Can't Stand It-v64
Title: Can’t Stand It - Vignettes
Rating: NC-17 for the whole story
Genre: au
Summary: Jack drives to Wyoming when he hears about Ennis’ divorce. He does not react well to Ennis sending him away.
Warnings: Angst, bad grammar, typos.....no death and I like happily ever after.
Disclaimer: I borrowed these characters and I make no money from this.
Feedback: Yes, be honest- just be nice about it. I’m sorry that I write the lamest responses.
ENJOY!
Can’t Stand It
V64
Jack heard Bobby and Ennis whispering, but couldn’t make out the words. Right before dinner, he pulled Ennis into the laundry room. “What’s going on?”
“Bobby will tell you at dinner. Just be nice.”
“I’m always nice.”
“Just don’t be you.”
“Ennis?”
“Just let him be.”
“You have me very confused.”
Jack listened as Bobby told him that he was taking a girl, on Saturday, to the mall for dinner and a movie. He felt Ennis’ foot pressing on his to remind him to be quiet and calm. He offered to drive and Bobby replied, “Not a chance in hell.” Bobby then told him that Ennis was driving them. “He won’t embarrass me.”
“I won’t embarrass you.”
“Ennis is driving.”
“So, he’s going to sit in the parking lot all night? It’s a pain to drive there, come home and then go back.”
“It’s fine, Jack,” Ennis answered.
“We could have dinner while Bobby’s on his date.”
“You aren’t coming near me during this date.”
Jack rolled his eyes. “I didn’t mean I would go with you. I got it. I’m not going near you and your date. After he drops you off he can meet me somewhere for dinner. Then he can come back to pick you up. I will drive to the restaurant myself.”
“That would be fine, if Ennis agrees,” Bobby replied.
“If I have to.” Ennis laughed when Jack threw a potato at him.
+++
Ennis knew that Jack was a little hurt that Bobby didn’t want him to drive. But, he was also excited. When they got to their room Jack let out everything he held in.
Date night came fast. Ennis walked into the kitchen and found Jack at the kitchen table. There were two small bouquets on the table. Before he could say anything, Bobby walked in and saw the flowers.
“What’s this?”
“I picked up some flowers for you.”
“Flowers?” Bobby asked.
“One is for Joan and one is for her mother.”
“This isn’t the fifties, Dad.”
“I don’t know if this is Joan’s first date, too, but it should be memorable. You should be a gentleman.”
“Why her mother?”
“You want to be on her good side. It shows respect. They aren’t big bouquets, just some nice flowers for them to put in a vase and think nice things about you.”
Ennis looked at the clock. “We should leave.”
Jack stood up and he could see Jack had money in his hand. “I’m giving you this cash for your first date. After that, you can use your own money. Ask her what she wants, don’t assume. Open doors for her. Be a gentleman…”
Bobby interrupted. “We’ve had the talk, Dad. Many times…I’m not going to drag her to a mall bathroom to have sex, it is a movie and meal.”
“You just have to be smart.”
“Trust me. I also had Ennis, father of two daughters, give me a speech,” Bobby replied.
“Good. Have fun.”
“You, too.”
Ennis followed Bobby out of the house. When he opened the truck’s door, he found that Jack had left flowers on his seat. He moved them over and saw Bobby’s amused expression.
“Forgot you have a date, too.”
“Shut up, Bobby.”
Ennis sat in the truck while Bobby was in the house. It was light enough for him to see Joan’s mother’s face when Bobby handed her the flowers. She seemed pleased. He realized that he knew Joan’s family owned a small bakery. It wasn’t their usual place, but they made a really good coffee cake and they often picked one up.
Joan and Bobby emerged from the house. Ennis recognized Joan. She worked at the bakery. She greeted him when they got in the back seat. She had long brown hair and he thought she had a sweet face. He also noticed that she had big green eyes. As he drove them, he wondered if they had a kid would the kid have aqua colored eyes.
After he dropped them off, he met up with Jack for dinner. It was a restaurant that they sold products to so they knew they wouldn’t be bothered. Jack had made the reservations and was already there when he got there. Ennis was still not completely comfortable eating out with Jack alone, especially on a Saturday night. He just reminded himself that it wasn’t a secret so there was no point in hiding.
After dinner, he went back to the mall. He waited about twenty minutes before they appeared. He could see that they were both in a good mood. When they got back to her house, he tried to look straight ahead, but he couldn’t help watching them walk to her front door. The front porch light was on so he could see everything. He saw Bobby lean in for a kiss. It was a quick one, but a second, longer one followed. After that, Ennis stared at his shoes.
When Bobby got back into the car, he didn’t have to ask. He could see that Bobby was very happy about the night. Bobby was quiet, so he didn’t bother him.
Jack was in the kitchen when they came in. He knew that Jack was planning to play it cool. Bobby said goodnight to them and floated out of the room. Jack’s eyebrows went up and grinned.
Ennis locked up. When they got to their room, he sat on the edge of the bed and flopped backwards. “Do you kiss me the same way you kissed Lureen?”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“It’s a weird question.”
Ennis stood up and walked over to Jack. “Kiss me. Not like you are ready to have sex kiss, but I haven’t seen you all day kiss.”
“You’re getting weirder.”
“Just do it.”
Jack leaned in, kissed him and pulled back. “Well?”
Ennis felt a little ill. He sat on the bed and flopped down, again. “Did you kiss Lureen like that?”
“I have no idea. When we were first married we kissed, but it wasn’t long before it was kisses on the cheek or nothing.”
“But the way you held me? Touched me.”
“I don’t know…I rather like to forget kissing her.”
“Would Bobby have seen you kiss Lureen like that?”
“By the time Bobby was old enough to remember anything, we weren’t kissing that much.”
“Shit.”
“I’m very confused.”
Ennis raised only his head. He stared a Jack. “Well, Bobby has obviously been watching us.”
“What?”
“When he kissed Joan…He held her like you just held me.” Ennis lowered his head and closed his eyes because he couldn’t stand Jack’s amused face.
“There aren’t a lot of options in holding someone, Ennis.”
“The way he held her face in his hands…And then I saw the thumb stroke I sometimes use on you and you use on me.”
“I like that thumb stroke.”
“So did she…” He heard Jack laugh. “It’s not funny, Jack.”
“He’s been seeing us kiss for years.”
“I didn’t realize he was taking notes.”
“Ennis, it’s natural…”
“I never…Jesus.”
“Relax, Ennis.”
“Junior…Jenny…Shit.”
“I’m not getting any tonight, am I?”
“I may never have sex again.”
“He hasn’t seen that, Ennis.”
“Shut up, Jack.”
“I got you flowers and bought you dinner.”
“Shut up, Jack.” Ennis opened his eyes to see Jack was leaning over him.
“We could do it so we aren’t face to face.”
Ennis groaned. “Go away, Jack.” He put his arm back, grabbed a pillow and covered his face.
“Ennis, if you smother yourself, I’ll have to give you mouth to mouth.”
+++
Jack was a little frustrated by the time they got into bed. Ennis wouldn’t kiss him good night. “Ennis, he can’t see us.”
“Leave me alone.”
“You’re being a big baby, Ennis.”
“It bothers me.”
“I give up.” Jack turned away from Ennis and tried to sleep. He couldn’t. He could feel Ennis tossing and turning. After several hours, Ennis curled up behind him. “Go to your own side, Ennis.”
“I’m sorry, Jack.”
“It was funny at first, but now I’m mad.”
“Why are you mad?”
“You act like we are doing a terrible thing, Ennis. He sees us kiss. I don’t know if he copies our moves or you’re just paranoid, but get over it. If he is, he noticed that we like those touches and he tested it out. It wasn’t his first kiss, Ennis. Maybe it was someone else who taught him.”
“It was us.”
“So he learned to kiss. So what. He learned to hate by watching LD. I think kissing is better than hating.”
“I know. It’s just…”
“Are you going to stop kissing me now?”
“No…Well, maybe no kissing tonight.”
“Then go sleep on your side.”
+++
Ennis found the bed empty. When he got downstairs, he found Jack and Bobby at the kitchen table. Bobby told him there were pancakes, in the oven, for him. He leaned in and kissed Bobby’s forehead. He then leaned over and kissed Jack. As he pulled away, he was still stroking Jack’s face with his thumb. He realized he hadn’t thought about kissing Jack, it had been second nature. He quietly said, “Sorry,” and leaned in for a second kiss. When he pulled back, he could see he was forgiven. He glanced over at Bobby. Bobby wasn’t paying attention to them because he was reading the comics. He glanced back at Jack who now giving him a look that told him that he would walking funny on Monday.
++++
Jack was happy that Bobby seemed a lot happier with a girlfriend. He overheard Matt making fun of Bobby walking down the school hallways holding Joan’s hand. He almost laughed out loud when he heard Matt tell Bobby that Gloria was going to be pissed at him for cheating on her. Jack was also happy that he was going to be the driver for the second date. Ennis was going up to Wyoming and Bobby had no choice. Jack swore on Sweetie that he would behave.
He worried about Ennis and his trip. The good thing, he wasn’t going alone. It was Junior’s prom and Ricky was going to be her date. He knew that Junior and Ricky were still flirty with each other but were not a couple. Ricky had found out from Amanda that no one would ask Junior to the prom and she didn’t want to go alone. Ricky went to Sam and asked if he could go up to Wyoming and then they asked Ennis. When Ennis said yes, Ricky called Junior who said yes.
Sam, Ricky and Ennis were flying up Friday and the prom was Saturday. Sam got a hotel room for him and Ricky; he didn’t want to give Junior a bad reputation by staying at the house.
Jack and Ennis had dinner out with Sam and Brenda on Wednesday. Jack knew that Ennis hadn’t recovered yet. The conversation started off about Bobby dating and Matt not dating. Sam thought it was because that even though Matt was getting taller and bigger, he still looked like a boy. He knew that Matt was annoyed because at sixteen, Ricky was very big. Matt often yelled at Brenda, telling her that he better not have gotten her lack of height genes.
Then the conversation moved onto proms and sex. Brenda asked Ennis if he had had the sex talk with Junior. She reminded him that it was May and in a few months she would be going off to college. Jack knew that Alma had some kind of talk with Junior, but probably not the heart to hearts Sam and Brenda had with their kids or like the ones he had with Bobby. He had tried to push Ennis to have the talk with Junior, but as usual, Ennis was stubborn.
Brenda admitted to losing her virginity after the prom. Jack knew that Katie had lost it while in high school, but he didn’t know about Amanda. He wasn’t sure how to ask, but he knew Junior and Amanda were very close. He asked anyway.
Sam answered. “No. She was a virgin until college.”
“You know this? She told you?” Ennis asked.
“Amanda tells me almost everything. Whether I want to know it, or not. She told me that if I want to know her, then I have to know the whole her. I also think she doesn’t trust that many people and she trusts me.”
“Does she tell you?” Jack asked Brenda.
“Most things. I think I hear it after Sam. She’s a Daddy’s girl. Always has been,” Brenda answered.
“What about Katie?”
Sam laughed. “For about a year, when she was mad at Brenda, she told me stuff. Now, thank god, she’s back to telling Brenda everything.”
“So Amanda waited?” Ennis asked.
Jack thought Ennis sounded surprised. Amanda, even though she was a tough cookie, was asked out a lot. He knew that she dated a few of the younger hands at EJ’s.
Sam answered. “She said she didn’t want to pee where she drank. She knows how she looks and she didn’t want a reputation. She met a boy at MIT. They fell for each other; at least she thought so. She dated him for months and then she slept with him before spring break. He dumped her two days later. She was heartbroken. That’s why she didn’t go home for spring break and went to Florida. I went down there for a few days. She was a mess. Because of the issues she has with having a body like, well, Bette Boop, she was never trusting of men. Also, some of the horrible things men said and tried to do to her…” Sam sighed and continued. “She really liked this guy and couldn’t believe that he would date her for months just to get into her pants. It’s not like there are that many women at MIT. She told me that if she had to do it over again, she would have lost it with her last boyfriend in Kansas. She didn’t love him, but he was kind and made her feel good. It would have been a good memory. This asshat ruined it for her.”
“You think she told Junior?” Ennis asked.
“They tell each other everything, Ennis. She’s the one who called Ricky about the prom.”
“You think that Ricky is going up to sleep with her?”
“No. We had a long talk, Ennis. Long talk. He isn’t going up there to have sex. He really loves her, Ennis. It’s kinda sad because he knows that she doesn’t feel the same way. She loves him, but it isn’t a romantic love. If she makes a move, I don’t think he would say no. But, he won’t make a move. He’s also sure you will kill him if you find out.”
“You think that she’s going to make the first move?”
“I think she has had a tough year since everyone found out about you. I think the boys up there have been unkind and I know she trusts Ricky. He would never hurt her. I think she is looking for comfort and affection.”
“You’ve been thinking about this a lot.”
“Ennis, I’m telling you, it was a very long talk with Ricky. Amanda isn’t the only one who tells me more than I want to know.”
“Is it worth it, Sam? I mean knowing everything? Do you tell them things?” Ennis asked.
“I rather be uncomfortable for a little while and have an open relationship with them. No, I don’t tell them about my sex life with Brenda. I mentioned other relationships, but I skip details. Ennis, I have the same relationship with my Dad. He doesn’t tell me everything, but I told him a lot. I just assumed he told my mom or she figured stuff out.”
Ennis hadn’t wanted to talk to him when they got home on Wednesday, but while Ennis was packing he noticed that there was a small paper bag next to the luggage and he could see there was a box of condoms peeking out of it. He knew Ennis saw that he saw them.
+++
Ennis thought a lot of what Sam had said. He knew that Junior was the one who researched gay sex when she found out about him. He remembered hearing that conversation over the baby monitor. He knew Jack was very honest with Bobby, but didn’t offer a lot of details about their relationship. He wanted to be the one that Junior could go to. It scared him shitless. He also knew that everything Sam had said about Junior was true and he knew that Ricky would never say no.
On Thursday, he drove an hour away from home and bought the condoms. If she was going to have sex, he wanted her to be smart. He knew Junior was smart, but he wasn’t going to take any chances. He was having a hard time putting them in the suitcase. He noticed Jack noticing them.
“She’s 18 and I can’t stop her if she wants to sleep with Ricky, but I can tell her to be smart about it.”
“Are you going to throw them at her or your going to have the talk?”
“The talk,” Ennis sighed. He let Jack hug him. “This is going to be hard for me.”
“I know. You see little girl Junior, not the woman she is becoming.”
“Why can’t she stay little?”
“It doesn’t work that way? You want to talk to Bobby for practice. It starts off okay, he really isn’t asking about sex and girls, at the moment. It’s more about getting her to do more.”
“That’s okay.”
“I should warn you, it always leads to me having sex with you.”
“He asks about us?”
“Yeah. I told him that I’m not comfortable sharing that with him. I don’t share what I did with his mother, I’m not sharing what I do with you.”
“But he wants to know?”
“It’s unknown to him. I know he has gotten some details from Jimmy.”
“Jimmy has a boyfriend?”
“Jimmy has a friend who is gay, hiding and is older than him. The boy tells him things. Jimmy has told Bobby some things. Bobby has told me these things. They are pretty accurate. I don’t deny Bobby the facts, I just don’t apply it to us.”
“So he really knows what we do?”
“He knows.”
“Why didn’t you tell me, Jack?”
“Wasn’t it just a few days ago you were flipping out about the way he kissed Joan? This isn’t an easy conversation to have with you. You just have to be ready for Junior. It’s hard, Ennis. I think it’s a little harder for us because we don’t sleep with women, anymore, so the conversation is not the norm. Bobby asks what girls like and at least I know from my past. If Junior asks about boys, well, it’s going to hit a little too close to home for you.”
“I don’t know if I can do this.”
“Ennis, you never thought you could go to Riverton again, but you have. You’ve even gone up alone a few times.”
“You never mention it, but I know you noticed that I only fly up there when it’s just me. You don’t ask why.”
“I just assumed you didn’t want to be driving around there alone.”
“God do I hate how you know me.”
Jack chuckled, “No, you don’t.”
“When I come back, you need to tell me everything you talked about with Bobby.”
“I promise.”
+++
Jack dropped Sam, Ricky and Ennis at the airport and then met Brenda for the last game baseball of the season. The team had a better record then the year before, but they didn’t make it to the playoffs. Bobby was asked to be on the all-state team again, but he wasn’t sure if Bobby was going to say yes. They would have to make the decision soon; the competition was in two weeks. The good part was that Bobby was much bigger and much better and knew what he was walking into. Also, the head couch was not the same jerk as last year. The bad part was that the information would probably be more widespread and Bobby didn’t want him and Ennis to be hurt if it was covered in the news. Jack was happy when Ennis told him that since it was known in Riverton, he didn’t care if the President made a nighttime speech about it. Jack knew it wasn’t true, he didn’t think Bobby thought it was true either, but they both appreciated Ennis’ statement.
The game was a great game. Matt had been improving and often started at second or shortstop. He wasn’t a powerhouse like Bobby, but he was very good in the field. He also got a chance to watch Joan cheer for Bobby. It made him happy that Bobby had a girlfriend to cheer him on. He knew for all the anti normal talk Bobby said to Ennis, it made Bobby very happy to have this normal relationship with Joan. Jack also noticed a girl who was cheering Matt. He pointed her out to Brenda, who took a picture of the girl.
+++
Ennis was sitting across from Junior but couldn’t speak. After they all arrived, Monroe dropped Sam and Ricky off at a car rental place. They waited to see what Sam had waiting for them. He knew Sam wanted something that would make a statement when Ricky drove Junior to the prom. He laughed when he saw a red convertible sports car appear. Sam told them that the rental place had to get it from another branch because no one ever requested something like it. Sam also whispered that there was barely a back seat so they couldn’t do anything back there. He appreciated that.
Sam and Ricky followed Monroe to the motel. Sam recognized the area so he thought he could drive to Alma’s after getting settled. Monroe drove Ennis to the house. There were lots of hugs and kisses and he got settled. Sam and Ricky arrived and they had dinner. After they left, Ennis asked Junior to come to his room so they could talk.
Ennis took a deep breath. “Tomorrow’s a big night for you.”
Junior smiled at him, “Hopefully. I think people will behave because Ricky is really big.”
“I’m sure no one will want to ruin the fun.”
“Daddy, I can tell that you are trying to say something. You can just say it.”
“I know what can happen on prom night.”
“Oh.”
“I don’t know what to say or if you want to have this conversation, but I just want you to be prepared.” He pulled out the bag and took out the condoms. “I don’t know what you have done or haven’t done. I don’t know what you have planned, but I know you aren’t a little girl anymore and I can’t treat you like one. I’m not saying I want you to have sex any time soon, but you are going to college in a few months. These are good for another year and I wouldn’t be heartbroken if you never needed them, but that’s unrealistic. I’m never supplying these again. If you are ready to have sex, then you better be able to go buy them yourself.” He stopped talking and waited for Junior to say something. She was quiet, but didn’t look uncomfortable. “Junior, I want you to be able to say anything to me. You can always trust me, I will never judge you and always love you.”
Junior got up and sat on his lap and hugged him. “Thank you, Daddy.”
“Do you want talk about anything?”
“Not really, but I appreciate what you are saying to me. I don’t know if I’m ready for a conversation with you, yet, but I like that I can go to you.”
“You can.”
“Um, Daddy…”
Ennis started to get worried. “Yes?”
“You may want to have a conversation with Jenny.”
“What?”
“She isn’t doing anything, but some of the kids at the music camp are a little more open to things. I think she is going to be more open to things than I am. She isn’t shy, like am. She’s prettier than I am.”
“You’re beautiful, Junior.”
“I’m okay, but Jenny is going to be a real looker when she grows up. I have a better body then she does, which pisses her off. Hopefully, she doesn’t surpass me there.” Junior laughed, “That was a little mean. I mean most of the boys at camp are gay, but they aren’t all gay. I just think she may be ready earlier than me.”
“Has she said anything to you?”
“I’m not going to tell her secrets, but she doesn’t have any yet. You need talk to her. She’s not going to do anything with guys up here. You don’t have to worry about that…Is this why we are having this talk, Daddy? Ricky?”
“I got brave enough to have this talk.”
“Do you like Ricky?”
“The real question is do you like Ricky?”
“I do.”
“Do you love him?”
“Not in a romantic way.”
Ennis thought of what Amanda said to Sam. “Does he make you feel special?”
“He makes me wish I loved him like you love Jack and how Jack loves you. Or, Brenda and Sam. I know mom loves Monroe and he loves her, but they don’t seem to have the passion that you and Jack have or Sam and Brenda have. Maybe they just hide it from us, but I don’t think so. I want that passion. I don’t think most get that. Maybe for a short while when it’s new, but I think it goes away most of the time. I want to be like David and Anna someday. They’ve been together forever and they still sparkle around each other. I know I sound silly, but when you see that, you want it.”
“It’s not silly.”
“I’m happy you have that, Daddy. As I get older, I see how important to have someone who loves you like that and to love them back like that.”
“But you don’t feel like that with Ricky.”
“Wish I did. I adore him, he’s always going to be someone I adore and treasure, but I don’t think he is mister long term. I’m only 18, I doubt I’m going to meet Mr. Right in the near future.”
They talked a little longer and then Junior left, she wanted to get a lot of sleep. When he was alone, he collapsed onto the bed. He didn’t get a lot of details, but he had a feeling that Junior was planning to sleep with Ricky. Ricky wasn’t Mr. Right, but he was Mr. Right Now.
++++
Junior walked into the house and found her father lying on the couch waiting for her. She took a deep breath and said, “Morning, Daddy.”
When Junior left the house she felt like a princess and an Army general. She had planned out the night like a military action. She knew her dress was a doozy. She had bought it when she was in Kansas. Brenda had taken her to Kansas City to buy a dress that wouldn’t be sold in Wyoming. The dress was a fortune, but she proudly spent her own money. When she bought it, she wasn’t sure she was going to have the opportunity to wear it. Amanda had told her to splurge because if she didn’t get any offers, she would talk to Ricky. Junior actually wanted Ricky to ask her because he would be a wonderful addition to her plan.
The dress was classic and timeless. She didn’t want to wear some tacky dress that she would make fun of herself later. The dress was a perfect color for her and the fit showed off her great figure. In the fitting room, Brenda showed her how to put up her hair. She knew the pearls that the Petersons had given her would be the perfect addition. Brenda spotted a beautiful hairclip and she also found a pair of shoes that matched the outfit.
When she had gotten back to the house, from the shopping spree, they made her try it on for them. She put up her hair and when she came downstairs everyone said she looked great. She thought her father looked a little green. After she changed back, she couldn’t find her father. Jack told her that Ennis had ‘taken to his bed.’ When she heard that, she knew she found the perfect dress.
When she got ready for Ricky, she let her mother fuss over her. Jenny was very helpful, too. Jenny knew how to do makeup better than anyone thanks to the music camp. She laughed in her head when Ricky stumbled over his words when he gave her a corsage. She checked out Ricky and he was everything she wanted. He was wearing a classic tux and she knew he had to buy it because with his build, renting would be impossible. She thought the two of them looked like they should be going to a royal ball and not a prom. She knew that lots of girls would be thinking the same thing about themselves, until they saw them.
They smiled for lots of pictures and then they drove off. She knew she wasn’t being the nicest person about everything, but Ricky had told her to use him any way she wanted. She planned to. She knew that lots of her classmates thought that she had just made up Ricky and wasn’t going to show up. She thought it was stupid because why would she lie.
When they parked, she waited for Ricky to open the door for her. There were some other couples in the parking lot. Unlike the movies, there were no limos. Some of the richer kids had their parents’ caddies. She could see that she and Ricky were getting the reactions she wanted.
The prom was at a large hall. She found her friends who had gotten the table. She was grateful that she had them. She had been afraid that she and Ricky might be sitting alone. The table wouldn’t be full, but the four couples made it look full enough. She knew she was getting a lot of looks. She knew some of the richest girls were going to come in nice dresses, but they were Wyoming nice, not like hers. Her dress came from Paris.
She also knew they were all looking at Ricky, too. Ricky wasn’t the best looking guy in the room or the tallest, but he made the other guys look like boys dressing up in their fathers’ suits. She thought that Ricky looked like James Bond and Cary Grant. He pulled her onto the dance floor and she knew he could out dance them all. She knew that she wasn’t as good as him, but she held her own. She thought of all the times she danced with Ricky on trips or at their houses. She thought of the hours she practiced with Jenny. She knew that she would look good with him.
She wondered if she was making up stuff in her head and she just looked like a silly girl who thought she was a bigger deal than she was, but then her friends pulled her to the bathroom and made her feel like she was on target. Some of the girls who weren’t her friends even told her they loved her dress.
When the party was over, part two was about to start. There was a town lake where the seniors would go for a midnight swim. Junior was happy that it was a decent night. She had heard about snowy swims. When they got to the lake, they took out a blanket and towels that she put in the trunk. After they put the blanket down, she took a small bag that had her swimwear and she went off to change. Ricky was wearing his swimsuit as underwear so he didn’t have to change.
Junior went with her friends to where the girls were changing. They took turns protecting each other as they changed. Junior had a bikini she bought with Amanda. She knew she could never wear it around her parents, but this was part of her revenge. It showed off every curve without showing off too much. She then put on a matching wrap. She put her dress into the bag and headed to the car. She dropped off her shoes and her dress and took off her pearls.
Ricky stripped down to his suit and Junior was thrilled at the reaction of the other kids. The tux had shown he was in good shape, but it hid his muscles. He looked like a Greek statue and a superhero. A lot of the boys were fit but they didn’t have the definition that he had. He also had strong legs. A lot of the guys had strong arms, but they didn’t have the legs. They were thick and solid muscle. On a few occasions, she saw her father looking at Jack’s powerful legs. She guessed she was a legman like her father.
When they got to the blanket, she dropped the wrap. She knew that Ricky had seen her in swimsuits, but nothing like she was wearing. He could see that he enjoyed the view. She also saw a few girls smack their boyfriends.
They didn’t last long in the water, because it was freezing. As they got out, Ricky ran ahead and got their towels. He ran back to her and wrapped her in the towel to warm her up. He then dried himself off. When they got back to the blanket, he sat behind her and she leaned against him and watched the other people. They talked for a while and then she suggested that they go someplace else.
She had a second dress, a regular dress, to change into because she didn’t want to ruin her prom dress. Ricky had forgotten underwear, so he joked he would go commando. It took her a few moments to figure out what he meant. When she went to go change, she wondered if she could really follow through with her plans. She looked in her bag and saw the condoms. They weren’t the ones her father gave them; she would never use those. She planned to save them forever. The ones she had in her bag were the ones she stole from Monroe’s store. She felt bad, but it wasn’t like she could buy them there.
She directed Ricky to a hidden treasure that she had found when riding with her father and Jenny. She had Ricky drive as far as they could and then they walked the rest of the way. She was happy that she remembered her sneakers. There was a clearing and then a cliff. She knew it would give them a great view of the sunrise. They were both carrying bags. Ricky’s bag had snacks for them. Junior pulled out two sleeping bags that had been zippered together. Jenny had put it in the car for her when everyone was taking pictures. She didn’t think Ricky looked surprised when she pulled out the sleeping bags. She wondered if he had guessed. He knew about Amanda’s failed romance and her wish to go back and lose her virginity with someone else. She didn’t want Ricky to feel used or think that it was going to lead to something else.
She told him what she wanted.
He looked at her. “Are you sure? You can’t take it back once we do it.”
“I will never regret that I chose you, Ricky. I want to remember this night and you forever. Can you handle that when the night is over we go back to whatever we are? This won’t happen again. God, I feel like a jerk, Ricky. I don’t want to use you and it sounds like I am. I just trust you and I know you will make it special. I know I’m not your first, but I want it to be special for you, too.”
Ricky walked close to her, “Every moment with you is special.”
“I don’t want you to walk away from this hurt or mad.”
“Junior, I’m a guy.”
“You have feelings. You aren’t just a guy to me.”
“I know you will probably never feel the way about me that I feel about you…I wish you would. But, you want to give me something that is important to you, something you can’t give again. I know you know about Amanda, are you sure you don’t want to wait for the right guy?”
“You are the right guy.”
+++
Ennis hadn’t slept much and finally went upstairs to wait for Junior. He wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do, but he wanted to see her. One look at her, he knew that she slept with Ricky. She was put together so that didn’t give it away, but it was the look in her eyes. It told him that a lot of secrets were revealed to her.
She sat away from him and he wondered if she was afraid he would smell Ricky on her. She told him about the prom and then the lake. “I think he kind of looked like Tarzan at the lake…He’s so big and strong.”
Ennis held his breath. All he could think of his love for Tarzan and wondered if his daughter had the same taste in men as he did. Except for being well built, Ricky didn’t look like Jack at all. He kept quiet and let her continue.
“He wasn’t the best looking boy there, but he looked like a movie star.”
“You don’t think he’s good looking?”
“I think he’s pretty good, but he isn’t gorgeous. You know who will be gorgeous when he finishes growing?”
“Who?”
“Bobby.”
“Bobby?”
“Yeah. Jack is a good looking man, but if Bobby keeps maturing like he is, he will be stunning.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“No. A lot of really cute boys lose their cuteness as they get older, but Bobby hasn’t. His features are getting better. He’s more man than boy at this point and he’s only sixteen. He kinda reminds me of they guy from the Rockford Files. I watched a movie with him in it, he was a lot younger and he was stunning. Bobby has that look. I’m strong and male and sensitive, too. Ricky had that, but he doesn’t have that classic good look.”
Ennis held his tongue again. He couldn’t believe that Junior mentioned the only other man that he ever daydreamed about. He didn’t know how she was able to mention Tarzan and James Garner in the same conversation. He wondered what Junior thought of his silence. “Did you have fun?”
“It was better than what I dreamed of.”
“That’s nice. Where did you go after the lake?”
“We went to that ridge to watch the sunrise.”
He knew where she was talking about. He also knew that Junior had planned everything out. His suspicions were confirmed. He could tell that Junior was reading his thoughts.
“Ricky is a good man, Daddy. You know that.”
“I know that.”
“You aren’t going to throw him out of the plane?”
“No.”
“I can read your face, Daddy. I’m ready to have this conversation with you. I don’t know if this will make you feel better, but everything was my choice. He was a gentleman. I was right about my choice, I won’t ever regret it. I promise you that.”
He wondered if she knew that he knew about Amanda. He didn’t think so. He wasn’t happy with what she did, but he could see that she felt like she made the right decision. “I love you no matter what, Junior.”
“I know, Daddy. And, I know this conversation is probably killing you at the moment…But I don’t think I could have this conversation with mom. I appreciate what you said to me Friday night and I appreciate that you are having this conversation with me and not driving to the motel to hurt Ricky.” She laughed, “Ricky thinks you are going to kick his ass. I told him that you wouldn’t. I know you probably want to. He knows that we talked. I bet he is talking to Sam right now.”
“He knows what I said to you?”
“I love him, Daddy. I’m just not in love with him. He knows that. I don’t hide things from him. Maybe because he knew so many of my secrets, I just trust him. I know some of his, some that even Sam and Amanda don’t know. He made something that should be special, very special. I know we’ve all had a tough year, but Daddy he made me feel whole. He made me feel loved and protected in a way that I never felt before. It wasn’t like a passionate love scene in a movie, but to me, it was magical. If it makes you feel any better, it showed me that it is something precious and should be wasted on someone who isn’t worthy of it.”
Somehow, that made him feel better. He tried to look at her with new eyes. He helped create a strong young woman who knew who she was. It took him into his late thirties to know who he was, so if she had this strength at eighteen, he knew she would be okay. “I’m not going to throw a party for you, but if you are happy then I am happy for you.”
“Thank you, Daddy. Just don’t tell mom.”
“That’s your decision, I won’t say a word.”
“Thanks. I’m going to take a shower and get some sleep. I want to be awake before you leave.” She got up. “You should call Jack. It looks like you need to let some stuff out.”
“You don’t care if I talk to Jack?”
“Jack would never judge me and I know he holds all your secrets. Night.”
Ennis watched her walk upstairs and then he went to the basement and walked by his room and into Monroe’s office and shut the door.
++++
Jack tried to be a good chauffer for Bobby. He stayed quiet and drove them to the mall. He then met up with Brenda for dinner. They both wondered what was going on in Wyoming. When Bobby got out of the car to walk Joan to her door, Jack tried not to watch. But, he couldn’t help himself. He knew Ennis was right; Bobby was copying their moves. He actually saw a lot of Ennis’ moves and thought it was funny because Ennis saw mostly his moves. He also saw a little of Brenda and Sam.
When Bobby got back into the car, he spoke. “Don’t say anything.”
“I just wanted to know if you had a good time.”
“It was nice.”
“Good.”
“That’s it?”
“I just want you to be happy, Bobby. You deserve to be happy. I don’t want to take any of that away from you. If you want to talk, we’ll talk, but you want me to be quiet, so I will.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome, Pup.”
Jack wasn’t surprised at Ennis calling him when Junior got home. He stayed quiet as Ennis let it all out. He kept quiet when Ennis went off on a tangent about James Garner and Tarzan. He tried to make Ennis feel better that Junior felt she could be honest with him.
“Jack, I have to be honest. I think I rather be the father who is clueless.”
“No, you don’t. We lived with so many secrets, Ennis. I think it’s great that Junior doesn’t have to deal with that.”
“It’s not normal.”
“How the hell do we know, Ennis? Brenda and Sam…”
“They aren’t the best examples of normal.”
“No, but they have four kids who love them like crazy and trust them. I am a very happy man that we have that with our three kids. It may be hard for us at times, but I think it is better for them. I want them to know that no matter what, they can always come to us.”
“I know you are right. How am I going to face Ricky tomorrow? I really do want to throw him out of the plane.”
“He didn’t take advantage of her, if anything, she took advantage of his feelings.”
“I know. I wonder what Sam’s dealing with.”
“I’m sure we will find out eventually, he’s a talker.”
“I know. So how was Bobby’s second date? Did you behave?”
“Yes. He even said I could drive him again.”
“Did you see him kiss her?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“You want details?”
“Yes.”
“You haven’t had enough?”
“Spill it, Jack.”
“I saw my moves, your moves and Sam’s moves.”
“Sam’s?”
“I guess Bobby has been taking lots of notes.”
“I think this is the weirdest morning of my life.”
“I wish I was there to help you.”
“You are helping.”
+++
Sam and Ricky arrived for lunch. After lunch, they would drop off the car and Monroe would take them all to the airport. He thought both Ricky and Sam looked tired. Ricky couldn’t look him in the eyes. When Junior came downstairs, he saw the way Ricky lit up. He saw Sam rub Ricky’s back. She smiled at Ricky, but he could see the differences in the way they felt about each other. He almost felt bad for Ricky.
When they were about to leave, he noticed that Junior pulled Ricky out of the room. He wondered what their conversation was. He looked over at Sam, who seemed quiet and maybe a little sad. He wondered if he resented the way Junior treated Ricky. He knew he hurt when his kids hurt, so he didn’t think Sam would be any different.
The plane rides were quiet; they were all tired. Brenda picked them up and dropped him off. It was late and Bobby greeted him and went to bed. He let Jack hug him for a long time.
tbc
Playstation2 Game Rental Online
Rating: NC-17 for the whole story
Genre: au
Summary: Jack drives to Wyoming when he hears about Ennis’ divorce. He does not react well to Ennis sending him away.
Warnings: Angst, bad grammar, typos.....no death and I like happily ever after.
Disclaimer: I borrowed these characters and I make no money from this.
Feedback: Yes, be honest- just be nice about it. I’m sorry that I write the lamest responses.
ENJOY!
Can’t Stand It
V64
Jack heard Bobby and Ennis whispering, but couldn’t make out the words. Right before dinner, he pulled Ennis into the laundry room. “What’s going on?”
“Bobby will tell you at dinner. Just be nice.”
“I’m always nice.”
“Just don’t be you.”
“Ennis?”
“Just let him be.”
“You have me very confused.”
Jack listened as Bobby told him that he was taking a girl, on Saturday, to the mall for dinner and a movie. He felt Ennis’ foot pressing on his to remind him to be quiet and calm. He offered to drive and Bobby replied, “Not a chance in hell.” Bobby then told him that Ennis was driving them. “He won’t embarrass me.”
“I won’t embarrass you.”
“Ennis is driving.”
“So, he’s going to sit in the parking lot all night? It’s a pain to drive there, come home and then go back.”
“It’s fine, Jack,” Ennis answered.
“We could have dinner while Bobby’s on his date.”
“You aren’t coming near me during this date.”
Jack rolled his eyes. “I didn’t mean I would go with you. I got it. I’m not going near you and your date. After he drops you off he can meet me somewhere for dinner. Then he can come back to pick you up. I will drive to the restaurant myself.”
“That would be fine, if Ennis agrees,” Bobby replied.
“If I have to.” Ennis laughed when Jack threw a potato at him.
+++
Ennis knew that Jack was a little hurt that Bobby didn’t want him to drive. But, he was also excited. When they got to their room Jack let out everything he held in.
Date night came fast. Ennis walked into the kitchen and found Jack at the kitchen table. There were two small bouquets on the table. Before he could say anything, Bobby walked in and saw the flowers.
“What’s this?”
“I picked up some flowers for you.”
“Flowers?” Bobby asked.
“One is for Joan and one is for her mother.”
“This isn’t the fifties, Dad.”
“I don’t know if this is Joan’s first date, too, but it should be memorable. You should be a gentleman.”
“Why her mother?”
“You want to be on her good side. It shows respect. They aren’t big bouquets, just some nice flowers for them to put in a vase and think nice things about you.”
Ennis looked at the clock. “We should leave.”
Jack stood up and he could see Jack had money in his hand. “I’m giving you this cash for your first date. After that, you can use your own money. Ask her what she wants, don’t assume. Open doors for her. Be a gentleman…”
Bobby interrupted. “We’ve had the talk, Dad. Many times…I’m not going to drag her to a mall bathroom to have sex, it is a movie and meal.”
“You just have to be smart.”
“Trust me. I also had Ennis, father of two daughters, give me a speech,” Bobby replied.
“Good. Have fun.”
“You, too.”
Ennis followed Bobby out of the house. When he opened the truck’s door, he found that Jack had left flowers on his seat. He moved them over and saw Bobby’s amused expression.
“Forgot you have a date, too.”
“Shut up, Bobby.”
Ennis sat in the truck while Bobby was in the house. It was light enough for him to see Joan’s mother’s face when Bobby handed her the flowers. She seemed pleased. He realized that he knew Joan’s family owned a small bakery. It wasn’t their usual place, but they made a really good coffee cake and they often picked one up.
Joan and Bobby emerged from the house. Ennis recognized Joan. She worked at the bakery. She greeted him when they got in the back seat. She had long brown hair and he thought she had a sweet face. He also noticed that she had big green eyes. As he drove them, he wondered if they had a kid would the kid have aqua colored eyes.
After he dropped them off, he met up with Jack for dinner. It was a restaurant that they sold products to so they knew they wouldn’t be bothered. Jack had made the reservations and was already there when he got there. Ennis was still not completely comfortable eating out with Jack alone, especially on a Saturday night. He just reminded himself that it wasn’t a secret so there was no point in hiding.
After dinner, he went back to the mall. He waited about twenty minutes before they appeared. He could see that they were both in a good mood. When they got back to her house, he tried to look straight ahead, but he couldn’t help watching them walk to her front door. The front porch light was on so he could see everything. He saw Bobby lean in for a kiss. It was a quick one, but a second, longer one followed. After that, Ennis stared at his shoes.
When Bobby got back into the car, he didn’t have to ask. He could see that Bobby was very happy about the night. Bobby was quiet, so he didn’t bother him.
Jack was in the kitchen when they came in. He knew that Jack was planning to play it cool. Bobby said goodnight to them and floated out of the room. Jack’s eyebrows went up and grinned.
Ennis locked up. When they got to their room, he sat on the edge of the bed and flopped backwards. “Do you kiss me the same way you kissed Lureen?”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“It’s a weird question.”
Ennis stood up and walked over to Jack. “Kiss me. Not like you are ready to have sex kiss, but I haven’t seen you all day kiss.”
“You’re getting weirder.”
“Just do it.”
Jack leaned in, kissed him and pulled back. “Well?”
Ennis felt a little ill. He sat on the bed and flopped down, again. “Did you kiss Lureen like that?”
“I have no idea. When we were first married we kissed, but it wasn’t long before it was kisses on the cheek or nothing.”
“But the way you held me? Touched me.”
“I don’t know…I rather like to forget kissing her.”
“Would Bobby have seen you kiss Lureen like that?”
“By the time Bobby was old enough to remember anything, we weren’t kissing that much.”
“Shit.”
“I’m very confused.”
Ennis raised only his head. He stared a Jack. “Well, Bobby has obviously been watching us.”
“What?”
“When he kissed Joan…He held her like you just held me.” Ennis lowered his head and closed his eyes because he couldn’t stand Jack’s amused face.
“There aren’t a lot of options in holding someone, Ennis.”
“The way he held her face in his hands…And then I saw the thumb stroke I sometimes use on you and you use on me.”
“I like that thumb stroke.”
“So did she…” He heard Jack laugh. “It’s not funny, Jack.”
“He’s been seeing us kiss for years.”
“I didn’t realize he was taking notes.”
“Ennis, it’s natural…”
“I never…Jesus.”
“Relax, Ennis.”
“Junior…Jenny…Shit.”
“I’m not getting any tonight, am I?”
“I may never have sex again.”
“He hasn’t seen that, Ennis.”
“Shut up, Jack.”
“I got you flowers and bought you dinner.”
“Shut up, Jack.” Ennis opened his eyes to see Jack was leaning over him.
“We could do it so we aren’t face to face.”
Ennis groaned. “Go away, Jack.” He put his arm back, grabbed a pillow and covered his face.
“Ennis, if you smother yourself, I’ll have to give you mouth to mouth.”
+++
Jack was a little frustrated by the time they got into bed. Ennis wouldn’t kiss him good night. “Ennis, he can’t see us.”
“Leave me alone.”
“You’re being a big baby, Ennis.”
“It bothers me.”
“I give up.” Jack turned away from Ennis and tried to sleep. He couldn’t. He could feel Ennis tossing and turning. After several hours, Ennis curled up behind him. “Go to your own side, Ennis.”
“I’m sorry, Jack.”
“It was funny at first, but now I’m mad.”
“Why are you mad?”
“You act like we are doing a terrible thing, Ennis. He sees us kiss. I don’t know if he copies our moves or you’re just paranoid, but get over it. If he is, he noticed that we like those touches and he tested it out. It wasn’t his first kiss, Ennis. Maybe it was someone else who taught him.”
“It was us.”
“So he learned to kiss. So what. He learned to hate by watching LD. I think kissing is better than hating.”
“I know. It’s just…”
“Are you going to stop kissing me now?”
“No…Well, maybe no kissing tonight.”
“Then go sleep on your side.”
+++
Ennis found the bed empty. When he got downstairs, he found Jack and Bobby at the kitchen table. Bobby told him there were pancakes, in the oven, for him. He leaned in and kissed Bobby’s forehead. He then leaned over and kissed Jack. As he pulled away, he was still stroking Jack’s face with his thumb. He realized he hadn’t thought about kissing Jack, it had been second nature. He quietly said, “Sorry,” and leaned in for a second kiss. When he pulled back, he could see he was forgiven. He glanced over at Bobby. Bobby wasn’t paying attention to them because he was reading the comics. He glanced back at Jack who now giving him a look that told him that he would walking funny on Monday.
++++
Jack was happy that Bobby seemed a lot happier with a girlfriend. He overheard Matt making fun of Bobby walking down the school hallways holding Joan’s hand. He almost laughed out loud when he heard Matt tell Bobby that Gloria was going to be pissed at him for cheating on her. Jack was also happy that he was going to be the driver for the second date. Ennis was going up to Wyoming and Bobby had no choice. Jack swore on Sweetie that he would behave.
He worried about Ennis and his trip. The good thing, he wasn’t going alone. It was Junior’s prom and Ricky was going to be her date. He knew that Junior and Ricky were still flirty with each other but were not a couple. Ricky had found out from Amanda that no one would ask Junior to the prom and she didn’t want to go alone. Ricky went to Sam and asked if he could go up to Wyoming and then they asked Ennis. When Ennis said yes, Ricky called Junior who said yes.
Sam, Ricky and Ennis were flying up Friday and the prom was Saturday. Sam got a hotel room for him and Ricky; he didn’t want to give Junior a bad reputation by staying at the house.
Jack and Ennis had dinner out with Sam and Brenda on Wednesday. Jack knew that Ennis hadn’t recovered yet. The conversation started off about Bobby dating and Matt not dating. Sam thought it was because that even though Matt was getting taller and bigger, he still looked like a boy. He knew that Matt was annoyed because at sixteen, Ricky was very big. Matt often yelled at Brenda, telling her that he better not have gotten her lack of height genes.
Then the conversation moved onto proms and sex. Brenda asked Ennis if he had had the sex talk with Junior. She reminded him that it was May and in a few months she would be going off to college. Jack knew that Alma had some kind of talk with Junior, but probably not the heart to hearts Sam and Brenda had with their kids or like the ones he had with Bobby. He had tried to push Ennis to have the talk with Junior, but as usual, Ennis was stubborn.
Brenda admitted to losing her virginity after the prom. Jack knew that Katie had lost it while in high school, but he didn’t know about Amanda. He wasn’t sure how to ask, but he knew Junior and Amanda were very close. He asked anyway.
Sam answered. “No. She was a virgin until college.”
“You know this? She told you?” Ennis asked.
“Amanda tells me almost everything. Whether I want to know it, or not. She told me that if I want to know her, then I have to know the whole her. I also think she doesn’t trust that many people and she trusts me.”
“Does she tell you?” Jack asked Brenda.
“Most things. I think I hear it after Sam. She’s a Daddy’s girl. Always has been,” Brenda answered.
“What about Katie?”
Sam laughed. “For about a year, when she was mad at Brenda, she told me stuff. Now, thank god, she’s back to telling Brenda everything.”
“So Amanda waited?” Ennis asked.
Jack thought Ennis sounded surprised. Amanda, even though she was a tough cookie, was asked out a lot. He knew that she dated a few of the younger hands at EJ’s.
Sam answered. “She said she didn’t want to pee where she drank. She knows how she looks and she didn’t want a reputation. She met a boy at MIT. They fell for each other; at least she thought so. She dated him for months and then she slept with him before spring break. He dumped her two days later. She was heartbroken. That’s why she didn’t go home for spring break and went to Florida. I went down there for a few days. She was a mess. Because of the issues she has with having a body like, well, Bette Boop, she was never trusting of men. Also, some of the horrible things men said and tried to do to her…” Sam sighed and continued. “She really liked this guy and couldn’t believe that he would date her for months just to get into her pants. It’s not like there are that many women at MIT. She told me that if she had to do it over again, she would have lost it with her last boyfriend in Kansas. She didn’t love him, but he was kind and made her feel good. It would have been a good memory. This asshat ruined it for her.”
“You think she told Junior?” Ennis asked.
“They tell each other everything, Ennis. She’s the one who called Ricky about the prom.”
“You think that Ricky is going up to sleep with her?”
“No. We had a long talk, Ennis. Long talk. He isn’t going up there to have sex. He really loves her, Ennis. It’s kinda sad because he knows that she doesn’t feel the same way. She loves him, but it isn’t a romantic love. If she makes a move, I don’t think he would say no. But, he won’t make a move. He’s also sure you will kill him if you find out.”
“You think that she’s going to make the first move?”
“I think she has had a tough year since everyone found out about you. I think the boys up there have been unkind and I know she trusts Ricky. He would never hurt her. I think she is looking for comfort and affection.”
“You’ve been thinking about this a lot.”
“Ennis, I’m telling you, it was a very long talk with Ricky. Amanda isn’t the only one who tells me more than I want to know.”
“Is it worth it, Sam? I mean knowing everything? Do you tell them things?” Ennis asked.
“I rather be uncomfortable for a little while and have an open relationship with them. No, I don’t tell them about my sex life with Brenda. I mentioned other relationships, but I skip details. Ennis, I have the same relationship with my Dad. He doesn’t tell me everything, but I told him a lot. I just assumed he told my mom or she figured stuff out.”
Ennis hadn’t wanted to talk to him when they got home on Wednesday, but while Ennis was packing he noticed that there was a small paper bag next to the luggage and he could see there was a box of condoms peeking out of it. He knew Ennis saw that he saw them.
+++
Ennis thought a lot of what Sam had said. He knew that Junior was the one who researched gay sex when she found out about him. He remembered hearing that conversation over the baby monitor. He knew Jack was very honest with Bobby, but didn’t offer a lot of details about their relationship. He wanted to be the one that Junior could go to. It scared him shitless. He also knew that everything Sam had said about Junior was true and he knew that Ricky would never say no.
On Thursday, he drove an hour away from home and bought the condoms. If she was going to have sex, he wanted her to be smart. He knew Junior was smart, but he wasn’t going to take any chances. He was having a hard time putting them in the suitcase. He noticed Jack noticing them.
“She’s 18 and I can’t stop her if she wants to sleep with Ricky, but I can tell her to be smart about it.”
“Are you going to throw them at her or your going to have the talk?”
“The talk,” Ennis sighed. He let Jack hug him. “This is going to be hard for me.”
“I know. You see little girl Junior, not the woman she is becoming.”
“Why can’t she stay little?”
“It doesn’t work that way? You want to talk to Bobby for practice. It starts off okay, he really isn’t asking about sex and girls, at the moment. It’s more about getting her to do more.”
“That’s okay.”
“I should warn you, it always leads to me having sex with you.”
“He asks about us?”
“Yeah. I told him that I’m not comfortable sharing that with him. I don’t share what I did with his mother, I’m not sharing what I do with you.”
“But he wants to know?”
“It’s unknown to him. I know he has gotten some details from Jimmy.”
“Jimmy has a boyfriend?”
“Jimmy has a friend who is gay, hiding and is older than him. The boy tells him things. Jimmy has told Bobby some things. Bobby has told me these things. They are pretty accurate. I don’t deny Bobby the facts, I just don’t apply it to us.”
“So he really knows what we do?”
“He knows.”
“Why didn’t you tell me, Jack?”
“Wasn’t it just a few days ago you were flipping out about the way he kissed Joan? This isn’t an easy conversation to have with you. You just have to be ready for Junior. It’s hard, Ennis. I think it’s a little harder for us because we don’t sleep with women, anymore, so the conversation is not the norm. Bobby asks what girls like and at least I know from my past. If Junior asks about boys, well, it’s going to hit a little too close to home for you.”
“I don’t know if I can do this.”
“Ennis, you never thought you could go to Riverton again, but you have. You’ve even gone up alone a few times.”
“You never mention it, but I know you noticed that I only fly up there when it’s just me. You don’t ask why.”
“I just assumed you didn’t want to be driving around there alone.”
“God do I hate how you know me.”
Jack chuckled, “No, you don’t.”
“When I come back, you need to tell me everything you talked about with Bobby.”
“I promise.”
+++
Jack dropped Sam, Ricky and Ennis at the airport and then met Brenda for the last game baseball of the season. The team had a better record then the year before, but they didn’t make it to the playoffs. Bobby was asked to be on the all-state team again, but he wasn’t sure if Bobby was going to say yes. They would have to make the decision soon; the competition was in two weeks. The good part was that Bobby was much bigger and much better and knew what he was walking into. Also, the head couch was not the same jerk as last year. The bad part was that the information would probably be more widespread and Bobby didn’t want him and Ennis to be hurt if it was covered in the news. Jack was happy when Ennis told him that since it was known in Riverton, he didn’t care if the President made a nighttime speech about it. Jack knew it wasn’t true, he didn’t think Bobby thought it was true either, but they both appreciated Ennis’ statement.
The game was a great game. Matt had been improving and often started at second or shortstop. He wasn’t a powerhouse like Bobby, but he was very good in the field. He also got a chance to watch Joan cheer for Bobby. It made him happy that Bobby had a girlfriend to cheer him on. He knew for all the anti normal talk Bobby said to Ennis, it made Bobby very happy to have this normal relationship with Joan. Jack also noticed a girl who was cheering Matt. He pointed her out to Brenda, who took a picture of the girl.
+++
Ennis was sitting across from Junior but couldn’t speak. After they all arrived, Monroe dropped Sam and Ricky off at a car rental place. They waited to see what Sam had waiting for them. He knew Sam wanted something that would make a statement when Ricky drove Junior to the prom. He laughed when he saw a red convertible sports car appear. Sam told them that the rental place had to get it from another branch because no one ever requested something like it. Sam also whispered that there was barely a back seat so they couldn’t do anything back there. He appreciated that.
Sam and Ricky followed Monroe to the motel. Sam recognized the area so he thought he could drive to Alma’s after getting settled. Monroe drove Ennis to the house. There were lots of hugs and kisses and he got settled. Sam and Ricky arrived and they had dinner. After they left, Ennis asked Junior to come to his room so they could talk.
Ennis took a deep breath. “Tomorrow’s a big night for you.”
Junior smiled at him, “Hopefully. I think people will behave because Ricky is really big.”
“I’m sure no one will want to ruin the fun.”
“Daddy, I can tell that you are trying to say something. You can just say it.”
“I know what can happen on prom night.”
“Oh.”
“I don’t know what to say or if you want to have this conversation, but I just want you to be prepared.” He pulled out the bag and took out the condoms. “I don’t know what you have done or haven’t done. I don’t know what you have planned, but I know you aren’t a little girl anymore and I can’t treat you like one. I’m not saying I want you to have sex any time soon, but you are going to college in a few months. These are good for another year and I wouldn’t be heartbroken if you never needed them, but that’s unrealistic. I’m never supplying these again. If you are ready to have sex, then you better be able to go buy them yourself.” He stopped talking and waited for Junior to say something. She was quiet, but didn’t look uncomfortable. “Junior, I want you to be able to say anything to me. You can always trust me, I will never judge you and always love you.”
Junior got up and sat on his lap and hugged him. “Thank you, Daddy.”
“Do you want talk about anything?”
“Not really, but I appreciate what you are saying to me. I don’t know if I’m ready for a conversation with you, yet, but I like that I can go to you.”
“You can.”
“Um, Daddy…”
Ennis started to get worried. “Yes?”
“You may want to have a conversation with Jenny.”
“What?”
“She isn’t doing anything, but some of the kids at the music camp are a little more open to things. I think she is going to be more open to things than I am. She isn’t shy, like am. She’s prettier than I am.”
“You’re beautiful, Junior.”
“I’m okay, but Jenny is going to be a real looker when she grows up. I have a better body then she does, which pisses her off. Hopefully, she doesn’t surpass me there.” Junior laughed, “That was a little mean. I mean most of the boys at camp are gay, but they aren’t all gay. I just think she may be ready earlier than me.”
“Has she said anything to you?”
“I’m not going to tell her secrets, but she doesn’t have any yet. You need talk to her. She’s not going to do anything with guys up here. You don’t have to worry about that…Is this why we are having this talk, Daddy? Ricky?”
“I got brave enough to have this talk.”
“Do you like Ricky?”
“The real question is do you like Ricky?”
“I do.”
“Do you love him?”
“Not in a romantic way.”
Ennis thought of what Amanda said to Sam. “Does he make you feel special?”
“He makes me wish I loved him like you love Jack and how Jack loves you. Or, Brenda and Sam. I know mom loves Monroe and he loves her, but they don’t seem to have the passion that you and Jack have or Sam and Brenda have. Maybe they just hide it from us, but I don’t think so. I want that passion. I don’t think most get that. Maybe for a short while when it’s new, but I think it goes away most of the time. I want to be like David and Anna someday. They’ve been together forever and they still sparkle around each other. I know I sound silly, but when you see that, you want it.”
“It’s not silly.”
“I’m happy you have that, Daddy. As I get older, I see how important to have someone who loves you like that and to love them back like that.”
“But you don’t feel like that with Ricky.”
“Wish I did. I adore him, he’s always going to be someone I adore and treasure, but I don’t think he is mister long term. I’m only 18, I doubt I’m going to meet Mr. Right in the near future.”
They talked a little longer and then Junior left, she wanted to get a lot of sleep. When he was alone, he collapsed onto the bed. He didn’t get a lot of details, but he had a feeling that Junior was planning to sleep with Ricky. Ricky wasn’t Mr. Right, but he was Mr. Right Now.
++++
Junior walked into the house and found her father lying on the couch waiting for her. She took a deep breath and said, “Morning, Daddy.”
When Junior left the house she felt like a princess and an Army general. She had planned out the night like a military action. She knew her dress was a doozy. She had bought it when she was in Kansas. Brenda had taken her to Kansas City to buy a dress that wouldn’t be sold in Wyoming. The dress was a fortune, but she proudly spent her own money. When she bought it, she wasn’t sure she was going to have the opportunity to wear it. Amanda had told her to splurge because if she didn’t get any offers, she would talk to Ricky. Junior actually wanted Ricky to ask her because he would be a wonderful addition to her plan.
The dress was classic and timeless. She didn’t want to wear some tacky dress that she would make fun of herself later. The dress was a perfect color for her and the fit showed off her great figure. In the fitting room, Brenda showed her how to put up her hair. She knew the pearls that the Petersons had given her would be the perfect addition. Brenda spotted a beautiful hairclip and she also found a pair of shoes that matched the outfit.
When she had gotten back to the house, from the shopping spree, they made her try it on for them. She put up her hair and when she came downstairs everyone said she looked great. She thought her father looked a little green. After she changed back, she couldn’t find her father. Jack told her that Ennis had ‘taken to his bed.’ When she heard that, she knew she found the perfect dress.
When she got ready for Ricky, she let her mother fuss over her. Jenny was very helpful, too. Jenny knew how to do makeup better than anyone thanks to the music camp. She laughed in her head when Ricky stumbled over his words when he gave her a corsage. She checked out Ricky and he was everything she wanted. He was wearing a classic tux and she knew he had to buy it because with his build, renting would be impossible. She thought the two of them looked like they should be going to a royal ball and not a prom. She knew that lots of girls would be thinking the same thing about themselves, until they saw them.
They smiled for lots of pictures and then they drove off. She knew she wasn’t being the nicest person about everything, but Ricky had told her to use him any way she wanted. She planned to. She knew that lots of her classmates thought that she had just made up Ricky and wasn’t going to show up. She thought it was stupid because why would she lie.
When they parked, she waited for Ricky to open the door for her. There were some other couples in the parking lot. Unlike the movies, there were no limos. Some of the richer kids had their parents’ caddies. She could see that she and Ricky were getting the reactions she wanted.
The prom was at a large hall. She found her friends who had gotten the table. She was grateful that she had them. She had been afraid that she and Ricky might be sitting alone. The table wouldn’t be full, but the four couples made it look full enough. She knew she was getting a lot of looks. She knew some of the richest girls were going to come in nice dresses, but they were Wyoming nice, not like hers. Her dress came from Paris.
She also knew they were all looking at Ricky, too. Ricky wasn’t the best looking guy in the room or the tallest, but he made the other guys look like boys dressing up in their fathers’ suits. She thought that Ricky looked like James Bond and Cary Grant. He pulled her onto the dance floor and she knew he could out dance them all. She knew that she wasn’t as good as him, but she held her own. She thought of all the times she danced with Ricky on trips or at their houses. She thought of the hours she practiced with Jenny. She knew that she would look good with him.
She wondered if she was making up stuff in her head and she just looked like a silly girl who thought she was a bigger deal than she was, but then her friends pulled her to the bathroom and made her feel like she was on target. Some of the girls who weren’t her friends even told her they loved her dress.
When the party was over, part two was about to start. There was a town lake where the seniors would go for a midnight swim. Junior was happy that it was a decent night. She had heard about snowy swims. When they got to the lake, they took out a blanket and towels that she put in the trunk. After they put the blanket down, she took a small bag that had her swimwear and she went off to change. Ricky was wearing his swimsuit as underwear so he didn’t have to change.
Junior went with her friends to where the girls were changing. They took turns protecting each other as they changed. Junior had a bikini she bought with Amanda. She knew she could never wear it around her parents, but this was part of her revenge. It showed off every curve without showing off too much. She then put on a matching wrap. She put her dress into the bag and headed to the car. She dropped off her shoes and her dress and took off her pearls.
Ricky stripped down to his suit and Junior was thrilled at the reaction of the other kids. The tux had shown he was in good shape, but it hid his muscles. He looked like a Greek statue and a superhero. A lot of the boys were fit but they didn’t have the definition that he had. He also had strong legs. A lot of the guys had strong arms, but they didn’t have the legs. They were thick and solid muscle. On a few occasions, she saw her father looking at Jack’s powerful legs. She guessed she was a legman like her father.
When they got to the blanket, she dropped the wrap. She knew that Ricky had seen her in swimsuits, but nothing like she was wearing. He could see that he enjoyed the view. She also saw a few girls smack their boyfriends.
They didn’t last long in the water, because it was freezing. As they got out, Ricky ran ahead and got their towels. He ran back to her and wrapped her in the towel to warm her up. He then dried himself off. When they got back to the blanket, he sat behind her and she leaned against him and watched the other people. They talked for a while and then she suggested that they go someplace else.
She had a second dress, a regular dress, to change into because she didn’t want to ruin her prom dress. Ricky had forgotten underwear, so he joked he would go commando. It took her a few moments to figure out what he meant. When she went to go change, she wondered if she could really follow through with her plans. She looked in her bag and saw the condoms. They weren’t the ones her father gave them; she would never use those. She planned to save them forever. The ones she had in her bag were the ones she stole from Monroe’s store. She felt bad, but it wasn’t like she could buy them there.
She directed Ricky to a hidden treasure that she had found when riding with her father and Jenny. She had Ricky drive as far as they could and then they walked the rest of the way. She was happy that she remembered her sneakers. There was a clearing and then a cliff. She knew it would give them a great view of the sunrise. They were both carrying bags. Ricky’s bag had snacks for them. Junior pulled out two sleeping bags that had been zippered together. Jenny had put it in the car for her when everyone was taking pictures. She didn’t think Ricky looked surprised when she pulled out the sleeping bags. She wondered if he had guessed. He knew about Amanda’s failed romance and her wish to go back and lose her virginity with someone else. She didn’t want Ricky to feel used or think that it was going to lead to something else.
She told him what she wanted.
He looked at her. “Are you sure? You can’t take it back once we do it.”
“I will never regret that I chose you, Ricky. I want to remember this night and you forever. Can you handle that when the night is over we go back to whatever we are? This won’t happen again. God, I feel like a jerk, Ricky. I don’t want to use you and it sounds like I am. I just trust you and I know you will make it special. I know I’m not your first, but I want it to be special for you, too.”
Ricky walked close to her, “Every moment with you is special.”
“I don’t want you to walk away from this hurt or mad.”
“Junior, I’m a guy.”
“You have feelings. You aren’t just a guy to me.”
“I know you will probably never feel the way about me that I feel about you…I wish you would. But, you want to give me something that is important to you, something you can’t give again. I know you know about Amanda, are you sure you don’t want to wait for the right guy?”
“You are the right guy.”
+++
Ennis hadn’t slept much and finally went upstairs to wait for Junior. He wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do, but he wanted to see her. One look at her, he knew that she slept with Ricky. She was put together so that didn’t give it away, but it was the look in her eyes. It told him that a lot of secrets were revealed to her.
She sat away from him and he wondered if she was afraid he would smell Ricky on her. She told him about the prom and then the lake. “I think he kind of looked like Tarzan at the lake…He’s so big and strong.”
Ennis held his breath. All he could think of his love for Tarzan and wondered if his daughter had the same taste in men as he did. Except for being well built, Ricky didn’t look like Jack at all. He kept quiet and let her continue.
“He wasn’t the best looking boy there, but he looked like a movie star.”
“You don’t think he’s good looking?”
“I think he’s pretty good, but he isn’t gorgeous. You know who will be gorgeous when he finishes growing?”
“Who?”
“Bobby.”
“Bobby?”
“Yeah. Jack is a good looking man, but if Bobby keeps maturing like he is, he will be stunning.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“No. A lot of really cute boys lose their cuteness as they get older, but Bobby hasn’t. His features are getting better. He’s more man than boy at this point and he’s only sixteen. He kinda reminds me of they guy from the Rockford Files. I watched a movie with him in it, he was a lot younger and he was stunning. Bobby has that look. I’m strong and male and sensitive, too. Ricky had that, but he doesn’t have that classic good look.”
Ennis held his tongue again. He couldn’t believe that Junior mentioned the only other man that he ever daydreamed about. He didn’t know how she was able to mention Tarzan and James Garner in the same conversation. He wondered what Junior thought of his silence. “Did you have fun?”
“It was better than what I dreamed of.”
“That’s nice. Where did you go after the lake?”
“We went to that ridge to watch the sunrise.”
He knew where she was talking about. He also knew that Junior had planned everything out. His suspicions were confirmed. He could tell that Junior was reading his thoughts.
“Ricky is a good man, Daddy. You know that.”
“I know that.”
“You aren’t going to throw him out of the plane?”
“No.”
“I can read your face, Daddy. I’m ready to have this conversation with you. I don’t know if this will make you feel better, but everything was my choice. He was a gentleman. I was right about my choice, I won’t ever regret it. I promise you that.”
He wondered if she knew that he knew about Amanda. He didn’t think so. He wasn’t happy with what she did, but he could see that she felt like she made the right decision. “I love you no matter what, Junior.”
“I know, Daddy. And, I know this conversation is probably killing you at the moment…But I don’t think I could have this conversation with mom. I appreciate what you said to me Friday night and I appreciate that you are having this conversation with me and not driving to the motel to hurt Ricky.” She laughed, “Ricky thinks you are going to kick his ass. I told him that you wouldn’t. I know you probably want to. He knows that we talked. I bet he is talking to Sam right now.”
“He knows what I said to you?”
“I love him, Daddy. I’m just not in love with him. He knows that. I don’t hide things from him. Maybe because he knew so many of my secrets, I just trust him. I know some of his, some that even Sam and Amanda don’t know. He made something that should be special, very special. I know we’ve all had a tough year, but Daddy he made me feel whole. He made me feel loved and protected in a way that I never felt before. It wasn’t like a passionate love scene in a movie, but to me, it was magical. If it makes you feel any better, it showed me that it is something precious and should be wasted on someone who isn’t worthy of it.”
Somehow, that made him feel better. He tried to look at her with new eyes. He helped create a strong young woman who knew who she was. It took him into his late thirties to know who he was, so if she had this strength at eighteen, he knew she would be okay. “I’m not going to throw a party for you, but if you are happy then I am happy for you.”
“Thank you, Daddy. Just don’t tell mom.”
“That’s your decision, I won’t say a word.”
“Thanks. I’m going to take a shower and get some sleep. I want to be awake before you leave.” She got up. “You should call Jack. It looks like you need to let some stuff out.”
“You don’t care if I talk to Jack?”
“Jack would never judge me and I know he holds all your secrets. Night.”
Ennis watched her walk upstairs and then he went to the basement and walked by his room and into Monroe’s office and shut the door.
++++
Jack tried to be a good chauffer for Bobby. He stayed quiet and drove them to the mall. He then met up with Brenda for dinner. They both wondered what was going on in Wyoming. When Bobby got out of the car to walk Joan to her door, Jack tried not to watch. But, he couldn’t help himself. He knew Ennis was right; Bobby was copying their moves. He actually saw a lot of Ennis’ moves and thought it was funny because Ennis saw mostly his moves. He also saw a little of Brenda and Sam.
When Bobby got back into the car, he spoke. “Don’t say anything.”
“I just wanted to know if you had a good time.”
“It was nice.”
“Good.”
“That’s it?”
“I just want you to be happy, Bobby. You deserve to be happy. I don’t want to take any of that away from you. If you want to talk, we’ll talk, but you want me to be quiet, so I will.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome, Pup.”
Jack wasn’t surprised at Ennis calling him when Junior got home. He stayed quiet as Ennis let it all out. He kept quiet when Ennis went off on a tangent about James Garner and Tarzan. He tried to make Ennis feel better that Junior felt she could be honest with him.
“Jack, I have to be honest. I think I rather be the father who is clueless.”
“No, you don’t. We lived with so many secrets, Ennis. I think it’s great that Junior doesn’t have to deal with that.”
“It’s not normal.”
“How the hell do we know, Ennis? Brenda and Sam…”
“They aren’t the best examples of normal.”
“No, but they have four kids who love them like crazy and trust them. I am a very happy man that we have that with our three kids. It may be hard for us at times, but I think it is better for them. I want them to know that no matter what, they can always come to us.”
“I know you are right. How am I going to face Ricky tomorrow? I really do want to throw him out of the plane.”
“He didn’t take advantage of her, if anything, she took advantage of his feelings.”
“I know. I wonder what Sam’s dealing with.”
“I’m sure we will find out eventually, he’s a talker.”
“I know. So how was Bobby’s second date? Did you behave?”
“Yes. He even said I could drive him again.”
“Did you see him kiss her?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“You want details?”
“Yes.”
“You haven’t had enough?”
“Spill it, Jack.”
“I saw my moves, your moves and Sam’s moves.”
“Sam’s?”
“I guess Bobby has been taking lots of notes.”
“I think this is the weirdest morning of my life.”
“I wish I was there to help you.”
“You are helping.”
+++
Sam and Ricky arrived for lunch. After lunch, they would drop off the car and Monroe would take them all to the airport. He thought both Ricky and Sam looked tired. Ricky couldn’t look him in the eyes. When Junior came downstairs, he saw the way Ricky lit up. He saw Sam rub Ricky’s back. She smiled at Ricky, but he could see the differences in the way they felt about each other. He almost felt bad for Ricky.
When they were about to leave, he noticed that Junior pulled Ricky out of the room. He wondered what their conversation was. He looked over at Sam, who seemed quiet and maybe a little sad. He wondered if he resented the way Junior treated Ricky. He knew he hurt when his kids hurt, so he didn’t think Sam would be any different.
The plane rides were quiet; they were all tired. Brenda picked them up and dropped him off. It was late and Bobby greeted him and went to bed. He let Jack hug him for a long time.
tbc
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