◊◊◊
When we hit State’s campus, Brook directed me to the AGR fraternity house. I pulled up and honked.
“You’re a barbarian sometimes,” Brook grumbled.
She got out of the car to go to the front door. When she was gone, I turned to Tracy to grill her.
“What’s going on tonight?” I asked.
“Just what Brook said, we’re going to her grandmother’s birthday party,” she said, and then smirked. “You did remember to get her a gift, didn’t you?”
“How was I supposed to know I needed to buy a gift? I can’t even imagine what her grandmother would want,” I complained.
“Maybe you should get her what you got me,” she teased.
“I don’t think Brook would appreciate me turning her grandmother over my knee and spanking her.”
Tracy waggled her eyebrows; I expected she would probably like getting spanked. Before we could take this conversation any farther, Brook returned with her date. I had to bite my tongue because I knew this guy. He had been Lydia’s date at the dance Paige took me to. Lydia was the girl who I hadn’t liked right away because she had a sharp tongue, but once I got to know her better, I’d discovered she was actually very intelligent and had a wicked sense of humor. Lydia had been there with this Ken Doll who was obviously just arm candy for the dance. I couldn’t remember what his name was.
“Ken, this is Tracy and David,” Brook said.
“Hey, I know you from somewhere,” Ken said.
It was all I could do not to laugh. How perfect was it that his name was Ken?
“Yeah, I met you and your girlfriend Lydia at a dance last fall,” I said. “How’s she doing?”
“She’s good,” Ken said.
Tracy reached over and punched me in the side. At the same time, Brook asked the burning question that was on her mind.
“Who’s Lydia?”
Ken looked confused for a minute, and then it began to dawn on him. I almost felt sorry for him.
“A girl I date now and then.”
I was impressed with Brook’s interrogation technique. She and Tami could certainly trade tips. Brook would be scary if she ever got my mom to tutor her. It didn’t help that Ken wasn’t very bright. By the time we arrived at the party, we had found out that Ken and Lydia were indeed a couple. Tracy and I kept quiet and enjoyed the show.
◊◊◊
When we pulled up to the estate, it reinforced what Brook had said about her family having money. I was pleasantly surprised when they were completely normal. Yes, Brook lived in a house that rivaled Teddy Wesleyan’s, but most everyone was in jeans. There were several dressed up, but it was split. And her grandmother was a hoot.
I was also impressed that instead of a catered affair, everyone had brought potluck. Brook’s dad was grilling steaks and chicken. He even had a smoker that had ribs in it. He was proud of his new smoker and showed me how it worked. When it was finally time to eat, I knew I was going to have to invest in one myself. He made the best ribs I’d ever had.
Brook’s aunt had made sheet cakes with a homemade cream cheese icing. I had to get the recipe. She used one box of cream cheese and a quarter stick of butter. She microwaved that for thirty seconds to get it soft and then added a cup of powdered sugar. She mixed it until it was smooth and then put a large can of pie filling into the icing and folded it in. She had used blueberry but assured me that most any pie filling would do. I tucked that one away for the next time I made a cake.
Brook and Tracy had abandoned me right after we arrived. Ken made the best of it by hitting on Brook’s cousins. I had a feeling that if Brook caught him at it, he might not live through the night. I decided to walk the grounds. They had a walking trail that wound around the estate.
“You must be David,” I heard from behind me.
“Yes. Brook and I go to school together,” I said, recognizing Brook’s mom.
“Walk with me,” she said as she took my arm, and we began our leisurely stroll.
Mrs. Davis must have been young when she had Brook. She wore jeans and looked comfortable. I wished Brook would have told me so I wouldn’t feel overdressed—not that it mattered, I guess, since Brook had picked out my clothes.
“What do you know of Ken?” she asked.
I smiled at her and shook my head.
“Not talking, are we?” she asked.
“No. I trust Brook to figure it out.”
“Smart man. So, what are your intentions towards my daughter?”
“I think that’s fairly evident since I brought a date. I’d like to be friends with her,” I said.
“Nothing more?” Mrs. Davis asked.
I stopped and looked her in the eye, and she smiled.
“I thought the father was the one to give potential boyfriends the third degree.”
“I will say I was a little nervous when I saw, what was it called? Oh yes, ‘the kiss.’ On top of that, all I hear is ‘David this’ and ‘David that.’ It makes a mother wonder. I’ve never seen a guy get under her skin so much.”
“You do realize that Brook would kill us both if she knew we were talking like this.”
“You might have a point, but I want to know all about you,” Mrs. Davis said.
“Only if you tell me all about Brook,” I shot back.
I’m not sure who got the better deal. I told Mrs. Davis about my family. She hadn’t realized I was related to Davey Dawson. Her father had been one of his major donors. She, in turn, told me about Brook. They had moved here over the summer. Brook’s dad was a political science professor at State.
◊◊◊
When we got back to the party, I received a text from Tracy.
‘Meet Us @ Cabin’
I didn’t even know there was a cabin. Mrs. Davis told me which trail to take. The trail led into the woods. There had to be motion sensors because as I walked along the path, LED lights would come on to illuminate the pathway. When I exited the forest, many lights came on to show me cabins right out of a fairy tale or a Hobbit movie. The lawn around them was lush and green, and behind them was a lake with a humongous old oak tree that had a rope hanging from one of its massive branches. I imagined hours of fun swinging out into the water.
I figured out which cabin it must be because the lights were on. I knocked, and a concerned Tracy answered the door. Instead of letting me in, she pushed me outside.
“Brook has Ken tied up in there,” she said, and now had my full attention. “She caught him kissing her cousin. She wants you to help punish him.”
“I’m not sure I want to be involved in kidnapping,” I worried. “Plus, while I think Ken has no character, that doesn’t mean I’m willing to give him a beatdown.”
“She wants you to show him what a real man can do in bed,” Tracy said.
I looked at Tracy like she was from another planet. Where do girls get these ideas? It had to be their way to tear down the male ego. I just shook my head.
“Before you say no, hear her out,” Tracy said as she guided me to the door. Once I was there, she turned to leave. “I’ll be at the main house when you’re done.”
I pushed the cabin door open and walked in.
“We’re in here,” Brook called out.
I followed her voice to a bedroom where I found Ken naked and duct-taped to a chair. He started to wiggle and moan pitifully when he saw me.
“This is such a bad idea,” I said.
“Ken deserves it. He’s is the biggest horndog I’ve ever met. He was trying to get into my fourteen-year-old cousin’s pants.”
I gave him a hard look. There were just some things I wouldn’t tolerate. One of them was an older guy preying on much younger girls. I also couldn’t stand a cheater. I’d had a front-row seat to what that did to a family. I walked up to Ken and ripped the tape off his mouth.