pantry and refrigerator for ingredients to make dessert.
Jennifer started to sit on the floor next to the couch when her eyes fell on the books on the coffee table. She'd forgotten to remove them yesterday. Peering at her dad from the corner of her eye, she wondered if he and her mother had looked through them. She hid her smile. She'd be willing to bet they had.
Without saying anything, she left her dad to the pre-game program and picked the books up. She carried them to her book-lined study and stacked them on the table next to the sage green damask chaise. Sighing contentedly, she climbed onto the chaise and plumped up the fringed pillows and lay back.
She chose the book on erotica and began looking through it. Before she knew it, she was turning the pages until she found chapter nineteen. Her face grew warm as she read the passage.
Whew, she thought, fanning her cheeks. She turned a few more pages and began reading about all the creative things one could do with a silk scarf. When the doorbell rang, she laid the book face down.
Before she could answer the door, she heard her mother there.
"Jenny, you have company," Ronnie called. "A gentleman."
Jennifer hurried out in time to hear her mother say, "Please come in, Matt. I'm Jennifer's mother Veronica Monroe. Most people call me Ronnie."
Jennifer watched in horror as Matt walked in. Her dad rose and introduced himself. The two men shook hands.
"Matt!" She couldn't think of anything else to say. She noted how pleased her mom and dad looked. Well, they could just get that look off their faces, she thought. "May I take your coat?"
"Thanks," he said, speaking to her for the first time. "I hope you don't mind my stopping by tonight. I didn't know you had company."
"No, not at all," she said, flustered. Of all the old comfy clothes she could have changed into, why had she chosen the baggy pants and oversized shirt? She took his coat and stood there holding it.
Her mother came to the rescue. "Sit down, Matt. And, Jenny, put his coat in the closet."
He chose one of the club chairs in the living room. Hastily, Jennifer hung his coat and kept one ear tuned for her mother's voice.
"What did you say your last name was?" Ronnie asked, sitting on the couch next to her husband.
"Penrose," he replied, smiling at her parents.
Jennifer saw the puzzled look on her mother's face. She knew her mother remembered. "Matt Penrose," Ronnie said as if awestruck.
Jennifer stood behind Matt and shook her head violently at her mom. Her dad frowned. Ronnie opened her mouth to speak but closed it abruptly when she saw Jennifer place her index finger to her lips to caution her mother to silence.
Ed's frown deepened. "What kind of business are you in, Matt?"
Matt smiled, not uncomfortable with the fatherly question at all. "I'm a doctor."
"GP?" Ed asked.
"Obstetrics and Gynecology," Matt answered, figuring the gruff Ed Monroe would be nonplussed by the answer. He was right. Ed didn't say a thing, but his frown turned to a scowl. Jennifer's mother blushed.
"Have you and Jennifer been seeing each other long?" Ed asked.
"Dad," Jennifer protested at the same time that Ronnie scolded, "Ed!"
"What? What did I do?" Ed asked, looking bewildered.
"No, not long, Matt answered easily. "I thought I'd stop by and see if she wanted to go to this exhibit at the Institute for Feminist Studies tonight. You and Ronnie are welcome to come along, Ed,"
"Feminist studies, huh?" Ed remarked gruffly. "Thanks, son, sounds real fascinating, but I think I'll stick with my football game."
Matt looked longingly at the television. He'd have preferred that to the feminist thing at the museum. But when he looked at Jennifer, he decided he didn't mind missing another football game. She looked adorable in the baggy sweat pants and the man's shirt that reached her knees. He hoped the shirt was her father's.
Jennifer smoothed the collar of the chambray shirt and wished she had kept her work clothes on.
"So how
Jennifer started to sit on the floor next to the couch when her eyes fell on the books on the coffee table. She'd forgotten to remove them yesterday. Peering at her dad from the corner of her eye, she wondered if he and her mother had looked through them. She hid her smile. She'd be willing to bet they had.
Without saying anything, she left her dad to the pre-game program and picked the books up. She carried them to her book-lined study and stacked them on the table next to the sage green damask chaise. Sighing contentedly, she climbed onto the chaise and plumped up the fringed pillows and lay back.
She chose the book on erotica and began looking through it. Before she knew it, she was turning the pages until she found chapter nineteen. Her face grew warm as she read the passage.
Whew, she thought, fanning her cheeks. She turned a few more pages and began reading about all the creative things one could do with a silk scarf. When the doorbell rang, she laid the book face down.
Before she could answer the door, she heard her mother there.
"Jenny, you have company," Ronnie called. "A gentleman."
Jennifer hurried out in time to hear her mother say, "Please come in, Matt. I'm Jennifer's mother Veronica Monroe. Most people call me Ronnie."
Jennifer watched in horror as Matt walked in. Her dad rose and introduced himself. The two men shook hands.
"Matt!" She couldn't think of anything else to say. She noted how pleased her mom and dad looked. Well, they could just get that look off their faces, she thought. "May I take your coat?"
"Thanks," he said, speaking to her for the first time. "I hope you don't mind my stopping by tonight. I didn't know you had company."
"No, not at all," she said, flustered. Of all the old comfy clothes she could have changed into, why had she chosen the baggy pants and oversized shirt? She took his coat and stood there holding it.
Her mother came to the rescue. "Sit down, Matt. And, Jenny, put his coat in the closet."
He chose one of the club chairs in the living room. Hastily, Jennifer hung his coat and kept one ear tuned for her mother's voice.
"What did you say your last name was?" Ronnie asked, sitting on the couch next to her husband.
"Penrose," he replied, smiling at her parents.
Jennifer saw the puzzled look on her mother's face. She knew her mother remembered. "Matt Penrose," Ronnie said as if awestruck.
Jennifer stood behind Matt and shook her head violently at her mom. Her dad frowned. Ronnie opened her mouth to speak but closed it abruptly when she saw Jennifer place her index finger to her lips to caution her mother to silence.
Ed's frown deepened. "What kind of business are you in, Matt?"
Matt smiled, not uncomfortable with the fatherly question at all. "I'm a doctor."
"GP?" Ed asked.
"Obstetrics and Gynecology," Matt answered, figuring the gruff Ed Monroe would be nonplussed by the answer. He was right. Ed didn't say a thing, but his frown turned to a scowl. Jennifer's mother blushed.
"Have you and Jennifer been seeing each other long?" Ed asked.
"Dad," Jennifer protested at the same time that Ronnie scolded, "Ed!"
"What? What did I do?" Ed asked, looking bewildered.
"No, not long, Matt answered easily. "I thought I'd stop by and see if she wanted to go to this exhibit at the Institute for Feminist Studies tonight. You and Ronnie are welcome to come along, Ed,"
"Feminist studies, huh?" Ed remarked gruffly. "Thanks, son, sounds real fascinating, but I think I'll stick with my football game."
Matt looked longingly at the television. He'd have preferred that to the feminist thing at the museum. But when he looked at Jennifer, he decided he didn't mind missing another football game. She looked adorable in the baggy sweat pants and the man's shirt that reached her knees. He hoped the shirt was her father's.
Jennifer smoothed the collar of the chambray shirt and wished she had kept her work clothes on.
"So how
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