body language.
"Eww, you're all nasty." She said pulling back from him, wearing a damp t-shirt and torn jean shorts. "Bu - but in a good way."
The teen boy blushed and hoped he didn't smell like a bum. "Sorry. Dad asked me to wash my mom's car. Our family's actually going to the beach tomorrow, did you want to come along? I already asked my parents and they said it's cool if you want to."
Freddie came through the door, home from work. "I decided to head home a little early so I could avoid sitting in the traffic in this heat. Oh, hey, David." He extended a hand to the teen. "Gheesh, it's hot in here, Sam."
"Hello, Mr. Benson." The boy shook his hand, trying to be proper. "Our air conditioner is down, too."
"Hey, babe. You need to look at the air conditioner. I think it quit." She stretched her head back over the couch back for his typical kiss. "I tried to check it out, but I don't know what's wrong." She acted all helpless, but Freddie knew it was just plain laziness.
"And by 'I tried to check it out', you mean your turned down the thermostat but it's not getting any cooler in here?"
"Something like that." She smirked. "It sounds like it runs, but it's not putting out much air."
"Well, let me change out of my work clothes. I'll see what I can do." He headed for the stairs.
"So, Steph, about the beach?" David asked.
The girl looked at her mother. "Can I go, Mom?"
"Yeah, sure." Sam shrugged. "Who am I to stop you from going to the beach with your boyfriend, you're 17. But you might want to consider trying on your swimsuit before tomorrow morning. You know, just to make sure it fits. Don't want to end up looking like your grandma and since you've got my figure . . ."
"Mother!" Stephaine hissed, turning red that Sam would say that in front of her boyfriend. "He's not my boyfriend." She whispered, so wouldn't hear, fearing it would hurt his feelings. The two teens hadn't told their parents they were dating yet. "That's not an appropriate conversation."
"What? All I'm saying is, you're growing up and you haven't had a new swim suit for, like, two years. You can't squeeze yourself into the same thing you wore when you were fifteen."
Freddie came down the stairs, wearing his cargo shorts and an old t-shirt. "Guess I'll go look at that a/c now. I just need to grab some tools out of the garage. Hey, where's our son, I might need some help and he should see how this kind of stuff works. He'll have to learn to do work like this some day."
"Eh, he's probably still in his Matt-cave, playing zombie hunt or something." Sam replied. "He's been holed up down there all day. Smart kid, the basement's gotta be cooler than this room."
"Uh, mind of I tag along, Mr. B?" David asked. "I like to help my dad with stuff around the house."
"Sure." Freddie replied. "I guess the first thing we'd better check are the circuit breakers."
"And the filters." The boy added. "It might just be a clogged filter."
"Right. Come on, the breaker panel is in the laundry room."
"See you later, Steph." The boy added.
"Yeah, I'll be right here. Sweating to death." The teen flopped down beside her mother. "Time to share the fan, Mom."
As soon as the males left the room, Sam turned to her daughter. "Sorry about the swimsuit crack, kiddo, but you'll never fit into your old one. You've had to get new bras twice just since Christmas. That thing is made for a girl the shape of Aunt Cat and you're shaped more like me now."
"I know. I've definitely got your figure. Not that I'm complaining. Most of my friends are barely in B cups." She replied. "So when do we go shopping?"
"Oh, no! Not me. I have flashbacks every time I get in the swimsuit aisle. You have no idea how many times your grandmother drug me through that department when I was a kid. I buy all my swim wear online. Far less traumatic."
"I can't wait for something to get mailed in. We're leaving at 10 tomorrow morning."
Sam just shrugged.
"Well, do you think Daddy will take me to the mall? Since I don't have my own car yet."
Sam had been trying to get Freddie to buy a car for the girl for almost a year, now. "Yeah, sure. Just use the Carly face and he'll take you anywhere you want to go." Sam smirked and Steph gave her a practice look.
"That's the one!" Sam smiled. "You're a natural. But if you two are going to the mall, you'd better stop at Chick'n Shack in the food court."
"Do you seriously think I'd not stop there? It's the best thing at the mall."
"So, looks like the breakers are all good. Let's take a look at those filters. The heat pump unit is in the corner of the garage." Freddie led his assistant that direction.
They removed the cover plate from the air handler and pulled out a filter, clumps of dust falling off of it. "Uh, I think it's clogged up." David coughed.
"Yeah, and then some." Freddie waved his hand in front of his face to clear the dust. "We're going to have to take apart all the vents and clean this dust out or the new filter will just clog up again."
"I can get started on that. You have a shop vac, Mr. B.? I can go home and get ours if you don't."
"Over there by the lawnmower. I use it to clean out the cars." He pointed to the back corner.
The teen went to retrieve the machine while Freddie started removing the vent access panels with a screwdriver.
"Gah! This thing's a mess." He stated as more clumps fell out onto his feet.
"My dad changes our filters every spring and fall." David said, trying not to sound too condescending. "Time change day, he changes all the smoke detector batteries, checks the fire extinguishers and first aid kits and swaps out all the air and water filters."
"Are you sure your dad's not related to my mother?" Freddie questioned and pulled more clumps of dust out with his hand. "Plug the sweeper in and hand me the end."
"Has it been a while since you had your system serviced?" The boy asked.
"Well, it might have a been a couple years since I changed filters." Freddie confessed. "I guess I'm heading to House Depot to get some new ones. So much for avoiding the traffic while the sun's so hot."
"Daddy?" Stephanie came out to the garage.
"Yes, sweetie, I know the air's completely off now. We have to clean out the vents."
"Kind of a mess in here, babe, er, Steph." David pulled his hand out of the return pipe. "Ah, man, this one's full, too, Mr. B." He dropped a clump of dust on the floor. "Wow. I've never seen so much dust in one pipe."
"So I'm guessing you need to go somewhere for parts?" The girl asked with a 'butter-up-Daddy' smile.
"Yep. Why? Do you need something from House Depot, too?"
"No. But I do need to go to the mall."
"Steph. What do mean, need to go to the mall?" Freddie questioned. "You sound like Carly."
"Well, David invited me to go along with his family to the beach tomorrow and I need a new swimsuit, I think my old one's probably a little tight." She whispered the last half dozen words.
"Sure, I guess you can go along and we can make a quick stop at the mall. But we'd better hurry back or your mom will be roasting without the air running at all. We can find you a nice, one piece suit that covers lots of things up. Everything, in fact."
Steph just rolled her eyes. "You know, if I had my own car, you or Mom wouldn't have to drive me everywhere. And I could run errands for you."
"I've been looking for a car for you. But we can't find anything in our budget that has the safety features you need to have."
"Hey, my cousin has a car she's trying to sell." David added. "It's a sweet little convertible. She got married last year and with the baby on the way and all, she's got to rid of it. You'd look so good in a convertible, Steph. It's white and has a . . . "
"A convertible? Yeah, that's not happening." Freddie argued. "Hand me that brush over there. I need to get most of the crud off this filter so I can get its model number. Steph, you go and get your purse, I'll be ready to go in a few minutes."
"You're not wearing those old work clothes to go to the mall, are you?" She sneered. "Don't you at least want to put on a nice shirt. I guess the shorts aren't too bad. For a dad. And try to lose the crocs, please."
"Heh, yeah I guess I should put on a clean shirt. This one is kind of cruddy. But what's wrong with crocs?"
Steph turned to leave and the guys did some quick assessment of what would be needed for the job.
"Alright, so I need all three filters and a long, skinny brush to get in that top vent, right?"
David nodded and Matt came into the garage. "Dad, the air completely quit again. Whoa. It's a mess out here. What's going on?"
"The air vents are all clogged up with dust, buddy. I've got to go get some fresh filters. You want to give David a hand with the vacuum while I go change clothes. Apparently, what I'm wearing isn't suitable mall attire according to your sister."
"Why are you going to the mall? I thought you'd just go to the hardware store or Mall-Mart."
"Your sister wants to shop for a new swim suit and I need to make sure she gets something that's age appropriate."
"With her shape, she needs it." The kid cracked as David stifled a snicker.
"Matt. Don't say chiz like that about your sister."
"What, all I'm saying is, she's got a heckuva . . . " He made a gesture with his hands, causing David to nearly laugh again.
"Alright. That's enough. You two finish up here and then take a break until I get back." Freddie went into the house to change.
Sam met him in the kitchen. "Steph talk to you about going to the mall?"
"Uh, yeah. And I didn't say anything in front of her, but I'm a little uncomfortable about swimsuit shopping with my teenage daughter. I mean, what of someone sees me and thinks I'm some kind of pervert."
"No one's going to think a nub like you is a pervert. And I'm certainly not taking her. I'm not going anywhere near the swim wear department. I buy mine online just so I can avoid that chizz. But I suppose I could call my mom to see if she'd want to take her. She's always up for bikini shopping."
"No! Um, no, that's OK. I think you're right, a father should be proud of his little girl growing up and I'm comfortable enough in my masculinity to go in the women's swimsuit department."
"Just don't try to make her buy something that looks like your grandma would wear, alright?" Sam grabbed his collar and kissed him. "I know the way you are."
"Sam. I'm shocked you'd even think such a thing." He tried to play innocent, even thought that was his exact plan.
"I don't think. I know. As in, I've known you for about 25 years and I know how you think. Let her pick her own suit."
An hour later, Freddie and Stephanie were in the mall, in the third store looking at bathing suits.
"How about this one?" He pointed to a one-piece model with an attached skirt.
"Maybe if was forty and weighed three hundred pounds." She sneered. "I already told you, I really want a bikini, so I can get a nice tan."
"And I told you, bikinis aren't appropriate for teenage girls who are going to the beach with their boyfriend."
"David isn't my boyfriend. He's just a friend, who's a boy, that I hang out with, a lot. And we do stuff together. Almost every day."
Freddie just gave her an incredulous look.
"Alright, so I guess that kind of meets the definition of boyfriend. But you can't tell me that Mom didn't wear bikinis when she was my age." She huffed and continued to look through the two piece suits.
"Well, yeah she did. But that was different."
"And I'll bet you went to the beach with her when you guys were dating, right?"
"Of course. We went all the time that one summer when your mom lived in Venice with Cat and I visited her. But we were both 18." He also remembered what they did right before he returned to Seattle. The result was standing in front of him.
"So. I'll be 18 in, like nine months."
"And then you can buy any bathing suit your little heart desires. But for now, I think we'll stick to something slightly more conservative. Now let's hurry up and choose one so we can go get those filters before the home improvement store closes. Your mom's probably roasting without the air running."
"I think I need to call Mom." The teen walked toward the dressing rooms with a couple of bikinis in hand, her phone already out.
Another hour and three calls to Sam later, they were in line at the home improvement store waiting to pay for their filters and other items. Freddie looked like the last rose of summer.
"Don't be all cranky, Daddy. Mom didn't take my side, she just said I should be able to pick a suit I was happy with. And I'm happy with the one I got. Besides, it was like, the least expensive one in the store, I thought you'd be proud of me for finding a bargain."
"It's the cheapest because it contained the least amount of material." He shook his head. "I'm just glad you didn't choose that white number you tried on first."
"Actually, I really hated that one, I just tried it on to get a rise out of you." She smirked just like her mother would.
Freddie shook his head knowing this to be a fact. "Bu-but you know, you should keep your shorts on when you're on the beach, right. Because of the sand. Believe me, it gets everywhere. And the sun's pretty intense this time of year, so maybe you should wear a long sleeved shirt over top, just to keep from getting too much UV exposure."
"You sound like Nana. So what you're saying is, I should just treat my new swim suit like underwear?"
"Well, I'd really like to think your underwear covers a little more, but yes."
Stephanie just sighed and rolled her eyes. "I need to talk to Mom or maybe Aunt Carly about this."
They returned home and within a short while the Benson's air conditioner was running like new.
"Thank goodness the air's working again, the news says it's supposed to be almost 100 tomorrow." Freddie told Sam as they prepared for bed that evening.
"Maybe we should go to the beach, too." She suggested.
"Oh, no. I don't want Steph thinking we're spying on her."
"And here I thought you'd want to keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn't expose too much skin in front of David. You sure you're feeling alright?"
"I'm sure we can trust Stephanie. And David's a responsible kid, I don't think we have to worry about him getting any ideas."
"Mmmm-hmmm, so were you. But it never stopped you from copping a feel or more, now did it?"
"Oh, God!" Freddie flopped back onto the pillow.