Chapter 13

Brittany yawned when she picked up the phone the next day, guessing it would most likely be her mother. She was right.

"I'm sorry, sweetie; did I wake you?" Lori Anne asked.

"Not really. I had kind of a slumber party with Brian and Daddy. We've been up most of the night. Well, Brian passed out after awhile. And a couple of ladies stopped by for a bit too."

"You did what?"

"Mom, really, it was just one night."

"Where's your father? Let me talk to him."

"He just came out of the bathroom. Here he is. Don't yell at him, please?"

"Who's going to yell at who?" Paul asked.

Brittany handed him the phone. "It's Mom."

"Oh God. What the hell did you say to her?" He picked up the receiver. "Yes?"

"Don't you 'yes?' me, Paul Michael. What are you doing keeping our daughter up all night and having women in the room?"

"Oquela. Jesus, Lor, it isn't like I had her up on a school night, and as for the women, it was just Barbs and Maryse. You act like we were having an orgy or something. It was perfectly innocent, trust me. Britt was too busy handing Midget's ass to him in almost every video game known to man, we watched some movies and made Hamburger Helper, and then I was about to take her down to breakfast when you called."

"Still, you're forgetting she's almost eleven, a little girl. I don't want women in the room carrying on while you have that child with you, innocent or not."

"A 'little girl' in a training bra that's getting periods. Christ, Lor, aren't you overreacting a bit? You know I wouldn't let anything happen to her. Midget and I would fucking kill anyone that as much as laid a finger on her the wrong way. And it's not like he and I are having wild parties up here every night. Do you honestly think I'd be stupid enough to do that with an ten year old in the room?"

"Lord only knows what you men do on the road. And that little girl in the training bra you're referring to happens to still climb trees and play basketball in the alley with boys her own age. But that is beside the point; she doesn't need to be kept up late. I have her in bed by eleven when she's home and she was in earlier than that at camp. No more keeping her up. Understand?"

"Comprendo."

"Good. How has she been outside of that?"

"Actually, pretty good; kind of quiet at the arenas most of the time. Everybody loves the kid. The girls usually take her into their locker room; I guess they figure Britt doesn't need to see a bunch of sweaty, hairy, butt naked guys before her time. Of course, I kind of insisted on that too."

"Thank God," she laughed. "And yes, I don't need our daughter around naked men. She'll be seeing plenty of those soon enough in her lifetime."

"Exactly my thought," Paul agreed. "Next thing we know, she'll be going from playing basketball in the alley to begging to go to the prom with the captain of some team. No thanks, she doesn't need to see what men are like before she's sixteen, even if you did give her the sex talk already."

"She told you that?"

"Uh…yeah. Kind of threw me a little, considering her age."

"Well, I sat Britt down once I'd learned she started having periods not long ago. She thought she hurt herself, so I had to explain what was really happening to her. That and her starting to get little breasts. Of course, you know how smart and mature Britt is for her age, so naturally, she was asking questions, so as her mother, it was best that I was up front and honest. So we discussed some things."

"Sex."

"Yes, sex. And babies. She's got to learn sometime, Paul; it may as well be the proper way. You know there's girls out there as young as eight having sex? I didn't want that to be Brittany. She has some friends at school that are already boy crazy and wearing things that I wouldn't put that child to bed in, much less let her wear those things in public. It's ridiculous what these parents let their kids get away with."

"I totally agree. A couple of the girls wanted to take Britt shopping, but when I found out Victoria's Secret was one of the scheduled stops, I said no fucking way unless that was scratched."

Lori Anne laughed. "Now who's being overprotective?"

"Well, if they'd planned to go there, knowing them, God knows what else they had planned. Neverthless, it wouldn't have been suitable for a ten year old."

"So I'm guessing that got eighty-sixed."

"The Victoria's Secret trip? Yeah. I have my influential moments."

"Oh yes. You don't need to remind me of that."

"Um, yeah. Speaking of that, it looks like I might be off the week of Britt's birthday."

He looked around to make sure his nosy daughter was out of earshot, then spoke again. "You think we could arrange something for her?"

"I'd like that!" Lori Anne agreed cheerfully. "Just say when and where, you pick."

"I'm also paying," he replied.

"You don't have to go insane," she said.

"I'm serious. I don't want you putting out a nickel for this. We'll think of something nice to do for her. In the meanwhile while I'm there, perhaps you and I can go do something, that time, without Brittany."

She was caught a little off guard, yet a little amused. "Are you asking me out?"

"Yeah….I guess."

"Well, I guess one time wouldn't hurt. Now let's just hope Britt doesn't read more into it than it actually will be."

"Then we got a date then."

In another part of the room:

Outside the doorway, Brittany smiled to herself before going over to plop on the couch beside Brian.

"Looks like you lost fifty bucks," she announced.

"Are you telling me your dad actually grew some balls and asked your mom out?"

"Yep. On the phone, just now, when they were talking about my birthday."

"Uh, Britt, he didn't exactly see you, did he?"

"Nope. He was all into talking to Mom and I hid where he couldn't see anyway."

"Ahhh, okay. And for the record, I haven't lost the fifty until your dad actually goes on the date. Otherwise, he owes me."

"Oh, I think he will," Brittany nodded. "He sounded all happy and stuff. Now I got to act like I know nothing about that or my birthday. That sure isn't going to be easy."