Parental Coddling
Seth pushed his father's hand away as he attempted to straighten his bowtie.
"Dad, I'm good," he said as he moved his head to prevent him from smoothing down his curls.
"You look damn good, son and Summer, well, she's hot. You two will be raising the roof." Sandy pumped his palms up toward the ceiling."
"Dad, enough with the trying to be hip. You're going to pull something and then I will have to spend this most special evening of my life at the ER. Go bother Ryan, I am sure he needs some parental coddling."
Sandy attempted to straighten a errant collar only to be swatted away. Sandy shrugged his shoulders in defeat and headed out of Seth's room to the pool house.
Ryan heard a knock and then Sandy voice, "Are you decent?"
"Yeah," Ryan answered.
Sandy opened the door and came into the pool house. "So, you about ready? You're looking good. Come here let me see that tie." Ryan crossed the room to where Sandy was standing. Sandy reached and adjusted the bowtie that really needed no adjusting. Ryan lifted his chin and allowed Sandy to adjust what he knew needed no adjusting. Sandy tugged at the sleeves of the tux jacket and shifted the cuffs of the shirt underneath.
"You're looking good, kiddo. The ladies are going to be jealous of Marissa this evening."
"Thanks, but Newport girls not so much interested in a Chino boy. Can't keep them in designer clothes and credit cards."
"You have a lot more to offer than any of those boys at Harbour. Any girl would be lucky to have you. I think Marissa knows that."
"Yeah, maybe."
"Let's go. The limo should be here by now and I know Kirsten is dying to see you guys off."
"Yeah, okay." Ryan smiled nervously.
"Don't worry it'll be fun." Sandy put his arm around Ryan's shoulders; lead him out of the pool house and into the main house. Both Ryan and Sandy stopped as a bright light flashed in their eyes.
"That's a good one." Kirsten smiled as she motions for them to follow her into the living room.
"Ryan come stand by Seth, I want a picture of the two of you together."
"Okay, now one of Ryan. …. And one of Seth. …. Sandy you get in there with them. … Sandy, take one of me with the boys."
A car horn sounded outside.
"Mom, the limo. Can we stop this relentless picture taking? I really think there is something to that "steals ones soul"."
Kirsten grinned and asked Seth, "Please, step outside and see if the limo driver will come in and take a picture of all of us together."
"Mom its not even the Prom, it's just a school dance."
Ryan opened the front door, "I'll get him." He stepped outside for a moment and then entered with the limo driver following behind. Ryan tilted his head and raised his eyebrows at Seth's exasperated look.
After the limo driver finished taking the group picture Sandy handed him a tip, "Thanks the boys will be out shortly."
"Bye," Seth tried to make a quick escape out the front door.
"Seth, back in here now," Kirsten ordered. Ryan watched in bemused silence.
Seth came back into the house under protest, "Mom, come on. Dad, don't you guys have enough pictures."
Ryan stands smirked in Seth's direction and then to Sandy and Kirsten said, "Did you get one with just the two of us. Me and Seth."
Seth cut his eyes in Ryan's direction, "Oh, I see how it is, you traitor, turncoat."
Suddenly, Ryan pulled Seth into an arm around the shoulder pose. "Shut-up and smile." Seth gritted his teeth and glared at the camera in Kirsten's hands.
Sandy and Kirsten stood in front of both boys. Sandy started the evening's instructions with, "Okay you know the drill, no drinking, and no drugs, use your brains…"
"Act like gentlemen, use manners…," Kirsten interjected.
"Yeah, okay." Ryan nodded.
"Mom, I am nothing if not a gentleman and Dad, no drinking, no drugs are you trying to spoil all of our fun." At Sandy's look, Seth's tone changed, "Nobody here drinking or doing drugs."
Ryan watched as Kirsten pulled Seth into a hug and whispered something into his ear. As she released him she kissed his cheek. When they had finished, Ryan headed toward the front door. Kirsten stopped him and pulled him into a hug and whispered into his ear, "You have a great time tonight." He felt her hand slip into his jacket pocket and she whispered, "Here's a little something to help."
"No, that's okay." Ryan shook his head and started to pull the money out of his pocket when Sandy's hand stopped him.
"It's yours, kiddo, you've earned it. Those grades were top notch," Sandy said.
Kirsten leaned back and put her finger to his lips when he started to protest. As she released him, her lips kissed his cheek.
"Thanks," he said quietly.
Ryan turned to walk out the front door and towards the limo. Seth waved the money he had received at Ryan as he got into the limo. Just as Ryan lowered himself into the car he looked back at Sandy and Kirsten. Both of them stood in the door frame smiling broadly, Sandy's arm snuggly around Kirsten's waist. Ryan smiled slightly and nodded his head even more slightly in their direction. And as he shut the car door when he was sure no one would see he brushed his fingers lightly against his cheek where Kirsten had kissed him.
Seth pushed his father's hand away as he attempted to straighten his bowtie.
"Dad, I'm good," he said as he moved his head to prevent him from smoothing down his curls.
"You look damn good, son and Summer, well, she's hot. You two will be raising the roof." Sandy pumped his palms up toward the ceiling."
"Dad, enough with the trying to be hip. You're going to pull something and then I will have to spend this most special evening of my life at the ER. Go bother Ryan, I am sure he needs some parental coddling."
Sandy attempted to straighten a errant collar only to be swatted away. Sandy shrugged his shoulders in defeat and headed out of Seth's room to the pool house.
Ryan heard a knock and then Sandy voice, "Are you decent?"
"Yeah," Ryan answered.
Sandy opened the door and came into the pool house. "So, you about ready? You're looking good. Come here let me see that tie." Ryan crossed the room to where Sandy was standing. Sandy reached and adjusted the bowtie that really needed no adjusting. Ryan lifted his chin and allowed Sandy to adjust what he knew needed no adjusting. Sandy tugged at the sleeves of the tux jacket and shifted the cuffs of the shirt underneath.
"You're looking good, kiddo. The ladies are going to be jealous of Marissa this evening."
"Thanks, but Newport girls not so much interested in a Chino boy. Can't keep them in designer clothes and credit cards."
"You have a lot more to offer than any of those boys at Harbour. Any girl would be lucky to have you. I think Marissa knows that."
"Yeah, maybe."
"Let's go. The limo should be here by now and I know Kirsten is dying to see you guys off."
"Yeah, okay." Ryan smiled nervously.
"Don't worry it'll be fun." Sandy put his arm around Ryan's shoulders; lead him out of the pool house and into the main house. Both Ryan and Sandy stopped as a bright light flashed in their eyes.
"That's a good one." Kirsten smiled as she motions for them to follow her into the living room.
"Ryan come stand by Seth, I want a picture of the two of you together."
"Okay, now one of Ryan. …. And one of Seth. …. Sandy you get in there with them. … Sandy, take one of me with the boys."
A car horn sounded outside.
"Mom, the limo. Can we stop this relentless picture taking? I really think there is something to that "steals ones soul"."
Kirsten grinned and asked Seth, "Please, step outside and see if the limo driver will come in and take a picture of all of us together."
"Mom its not even the Prom, it's just a school dance."
Ryan opened the front door, "I'll get him." He stepped outside for a moment and then entered with the limo driver following behind. Ryan tilted his head and raised his eyebrows at Seth's exasperated look.
After the limo driver finished taking the group picture Sandy handed him a tip, "Thanks the boys will be out shortly."
"Bye," Seth tried to make a quick escape out the front door.
"Seth, back in here now," Kirsten ordered. Ryan watched in bemused silence.
Seth came back into the house under protest, "Mom, come on. Dad, don't you guys have enough pictures."
Ryan stands smirked in Seth's direction and then to Sandy and Kirsten said, "Did you get one with just the two of us. Me and Seth."
Seth cut his eyes in Ryan's direction, "Oh, I see how it is, you traitor, turncoat."
Suddenly, Ryan pulled Seth into an arm around the shoulder pose. "Shut-up and smile." Seth gritted his teeth and glared at the camera in Kirsten's hands.
Sandy and Kirsten stood in front of both boys. Sandy started the evening's instructions with, "Okay you know the drill, no drinking, and no drugs, use your brains…"
"Act like gentlemen, use manners…," Kirsten interjected.
"Yeah, okay." Ryan nodded.
"Mom, I am nothing if not a gentleman and Dad, no drinking, no drugs are you trying to spoil all of our fun." At Sandy's look, Seth's tone changed, "Nobody here drinking or doing drugs."
Ryan watched as Kirsten pulled Seth into a hug and whispered something into his ear. As she released him she kissed his cheek. When they had finished, Ryan headed toward the front door. Kirsten stopped him and pulled him into a hug and whispered into his ear, "You have a great time tonight." He felt her hand slip into his jacket pocket and she whispered, "Here's a little something to help."
"No, that's okay." Ryan shook his head and started to pull the money out of his pocket when Sandy's hand stopped him.
"It's yours, kiddo, you've earned it. Those grades were top notch," Sandy said.
Kirsten leaned back and put her finger to his lips when he started to protest. As she released him, her lips kissed his cheek.
"Thanks," he said quietly.
Ryan turned to walk out the front door and towards the limo. Seth waved the money he had received at Ryan as he got into the limo. Just as Ryan lowered himself into the car he looked back at Sandy and Kirsten. Both of them stood in the door frame smiling broadly, Sandy's arm snuggly around Kirsten's waist. Ryan smiled slightly and nodded his head even more slightly in their direction. And as he shut the car door when he was sure no one would see he brushed his fingers lightly against his cheek where Kirsten had kissed him.