Once Jerry signed off, he met the Pussycats and their friends backstage.
"Okay, now, let's talk about this thing," Jerry said.
"Of course, of course," Alexandra said. "But let's do it at my place. It'll be more comfortable."
"If you say so," Jerry said, shrugging.
"What are you up to?" Alex asked, as he and the others started to leave the community center.
"What do you mean what am I up to?" Alexandra asked. "What makes you think I'm up to something?"
"You've got that gleam in your eye. I know when you're up to something, sister dear."
"Oh, don't be silly, Alex! I'm not up to anything!"
"And you're definitely up to something when you say that!"
Alexandra stifled the urge to clobber her brother. That was one thing she absolutely hated about having a twin. Somehow or another, Alex always knew when Alexandra was up to something. Everyone figured it was a "sibling thing."
In any case, the gang arrived at the Cabot Estate, and all Jerry could do was let out a whistle once he saw it.
"Wow!" he shouted. "Now this is what I call a pad!"
"Just a little something we like to call home," Alexandra said.
"A little?" Valerie repeated. "That's putting it mildly, Alexandra!"
"Yeah, your house practically takes up an entire block!" Josie shouted.
"Don't look now, gang," Alex said. "But I think my kooky sister is up to something."
"Anyway," Alexandra said. "Shall we adjourn to the drawing room?"
"Did she actually say adjourn to the drawing room?" Alex asked. "Oh brother, now I know she's up to something!"
Alexandra ignored Alex, and led the way to the mansion's "drawing" room. As the group sat down, who should walk down the hall and see them, but the twins' father? Alexandra saw him, and smiled sweetly.
"Hi, Daddy!" she shouted. "Guess who came to help out the band?"
"Hi, Uncle Alexander," Linda said, waving to her uncle.
"Well, for heaven's sake!" Mr. Cabot shouted, coming into the room. "Linda Stanley, is that really you?"
"Yeah," Linda said, standing up. "It's me, all right."
"Well, my goodness, would you look at you!" Mr. Cabot shouted, walking over and giving his niece a hug. "Look at you! Last time I saw you, you were still a little girl! And now, here you are, practically a woman!"
"You can say that again!" Alex shouted. "Anyway, Dad, this is official Pussycat business we're discussing so . . . ."
"Oh, Alex, don't give Daddy dear the bum's rush!" Alexandra interrupted. "He hasn't seen little Linda in at least four years! Let him have a little visit with her!"
"You've certainly grown, yes sir!" Mr. Cabot shouted, as he and Linda went to the couch in the room. "Why, I'll bet you have to beat the boys off with a stick!"
"Well, not really, Uncle Alexander," Linda said, putting her hand behind her head a little nervously. "I have a boyfriend, and most of the other guys at school know it, so . . . . ."
"Oh, a boyfriend already?" Mr. Cabot asked. "You'll have to bring him over someday, I'd like to meet him."
"Would you really, Daddy?" Alexandra asked. "Because I can arrange that right now."
Alexandra crossed the room, grabbed Jerry's hand, and pulled him to his feet. Then she smiled sweetly, and turned to her father.
"Here he is, Daddy!" she shouted. "Meet Jerry Geeter, Linda's boyfriend!"
"Really," Mr. Cabot said, eyeing Jerry. He stood up, and looked at the young disc jockey. "I must say, you look a little . . . . mature for sixteen, young man."
"Oh, uhh, I'm not sixteen, sir," Jerry said.
"Seventeen?" Mr. Cabot asked.
"No, sir," Jerry said, starting to get nervous.
"Don't tell me you're eighteen!" Mr. Cabot shouted.
"Well . . . ." Jerry said, rubbing the back of his neck, nervously.
"He's twenty-one, Daddy," Alexandra said.
"WHAT?!" Mr. Cabot shouted, causing everyone in the room to cringe. He jumped to his feet, and glared at Jerry.
"Twenty-one?!" he yelled. "Twenty-one?! And you're dating a sixteen-year-old?! And not just any sixteen-year-old. My sixteen-year-old niece!"
"Uncle Alexander, please, I can explain!" Linda shouted.
"Oh you can, can you," Mr. Cabot said. "We'll just see about this."
"Hey, Dad, where are you going?" Alex asked, as his father stormed over to the phone.
"I'm calling Linda's parents about this!" Mr. Cabot shouted, and he began dialing.
"But Uncle Alexander . . . ." Linda started.
"No buts!" Mr. Cabot shouted. "Just wait until your father hears about this, young lady!"
"What's her father going to do when he gets wind of this?" Josie asked.
"Probably hit the roof," Alex said. "Uncle Hank can be pretty easy-going, but when he gets mad . . . . . whoa boy."
"Hello, Hank," Mr. Cabot said. "This is your brother-in-law. Did you know that your daughter, your sixteen-year-old daughter, is dating a twenty-one-year-old man?!"
"There goes our keyboardist," Valerie sighed.
"Don't worry, you guys," Linda said. "Nothing's going to happen."
"What?!" Mr. Cabot shouted, like he couldn't believe it. "What do you mean you know?! She told you?! She actually told you?! You're kidding!"
There was a pause. Mr. Cabot just stood there, nodding his head, and kept saying "I see." The others stood there, waiting nervously.
"How did I find out?" Mr. Cabot asked. "No, she didn't tell me, Alexandra did. Yes, she actually introduced him to me. And you and Christine are okay with this decision of hers? Oh, I see. All right, then. Goodbye."
Mr. Cabot hung up, and turned to face the kids, feeling a little bewildered.
"Your father says he knew about this," he said to Linda.
"I tried to tell you, Uncle Alexander," Linda said, trying not to laugh. "When Jerry first asked me out, I turned him down because I didn't know what Mother and Daddy would say about it. Mother was fine with it, because she did the same thing when she was in high school. And she and I talked to Daddy about it, and he wasn't too crazy about it at first, and he wanted to meet Jerry, so I brought him home, and he and Daddy talked, and then Daddy liked him so he's okay with our relationship."
"He's not upset about the two of you dating?" Mr. Cabot said. "Isn't he concerned about this leading to . . . . to . . . ."
"The Horizontal Mambo?" Linda asked.
"Where did you hear that term?!" Mr. Cabot shouted.
"Mother," Linda said, shrugging. "She and Daddy were concerned about that at first."
"But you don't have to worry about that, Mr. Cabot," Jerry said. "Despite what you must be thinking, I can assure you I'm not that kind of guy!"
"Yeah, we've never even gotten into a heavy make-out session yet!" Linda shouted. "We haven't been playing tonsil hockey or anything like that!"
"Tonsil hockey?" Alex asked, giving his cousin a funny look. "Now there's a disturbing image. My baby cousin playing tonsil hockey. Eeeesh!"
"Well . . . . ." Mr. Cabot said. "As long as your parents are all right with this, I won't stop you, Linda."
And with that, Mr. Cabot left the room, shaking his head, and muttering about teenagers these days always wanting to jump into being adults before their time, and such. Once he left, Alexandra turned to Linda, and glared at her.
"Why didn't you tell me your mother and father were okay with you dating an older guy?!" she shouted.
"You didn't ask," Linda said, shrugging.
"Ooooohhhh!" Alexandra shouted.
"Come on, Alexandra, give up!" Josie shouted, laughing. "It's obvious nothing you try to do to get rid of Linda is going to work!"
"Yeah, sis," Alex said. "Linda's the Pussycats' new keyboardist, and she'll stay the new keyboardist. So you'd better get used to it!"
"Actually, having Jerry as part of the Pussycats' entourage might come in handy," Linda said.
"How do you figure that, Linda?" Alan asked.
"Daddy might be more willing to let us tour if we have adult supervision," Linda said. "We don't have to stick to school dances, sweet sixteen parties, and bar mitzvahs."
"Hey, groovy!" Melody shouted.
"Looks like this is going to work out great!" Valerie shouted. "What do you say to that, Alexandra?"
"I give up," Alexandra sighed. "You win, cousin. I'm out of ideas."
The others laughed, and Sebastian snickered. It looked like it was the beginning of a (somewhat) beautiful friendship.
The End