Chapter 10
"Where's your mom?" Adam asked when he and Jesse arrived that evening. Janice was already there.
"You guys won't believe it," Tyler grinned. "I think you better sit down first."
"It's really something," Janice added, nodding.
"What, your mom get a boyfriend or something?" Jesse wondered.
"If you want to call her being down at Paul's watching a movie with him that, yeah."
"Are you fucking jagging us?" Adam exclaimed.
"He isn't, trust us," Janice replied. "I saw Miz Dillard heading that way right as I came over."
"I think he really likes her, guys," Tyler said. "Thing is, she's so frigging clueless to what's right in front of her."
"You can say that again," Janice sighed. "Even my own mom can see it."
"Yeah, but your mom doesn't miss much anyway," Tyler laughed.
"Isn't that the truth!"
"At least we got the big screen TV tonight," Adam said approvingly.
"Yeah, and we have Mom out of the house too," Tyler nodded. "Which reminds me, don't make too much of a mess. I don't feel like hearing her yell when she gets back here."
"What makes you think she'll be home tonight?" Jesse asked, winking.
"Very funny, dude. First, Mom isn't like that and second, Paul's ankle is wasted for awhile."
"More than one way to skin a cat," Adam added.
"Cut it out, you idiots. And if she does, that's her business. She needs to start seeing dudes again, you know? I mean, it's been six years since Dad died."
"Your mom hasn't dated for six years?" Janice asked, not believing her ears.
"You got it," Tyler said flatly.
"Damn. I thought my mom had the record when she hadn't gone out for three months. And she can be a nasty ho sometimes."
"Jan!" Tyler cried. "Your mom's really cool. She isn't a ho."
"News flash, dude; that's what you think. You don't have to hear her and some guy moaning some nights after they come in from a date."
"TMI." Jesse made a face.
"Yeah," Adam added, then turned to Tyler. "So London's got it bad for your mom, huh?"
"Looks like it, judging from the way he acts around her if someone brings up her name," Tyler nodded. "Not that I am complaining, by the way."
"I wouldn't either," Jesse said. "But wasn't he seeing some chick?"
"Dude, you read too many of those rumor sites. I haven't even seen him with a girl since Mom and I moved here," Tyler replied.
"Honestly," Janice added. "He talks to Mom all the time when he's home and she said he never mentioned anyone, at least in the last few months."
"Then again, he's a really private dude about some stuff," Tyler pointed out. "But I don't think he'd be practically making an ass of himself over Mom if there was someone."
"Yeah, nice to know not all wrestlers are pigs as men. May I also add that Paul doesn't strike me as being a man ho type," Janice said.
"Me neither," Tyler agreed. "And if I found out he was, I'd have to punch him out for leading my mother on. That shit isn't cool."
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"Wow, it's snowing like a bitch up north," Paul said when Sandy had settled down. "Maybe it's good I'm not traveling right now."
Sandy studied the TV screen, trying not to laugh. "You're watching The Weather Channel? Wow, and here I thought you were Mr. Excitement the way Tyler goes on about you."
"Only in the ring, sweetheart," he grinned back, going through a stack of movies. "I don't have any of those 'chick flicks', by the way."
"Thank God. That's more Winona's genre. Me, I tend to be a little more flexible. Just pop in what you like."
Sandy then spied a book on a corner table that read Westlake 1998. Upon further inspection, she saw it was an old yearbook.
"This yours?" she asked, picking it up.
"Uh…yeah. Don't laugh, though."
"Now why would I laugh?" Sandy asked, flipping through it before seeing a few of his photos. "You were attractive even ten years ago."
Paul gave a mock bow. "Why thank you, ma'am, though I may beg to differ."
"Oh stop being so modest," Sandy grinned at him.
"So you still have any of your yearbooks?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I never got them. I hated my pictures. I was this scrawny bird with no…well.." Sandy made a gesture toward her chest. "I was a late bloomer."
"I'm sure your late husband would have thought differently."
"I didn't meet Mike until I was eighteen and working in my dad's office. Daddy was a vet and Mike had brought his cat in for its shots. Anyway, I still have his yearbooks from Temple, though. And our wedding album, which I kept mostly for Tyler. I figured he should have something to remember his dad."
Paul patted an empty spot beside him on the sofa where he sat after putting in the movie. "Come sit by me."
Sandy felt strange sitting by a man that was all but put on a pedestal by her own son. She shook her head and smiled.
"Oh come on. I don't bite. Not yet anyway."
"I guess a few minutes would be all right," she finally agreed, sitting beside him.
"That's the spirit, sweetheart. And I promise to be a good boy," he winked.
"I think you should save the biting for your main squeeze," Sandy joked, suddenly feeling comfortable with him.
"Would be a good idea if I had one at present."
"You can't be serious. A man like you and no one in your life?"
"Just me, myself and I right now. So what about you?"
He was looking at her with those eyes, his head propped on one hand.
"What about me?" Sandy stared back at him.
"A pretty thing like you being widowed and not going out with anyone for six years?"
She laughed. "I'm not exactly overrun with invitations from men, especially with having a teenage son that scrutinizes the few that have come around. I don't go to clubs and I'm not much of a party person. I'm just good old Sandy."
Paul quirked an eyebrow, gently squeezing her hand. "Nothing wrong with good old Sandy. And those guys don't know what they're missing. Tyler's a great kid. Not many his age look out for their moms the way he does."
"Well, I'm glad someone understands. I just wish there were more people with your common sense."
They sat and watched the movie--some goofy comedy-- quietly for awhile, each lost in their own thoughts; Paul wondering what his next move should be and Sandy hoping Tyler and his friends weren't tearing the house down.