“Good to know I have fans. They all seem to be people into cosplay or between ten and twelve years old. I’m starting to think I should have done that movie with Halle so I would at least have women want me,” I said, going off on a random rant.
“You’re such a dork. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said and then logged off on me.
◊◊◊
I walked downstairs and in through the back door of the house. Beth and Kara were sitting at my kitchen table. I gave Melanie a hard look.
“I see you let just anyone in,” I grumbled.
“If you want me to kick out pretty girls, I can do that,” she shot back.
I started to like her.
I greeted them each with a hug and kiss. Then Beth looked at me sadly.
“I heard Cindy and Suzanne came over this afternoon. Why wasn’t I invited?”
“I just put clean sheets on your bed,” Melanie mumbled.
Oops. The ‘clean’ ones she was referring to were pretty much wrecked. I’d have to wash those myself. That was something I would have to remember, now that we had a cleaning lady. There are some things a teenage boy doesn’t want to publicize.
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Kara asked, and Beth nodded. “And why wasn’t I invited too?”
Well, our cook hadn’t quit yet. If she survived these two, she would be okay.
“It was bad enough with three. I would never have survived five,” I teased.
That caused Melanie to stop cooking and turn her full attention to our conversation.
“What would you even do with three girls?” she asked.
Both Beth and Kara burst out laughing. My mom was so going to hear all about this. Speak of the devil.
“What’s everyone laughing at?” she asked as she walked into the kitchen.
“Melanie asked me what I would do if I were ever with three women at once. Are you sure you did a background check on her?” I asked.
“Okay, I don’t want to know,” Mom decided.
Crisis averted! Telling the truth seemed to work on people my mom’s age when they thought I was giving them a hard time. Melanie gave me a look I was familiar with. She would get back at me at some point. She returned to her work.
The back door opened.
“Unca David! Unca David!” Mac and Kyle shouted as they ran in, and I swept them up into my arms.
“Mama Peggy said you had to come help,” Mac told me.
Somehow, I had a bad feeling that
“We need all hands on deck. Peggy has all of them,” I said and ran out to start freeing little ones from car seats.
I understood now why there was bench seating for the back two rows. That was the only way possible to cram that many car seats in.
“Where’s Aaron?” I asked Peggy.
“We gave him the day off because he’s watching them all tomorrow. You get to watch them tonight,” she informed me.
That’s the thing with having kids. Sometimes you were simply it, and your plans be damned. Peggy had been such a big help to me that I didn’t even complain. By the end of the night, I wished I had. Somehow, everyone abandoned me.
◊◊◊ Thursday November 24
We really didn’t have room for the crowd that was coming for Thanksgiving dinner, so Mom had decided to hold it at the restaurant. Dad, Uncle John, and Greg said that football-watching was a requirement. Caryn had a TV installed at the bar to keep them from whining.
I was awakened by someone pounding on my downstairs apartment door. I looked at the clock, and it was almost ten. Watching all the little rug-rats last night had been a nightmare. After dinner, everyone bailed on me. Even my girlfriend couldn’t be lured back to the house. I grabbed a robe and ran downstairs. Precious pushed out the door and hissed at Paul, who about fell on his ass to get out of her reach.
“Jesus!” he exclaimed.
“I know, I know. My mom sent you to fetch me. I need a shower. Can you make some of that Cuban coffee? I think I need it.”
I climbed back upstairs and noticed it was too quiet. The kittens had all escaped their crate. Where could they all be, I wondered? I frantically looked under the furniture and then entered the bedroom to check under the bed. Just what I didn’t need was to play ‘find the kitty.’ I might have to get Duke to help me with that. Then again, I think he felt it was just an excuse for us to hang out and for him to get excited. When Precious got serious about hiding, Duke was never able to find her.
Then I heard a meow come from my closet. I opened the door and found the little darlings all looking up at me. I almost got them all back into the crate unscathed. There was a small golden boy who was the second coming of the cat from hell. The little beast bit me. He was lucky I didn’t do what came to mind and bounce him off a wall. That would have been wrong. I might not have felt bad about it, though.
I took my shower and rushed downstairs. Precious was waiting by the door, so I let her back in. I followed her back up the stairs to stuff her into the crate with her kittens. I sent Brit a text to warn her that her cat was in a mood.
