he turned away to check himself in the mirror.
“Yes, it’s right to do,” I stammered. “It’s right for us to … but it’s like you wanted to get caught.”
“So?”
“Dude. I’m here, too. Let me decide when I do that.”
“Okay. I get it. Sorry.” Everett’s comic glance lightened me up enough to accept his rushed apology kiss. “But remember; you came with me, willingly.”
“A few more minutes, and we would have.”
He snorted a chuckle as he fixed my tie.
As we headed out, he said, “Besides, the rich girls in this crowd get parties thrown for them when they’re ready to put out.”
“So?”
He patted my butt. “You just helped me celebrate my coming out ball.”
Chapter 15
Through the thankfully brief ride home, Mrs. Forrester, aided by a few drinks, acted more than cheerful, apparently as yet uninformed of our little escapade. Everett’s father dropped me off with a curt, “Good night,” while from the back seat, Everett offered nothing but a parting wink.
Back inside the house, I slumped onto the couch, my tux in slight disarray like some junior James Bond. The combination of alcohol and Everett’s inspiring brash actions sparked my moment of bravery.
My father turned his attention away from a book and the softly playing Herb Alpert record as I sighed, “I’m in love.”
“Are you now?”
Despite the late hour, I had his attention, and figured I might as well head off any upcoming gossip or crisis. Mr. Forrester would probably want to talk with my dad, or beat him up, or do whatever fathers do. Since my father had never been in such a situation with me, it seemed sensible to prepare him.
“You met a girl tonight?” He spoke softly. Mom was asleep in their bedroom, I guessed.
“No, Dad.”
“You met a girl some other night and she was there.”
“Dad. There is no girl in the equation.”
“You’re drunk.”
“A bit, but that’s beside the point.”
“Okay.” He turned the music down a little, looked down the hallway, as if expecting Mom to enter with perfect timing to relieve him of this sudden parental duty. A quizzical frown came over him, like when he’d sit hunched over the dining room table doing some after-work accounting while piecing together old cardboard jigsaw puzzles to break up the monotony.
He wouldn’t erupt in hatred or rage. I knew that. He wasn’t a religious man, or a bigoted man, but merely a calm intelligent soul who had just realized that the missing puzzle piece was right in front of him.
“Your little friend, the Forrester kid.”
“Bingo.” And then my eyes welled up, perhaps from the drink, with a happy sort of relief that I was sharing the knowledge of this bundled up joy.
“Huh. Well, gosh, Reid. Are you … Are you okay?”
“Yeah, Dad.”
“I mean, is he … Does he know? Has he … reciprocated?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Well, you know we love you. Should I get your mother?”
“No, no. I just wan’ you to know, because–”
“Well, of course I’d want to know. For a while back there, we thought you weren’t even … I mean, good. He’s being nice to you?”
“Oh, yeah. We definitely resifripated.”
Dad withheld a chuckle. “You’ve been, I dunno, a little different lately, but happier. I thought he was just your friend, but I guess I wasn’t even looking.”
“There is this … situation. We kinda got caught makin’ out tonight, so, I just wanted to give you a heads up, in case it gets around.”
“Oh. Is that going to be a problem?”
“Well, I don’t think I’ll be invited back to the country club any time soon.”
“Darn.”
“Only one person caught us.”
“Oh, good.”
“Everett’s dad.”
“Not so good.”
“Yeah. So, anyway…” I stood up, swaying. He stood up to catch me. It became an awkward brief hug.
“You sure you don’t want to wake your mother, talk to her?”
“No, I think she’s already figured it
“Yes, it’s right to do,” I stammered. “It’s right for us to … but it’s like you wanted to get caught.”
“So?”
“Dude. I’m here, too. Let me decide when I do that.”
“Okay. I get it. Sorry.” Everett’s comic glance lightened me up enough to accept his rushed apology kiss. “But remember; you came with me, willingly.”
“A few more minutes, and we would have.”
He snorted a chuckle as he fixed my tie.
As we headed out, he said, “Besides, the rich girls in this crowd get parties thrown for them when they’re ready to put out.”
“So?”
He patted my butt. “You just helped me celebrate my coming out ball.”
Chapter 15
Through the thankfully brief ride home, Mrs. Forrester, aided by a few drinks, acted more than cheerful, apparently as yet uninformed of our little escapade. Everett’s father dropped me off with a curt, “Good night,” while from the back seat, Everett offered nothing but a parting wink.
Back inside the house, I slumped onto the couch, my tux in slight disarray like some junior James Bond. The combination of alcohol and Everett’s inspiring brash actions sparked my moment of bravery.
My father turned his attention away from a book and the softly playing Herb Alpert record as I sighed, “I’m in love.”
“Are you now?”
Despite the late hour, I had his attention, and figured I might as well head off any upcoming gossip or crisis. Mr. Forrester would probably want to talk with my dad, or beat him up, or do whatever fathers do. Since my father had never been in such a situation with me, it seemed sensible to prepare him.
“You met a girl tonight?” He spoke softly. Mom was asleep in their bedroom, I guessed.
“No, Dad.”
“You met a girl some other night and she was there.”
“Dad. There is no girl in the equation.”
“You’re drunk.”
“A bit, but that’s beside the point.”
“Okay.” He turned the music down a little, looked down the hallway, as if expecting Mom to enter with perfect timing to relieve him of this sudden parental duty. A quizzical frown came over him, like when he’d sit hunched over the dining room table doing some after-work accounting while piecing together old cardboard jigsaw puzzles to break up the monotony.
He wouldn’t erupt in hatred or rage. I knew that. He wasn’t a religious man, or a bigoted man, but merely a calm intelligent soul who had just realized that the missing puzzle piece was right in front of him.
“Your little friend, the Forrester kid.”
“Bingo.” And then my eyes welled up, perhaps from the drink, with a happy sort of relief that I was sharing the knowledge of this bundled up joy.
“Huh. Well, gosh, Reid. Are you … Are you okay?”
“Yeah, Dad.”
“I mean, is he … Does he know? Has he … reciprocated?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Well, you know we love you. Should I get your mother?”
“No, no. I just wan’ you to know, because–”
“Well, of course I’d want to know. For a while back there, we thought you weren’t even … I mean, good. He’s being nice to you?”
“Oh, yeah. We definitely resifripated.”
Dad withheld a chuckle. “You’ve been, I dunno, a little different lately, but happier. I thought he was just your friend, but I guess I wasn’t even looking.”
“There is this … situation. We kinda got caught makin’ out tonight, so, I just wanted to give you a heads up, in case it gets around.”
“Oh. Is that going to be a problem?”
“Well, I don’t think I’ll be invited back to the country club any time soon.”
“Darn.”
“Only one person caught us.”
“Oh, good.”
“Everett’s dad.”
“Not so good.”
“Yeah. So, anyway…” I stood up, swaying. He stood up to catch me. It became an awkward brief hug.
“You sure you don’t want to wake your mother, talk to her?”
“No, I think she’s already figured it
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