Alex rushed into the living room and stopped quick upon seeing his mother "saying good-bye" to his very flustered father. It was a normal sight to see. Roy Hinkley wrapped up in the arms of Ginger with her lips pressed against his. It seemed he had attempted to get away but as Alex and his sisters knew, that was an exercise in futility for him. There wasn't really any point for him to try and fight the redheaded starlet. She was going to win and he was going to have to just accept it.
The teen rolled his eyes walking up to his mother and tapping her on the shoulder. "Mom…Mom..can you let go of Dad? I need to discuss something highly important with him."
Ginger slowly released her kiss on the brilliant scientist and smiled at him. "I love you darling." She said in her usual breathy voice.
"Um…I…." Was all the Professor could manage. Even though they were together for pretty much eighteen years she still had a way of rendering him speechless. He coughed and then finally found his tongue. "I need to talk to our son." He sputtered.
Ginger kissed him once more. "Okay darling. I'll see you later. I have to get down to the studio. I'll be home around five. You'll be home at six right?"
"Well Ginger I'm working on something big so I may be a little late."
The movie star frowned. "Roy! You've been late three times this week. Coming home close to midnight! Can't you get home at a reasonable hour?" She pouted.
"I'm sorry my love. This project for Mr. Howell is taking a longer than we had expected. He wants results soon. I promise you I will be home as soon as I can." The Professor replied. "I love you." He said kissing her lips.
Ginger returned his kiss informing her husband she loved him before saying good-bye to her son and leaving to head out to the movie studio.
Alex shook his head. "Really Dad? Your excuses are getting really weak."
"I know." The Professor replied. "But I don't want your mother to know about it. I want it to be a surprise. To see the look on her face when she sees an entire fragrance line dedicated to her…"
Alex nodded. "Yeah I know. She will be over the moon. Especially when she finds out that is not her only anniversary present."
"Your mother deserves the best." The academic said. "And having well to do friends has it's advantages. Having Mr. Howell purchase that island and turn it into a private luxury resort helps. I'm glad he didn't buy our island. I don't like the idea of anything being touched on it. But your mother will certainly love this. We will have the entire island to ourselves."
"Sounds nice." Alex said. "By the way speaking of presents and islands, I have an idea for one for my sisters. You know how they are perfume addicts like Mom."
"Yes I do. They never go without it. They must have four bottles each." The Professor said with a laugh.
"Well I had an idea for a perfume for them. I was thinking of one that reminds you of a tropical island. I had this whole formula worked out." He handed his father the paper. "What do you think?"
The Professor studied it carefully as he did everything. "Hmmm…I think it's a great idea and this formula may work….we may have better luck with the vanilla instead of coconut but we can try both and see which works the best. It's pretty ambitious. You sure you can handle this?"
"Sure I can!" Alex said enthusiastically. "It's going to be their 18th birthday and that's a milestone. I thought I would do something nice. I know it's a lot of work but I know I can do it!"
"Okay." The Professor said. "We will give it a try. Why don't you meet me after school and we can work on this formula. Just come down to the lab and we'll get started."
"Thanks Dad!" Alex beamed. "I'll be there."
"I shall see you later at that hour. I need to get going. Your mother has delayed me once again." He said shaking his head. "I'm going to have to have a discussion with her."
Alex could not help but laugh. "Dad you know you aren't going to win that one. Mom does each time you try to have that discussion with her. She pouts and downcasts her eyes with that look that gets you everytime."
The Professor turned a bit red. "Um…I should go.." He quickly walked out the door.
Alex headed back to the kitchen where his sisters were finishing up their breakfast and gathering their books to head to school. "You need a ride Alex?" asked Amber. "Jonas is picking up Sabrina cause he has an early class."
"Sure okay." He said picking up his backpack. "Can you drop me off at Dad's office after school though?"
"Okay." Amber said not thinking much of it. It was not unusual for Alex to be at the lab mixing chemicals together and helping out from time to time. Mr. Howell even paid him for his work. The man may have a rep for being greedy but he was farthest from that. When it came to people he considered friends and family, he was one of the most generous people in the country. Ginger was certain that he anonymously donated to the school the Professor worked at. There was always a huge windfall donation to the science department. Especially research.
The three kids left the kitchen and headed to the driveway. Jonas has just pulled up in his blue car and Sabrina hopped in. After he drove off, Amber started up her Mustang convertible with her brother in the passenger side. She pulled down the drive way and out to the main road. The radio was of course on and she as usual was singing along to the very popular Madonna song Papa Don't Preach. Amber adored the singer and her style of music. However she never ceased believing her mother was the greatest singer of all time.
Alex didn't mind the singing as he thought about something. Or someone. That someone being Tina. He wondered what she would be wearing today. Would her hair be up or down? He couldn't decide which he liked better. She was just so…Stop that! He chided himself. He should not be daydreaming about this young female. Tina was out of his league and he had no shot of dating her and he wasn't interested in dating her. At least that's what he would keep telling himself. It was just not logical to think such a thing. They were too different. He liked science. She liked the drama club...Yeah Yeah his parents...but that did not mean it was going to render the same results for him. One cannot just simply draw a conclusion like that.
Amber looked over at her brother. "You okay?"
"Fine." He said. "Just thinking of this test I have today in biology." He lied.
Amber shook her head rolling her eyes. "No you're not. You're thinking of Tina McKensey. And you are not taking biology."
At this Alex's face was colored the same shade of red that his father's would get when caught with Ginger. "I meant chemistry…I was not thinking of…What makes you think I would be…"
"I'm not blind little brother." Amber laughed. "I've seen the way you look at her. It's like the way Dad looks at Mom. You are in love."
"I am not." He said vehemently. "You are being ridiculous."
"Yes you are. You are crazy about Tina. Why are you trying to hide it? Jeez you are just like Dad. He tried to hide his love for Mom for almost four years even though it was obvious to all that he was madly in love with her. Thank God Aunt Mary Ann and Nana took action. He certainly wasn't getting the hints Mom gave him."
"That is different." Alex insisted. "It's not the same thing. I'm not in love with Tina therefore…"
"Oh give it up." His older sister said making a left hand turn. "You are too. I don't know what you are so afraid of. She's a very nice girl. It's not like she's stuck up. I have worked with her in the drama club and she's very down to Earth. Why don't you talk to her? She may like you too."
"I'm not having this conversation anymore." Alex said as they pulled into the parking lot of the high school. The car came to a stop as Amber parked in her space. "I'm not going to dignify your accusations with…"
"Put a lid on it." Amber said. "You are as horrible at hiding it as Dad was. Just go talk to her. Ask her to the movies. That movie that Mom was in….that Rain Dancers movie, that is still out. You can ask her to see that. It's a great movie."
"I'll pass." Alex said. "I'm not watching any of those mushy love movies. I'll see you later." He got out of the car and took off.
Amber sat watching him. "Oh Alex someday you will get it." She sighed.
She pushed the door open and stepped out. Shutting the door she gathered up her books and her purse and headed inside. She wondered to her locker and smiled at Scott who was talking with a group of friends. He smiled and waved a hello.
Amber turned the dial on her lock and noticed out of the corner of her eye her twin talking to Ashley Gilligan. She had wanted to speak to herself as she needed her mother's help with a home ec project. She was a great singer and had pretty darn good acting skills but Amber was hopeless in the kitchen. She was lucky she could boil an egg! As hard as she tried she just could not grasp cooking. Which is why she needed Mary Ann's help. She wanted to get it just right.
Amber opened her looker and gathered the books she needed. She started over to the other girls and spotted her little brother in a daze watching a Miss Tina McKensey walk by wearing a denim skirt and red sleeveless top. Her hair was hung down and pushed back from her face with a red hairband. Amber could not help but grin at her brother. He was the spitting image of Roy Hinkley Jr whenever Ginger came waltzing into a room wearing one of her stylish outfits. "Alex Alex. You are such a terrible liar. I knew you were in love with her."
