“It lasted one season. The ratings dropped the second half of the season, and the cost of the special effects caused the cancellation. Rumor has it that one of the executives said the guys in the show weren’t good-looking enough to maintain the ratings,” Brandon said.
“That must be why they want me,” I said, tongue firmly in my cheek.
“Uh, sure,” Brandon said, not catching the sarcasm in my answer.
“Why don’t I have to audition for the part?” I asked.
“Kendal said one of the leads wrote it in her contract that you had to appear in the film. She also said it was Halle James. Kendal said Halle worked with you on the Star Academy film.”
Halle had a special place in my heart. In many ways she was like Kara Tasman: if either one of them were around, I would move heaven and earth to date them. Halle was the daughter of movie star Rita James. Halle’s brother was Trip; he and Craig Wild, the lead in Star Academy, were close. Hollywood Central had reported that Trip currently had some drug troubles. His family would be sending him to an undisclosed rehab center.
Brandon and I wrapped up our call as I reached my car. I put my cell phone in the car cradle and used the Bluetooth connection to call Mona next.
“Hey, Boyfriend,” she answered.
“Easy, Killer,” I shot back, which caused her to laugh at me.
“Are you taking me out tonight?” she asked.
“If you want to meet my new uncle, we can.”
“What are you talking about?”
I explained how Phil Prince had shown up at practice and claimed to be my uncle. Mona was curious and couldn’t wait to meet him.
◊◊◊
When I got home for lunch, both my mom’s and dad’s cars were in the driveway. I had noticed ten of the calls were either from them or my Uncle John, so it would seem my text had knocked over a hornet’s nest. I walked in, and Mom put a plate of poached chicken breasts, sliced tomatoes, and broccoli in front of me. I craved some carbs, so I put a potato in the microwave to cook.
I told them what I knew about Phil and how he preferred to be called ‘Prince.’ We all agreed that that wasn’t happening.
“He suggested we get together for dinner tonight,” I wrapped up.
“Your uncle and brother are joining us. Everyone wants to meet Phil,” Dad said.
“I’ll call Brandon and have him set something up for everyone tonight. Is Aunt Bonnie coming also? I need to know for the reservation,” I said.
“Planning on something fancy? I would think Monical’s would be fine,” Mom said.
“I hate to say this, but I’m trying to stay on my high-protein diet as much as possible. If there’s pizza around, I’ll want to stuff myself. I was thinking a steak sounded good,” I said.
“If we’re doing that, why don’t I have your Uncle John bring steaks, and we do them on the grill? It would be more relaxed,” Dad suggested.
“Sounds good; I’ll talk to Phil before practice to get a head count. I almost forgot, Mona will be coming over for dinner,” I said.
Crud! Mom’s head snapped up at that news. I swear she’s the biggest bloodhound when it comes to relationship gossip concerning her sons. Now that my Casanova of a big brother was no longer at home, I, unfortunately, was the sole source of her entertainment. I tried my big-boy-now stare, but she was having none of that.
“Why would Mona be coming over for dinner?” my mom innocently asked.
“She and I are dating,” I said with a sigh.
My dad bit his lower lip as he watched my mom pounce.
“What about Tami? I thought you gave her a promise ring. I even saw her wearing it on a necklace.”
“Apparently it doesn’t mean anything to her,” I snapped back without thinking.
My mom flushed, and Dad was suddenly finished eating and had to go call my uncle about some meat. I really wished I had gone with him.
“David, is Mona someone serious?” Mom asked after she took a moment to calm down.
“I made her a deal. Mona wants to be Homecoming Queen, and I want a cover to give me time to get over Tami.”
“You didn’t answer my question. Is she someone serious?”
“Define ‘serious.’ I don’t know. Besides Pam and Tracy, I would say I like Mona the best as a friend. I would think that would be a good start. She’s fun, and we converse fairly well. I’ve been told I only date cheerleaders, so she has that going for her,” I said with a smile.
“Do Mona and I need to talk?”
I understood what my mom was really asking me. If a girl might someday be more than just someone to date, Mom was famous for what Greg and I called, ‘putting her to the question.’ I think we were more nervous when she got up close and personal with one of our dates than they ever were. Somehow, we took the brunt of the interrogations. I would bet with my extended family here and my new family, it could be quite painful.
I just smiled and shook my head. I figured I had a fifty-fifty chance of surviving tonight.
◊◊◊
The afternoon practice was geared toward fundamentals. Preseason practice had been shortened by the HSAA starting this year, due to concerns for player safety. Hence, we only had two weeks to get ready for the first game. Of course, Coach Hope had run our butts off. I felt rather sorry for the players who hadn’t participated in our summer workouts because they struggled.
Before practice, I talked to Phil and filled him in on the plans for dinner tonight. I didn’t want to freak him out too much by not being prepared to meet the whole Dawson clan. Phil called his mom and confirmed the three of them would be happy to attend. I was curious who the third was, and he told me his dad. I don’t know why I would expect his mom to be single, but I had. I admitted to myself I would expect the mother of my child to not be with other men. It was my good fortune that neither my mom nor Tami was around to read my mind on that one.
After practice, I went straight home, following Mom’s orders, to help get ready. I found Peggy in my apartment, cleaning. She had just been here on Friday, her regular day. She was five or six months into her pregnancy and looked exhausted when I walked in.
“What did Mom do to you?” I asked.
“Nothing, I’m having a bad day is all. I ache all over, and my feet are killing me.”
“Stop what you’re doing and go take a hot shower. When you come out, I’ll give you a massage,” I ordered her. “Do you prefer the vanilla or lilac massage oil?”
I could tell Peggy wanted to, but something was holding her back. Finally, she seemed to relax and went to take her shower. While she did that, I terrorized my hound with the vacuum cleaner (i.e., I turned it on). Duke ran into his crate in a flash. I just shook my head at what a baby he was sometimes. I had to remember he wasn’t yet a year old, even if he looked like a small pony. His daddy was a big boy at nearly 90 pounds. Duke already tilted the scales at 62 pounds and was growing like a weed.
When I finished with the vacuuming, I found a big fluffy beach towel to put on my bed. I didn’t want to get massage oil on my comforter. Peggy came out, and I was surprised when she acted bashfully. Then it hit me: she was worried about me seeing her baby bump and expanded hips. I gave her a leer and waggled my eyebrows.
“You have never been more beautiful to me. May I kiss you?” I asked.
I must have said something wrong because Peggy burst into tears. Angie had done some crazy things like this when she had both Kyle and Nate. I had watched how Greg handled this. He didn’t say a word, just took Angie into his arms and let her cry it out. I put my arms out, and Peggy rushed into them.