CHAPTER 6 THE DATE

Candy, Heather and Bridgett spent most of the day at Antoinette's, helping and talking, but when the evening rolled around it was time to meet up with the cobras.

"All right Ann we have to go meet the guys soon, but I wanted to see if it was cool to take Jocelyn with us?"

"As long as nothing happens to her I don't have a problem with it."

Jocelyn comes bounding down the stairs obviously ease dropping.

"Jocelyn, no doing anything with boys, no drinking and no smoking be on your best behavior."

"ANN! You were doing all of those things before you were even sixteen."

"Well I'm telling you not to do them, so don't, and don't think no one will tell me either."

"Fine, you're worse than mom Ann."

"I know I am, but I have to be mom and dad both since your brothers are just as bad as you. I love you be careful I'll see you later on tonight." Ann pushed them out the door and ran up the stairs to get ready for her date.

The doorbell rang at 8:00 sharp, and Elizabeth answered the door, with her usual berate of questioning.

"Where you going? What you doing? Do you love my sister? Is she pretty? How was your day? Can I go with you? Do you want to play cards?"

Ace bent down and put his finger to Elizabeth's lips, and whispered "You're just like your big sister you know that, you ramble?"

Elizabeth began to giggle, and ran up stairs to get Ann, but was stopped short when she saw a red satin shoe drop down onto the landing.

Ace suddenly feeling underdressed just by the appearance of her shoe. Then even worse as she appeared in the red satin dress with the plunging neck line.

"Ann is wearing one of my mommy's dresses, but those are her shoes, because she has big feet compared t mom, which is weird because Ann's feet are really small, but moms were super small…"

"Elizabeth stop talking his ear off, he doesn't care if I have big feet."

Ann finally met Aces, eyes blushing slightly.

"You better wipe the drool off of your chin Sunshine."

Ace feeing very Sheepish compared to this beauty that was before him. "I brought you some flowers Antoinette. I didn't know what kind you liked so the florist let me pick one of each."

"I love them that was very nice of the florist." Ann Purred kissing him on the cheek.

"Elizabeth, can you have Jarred help you put these in water for me?"

"Sure can, what time will you be home Ann?"

"I don't know Lizzy, but I know it will be after you're asleep." Ann's eyes never leaving Aces.

"Elizabeth grabbed her hand you look just like mommy, except prettier".

Ann bent down and hugged Elizabeth while Ace pulled a flower out of the bouquet.

"Well Ms. Elizabeth, I have a flower for you to, for being such a help in getting your sister to like me."

Elizabeth blushed a deep crimson, and whispered to Ace. "I didn't help she already liked you" and ran up stares calling for Jarred.

Ann shut the door softly and walked with Ace down to his car where he was the up most gentlemen and opened her door for her.

After both were settled in the car.

"So Ace what are the plans for tonight?"

"Well it's nothing that you're dressed for, but it's a surprise. If you don't mind them that is."

"No, I love surprises. I'm sorry if I'm over dressed, but Breanna picked this out, and I didn't want to hurt her feeling, because I think that she might be coming out of her shell finally."

Ace just looked at her aw struck.

"What is my lip stick smudged?"

"No, was just thinking how perfect you are."

"Now I know your nuts, I'm far from perfect. I have a fowl mouth, a bad temper, and a short fuse."

"Like I said your perfect."

"How do you figure?"

"Well your not fake, or stuck up like all the other girls around her. Your not trying to get a husband, you're just trying to live. Your just you, you say what you think and you don't care if other people don't like you for it. Your raising four kids by yourself, and doing a great job at it. Not to mention while I wasn't looking you stole my heart."

The rest of the ride was quiet except for the soft breathing of the pair.

Ace pulled up to a border of tree's but it was too dark for anything to be seen other than shadows.

"You don't mind walking a little do you Ann?"

"No, not at all."

As the two walked into the darkness, Ann grabbed Aces hand and stayed close to him. Ace directed her into a clearing and was surprised by what she found. It was a moon lit area, a beautiful pond and water fall, there was a small picnic set up about five feet away from the bank.

"Ace what is this place?"

"It's the castle rock lagoon. Not many people know about it. There was a cabin here, and the lagoon is man made, a rich family built it for seasonal purposes, but the family died in the cabin fire, and no one remembers the lagoon. I thought this would be a nice place for us to be alone."

"It's perfect and beautiful."

"I ordered dinner from the diner: Burgers, fries, and sodas. I know it's not much, but I wanted stuff that would keep even cold."

The couple sat down for there brief dinner and began get to know one another.

"So tell me about yourself Ace."

"Not much to tell, I dropped out of school when I was 18. My fathers a drunk and my mothers perfect. She supports myself and my dad almost killing herself in the process. My dad beats on us both, and I'd like to kill him."

"What does your mom do?"

"She owns the flower shop." Ace smiling that I'm a bad kid smile.

That explains why you got to take whatever flowers you wanted. Why doesn't she leave your father if she can support herself?"

"She loves him."

"Why don't you leave?"

"I won't leave my mom."

"Wow you're a devoted son."

"I figure I owe it to her, she stopped my old man from killing me more times than I can count, and I put her through more shit than I ever should have."

"At least you know that now." Smiled Ann

"What about you Antoinette?"

"There is nothing to tell about me. My parents are dead, and I'm raising four kids with my brother."

"Don't kid me. Start from the beginning, your sister has a fast little mouth but I caught bits and pieces of it."

"Figures she would try and tell you."

"Well my mom and dad met here in Caste Rock, my father's parents raised him here. My mom rode into town on a Harley looking for something to do one night. She found my dad, and his gang at the diner. He was addicted to her daringness, and thrill seeking. She was addicted to his tight butt, and car races, they dated, my mom was pregnant with my brother a months later. They were married a month after that. My dad joined the Air Force and after my brother was born so did my mom. A month after my mom finished basic training she was pregnant with me. My parents spent a year working their Asses off to become security police, became just that. Through the years they got promotion after promotion had kid after kid, and six months ago they went out on a bad mission, were ambushed tortured, and killed. Leaving my family and myself with no ties, and no one to take care of us. My parents were smart though they made sure to re-write the Will every six months and when Dominic turned 18 they had him made into our legal guardian, and when I turn 18 I will be a secondary legal guardian just in case something happens to Dominic. He's just like my mom a thrill seeker. So they knew they had better make sure there was someone to watch the kids if he dies. Now here I am lost and alone to raise 4 children because my parents couldn't stand normal lives."

"That's a story, I'm sorry Ann."

"Don't be, my parents raised us to never be sorry to only be better." Ann quickly changed the subject. "Have you ever looked in my garage, when each of us turned 16 we got a car. Dominic got his corvette; I got my bel-air, Jocelyn and jarred got matching Bonneville's. Then we have two Harleys that were my mom and dads."

"You don't have a car you have a shop!"

"We are well off. We never have to worry about money. Dom and I just don't get to start our own lives until the kids grow up."

"Why doesn't Breanna talk?"

"I don't know the doctors say she's fine, but she hasn't spoken a word since my parents died. Don't let her fool you though, she's a risk taker to, she likes to dive into people as they walk in the front door from the landing. It's in our blood and it scares me. I can't say I'm not the same way. I feel like there is a hole inside me when I'm not doing something daring. Do you know what I mean?"

"Actually I do. I never thought anyone would understand that feeling, and now your asking me if I understand it."

Ace touched Ann's face, and then her neck, and pulled her close kissing her full lips. They leaned back into the blanket and let the night take them away.