I don’t know if Mom told you but I’m going to the Homecoming Dance this Friday. I’m going with a really nice guy who I think you would like if you ever met him. His name is Jason and he is adorable! I sent you a picture of me in the dress I’m going to wear to the dance. Isn’t it cute?
I overheard Mom talking to her friend, Karen, and she was telling her about you dating some woman who I could tell Mom doesn’t like. Dad, I really do wish you guys would get back together but I know it may not ever happen so I want you to know that I’m not mad at you or anything. You have your own life now and I guess if you want to go out with a lady other than Mom, it’s your business.
Mom will probably kill me if she ever finds out I told you what I’m about to say. She’s actually going out with some guy! She tells me that they’re just friends but I’m not a fool-I know there’s probably more going on than that! I met him the other day when he came over for dinner. His name is Jerry Rankin or something like that and I can tell you right now, Dad, that I don’t like him. So you don’t have to worry about any competition with Mom. He’s pretty nice looking, I guess, but he’s a real dweeb!(I think you’d call him a square.) He tries to act real cool, like he knows all about teenagers and everything, but I think it’s all just a big act to impress Mom. Anyway, I’m telling you this so if Mom keeps going out with this guy and tells you about him, you’ll know that he’s not even in your league and that I’ll never like him, so don’t worry about that.
Well, I’d better go now. I love you, Daddy, very, very much. And I miss you very much, too. Write to me or call me and let me know when we’re getting together again, o. k?
Love,
Amy
Sam smiled to himself as he folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope. It was more than obvious that his daughter had better taste in men than her mother did. This Jerry character sounded like a real prize-probably some fucking muscle-bound yuppie that spends most of his free time working out at the local health spa and the rest of the time with his nose buried in the Wall Street Journal.
Sam examined the picture of Amy again and felt a pang of apprehension as he considered how much his little girl had grown up in the last year. She was a beautiful young woman now-no longer the cute little girl in pigtails she used to be. She resembled Ann even more than ever-the same long, thick auburn hair, the same fair skin and now, the same flawlessly proportioned body.
He could only pray that she remained a virgin for at least another half dozen years…
Sam carried the snapshot with him into the den and stood it up on the mantle, near the antique kerosene lamp he’d recently picked up at a flea market. He then went over to the phone, checked the time-it was only 6:15-and doubted if Amy had left for the dance yet. He began dialing Ann’s number and stopped himself midway, recalling that she had a new number now. Swearing under his breath, he dug into his wallet and found the slip of paper where he had jotted down the new unpublished telephone number.
Amy answered on the second ring. “Hello?”
“Hi, kiddo! I just got done reading your letter-when are you leaving for the big dance?”
“Hi, Dad! Well, the game starts at 7:30 and Jason’s picking me up at around 7:15,” his daughter replied excitedly.
“He’s old enough to drive?” Sam said, beginning to smell a rat.
“Uh, yeah-isn’t that cool?”
“Yeah, I guess it is. So I assume that Jason is a sophomore?” Sam asked guardedly.
A brief pause, then, “Well, no. He’s sort of a junior.”
Christ, Sam thought. Does Ann know this?
“I see,” he said. “Has your mother met Jason yet?”
“No, but she will soon…”
Sam felt his pulse quickening more by the second as he tried to digest all of this. Here was his little 14-year-old-girl going out with a guy two years older who no doubt would love nothing better than to take advantage of her naive innocence. Had Ann lost her mind?
Struggling to keep his composure, he said, “This Jason fellow doesn’t drink, does he, Amy?” No, of course not, he thought to himself-and bears don’t shit in the woods, either.
“Oh no, Daddy! He’s on the soccer team-Jason’s an athlet e!”
There’s your answer… “And is he a safe driver?”
Amy chuckled. “He drives like an old lady! I know, because he’s brought me home from school a few times. Quit worrying, Dad! I’ll be fine!”
“Well, just be a good girl, sweetie-that’s all I ask. And have a good time. Is your mother around?”
“She’s in the bathroom right now,” she replied. Amy lowered her voice to a near-whisper. “She’s getting ready for a big date with Mr. Rankin.”
Sam’s blood pressure went up another notch. “Oh, is that so?”
“Yeah,” was the whispered reply. “And he’s taking her to his country hideaway tomorrow.”
Sam was stunned. It was one thing for Ann to be dating some yuppie asshole, but to be openly shacking up with him under his daughter’s nose was an absolute outrage.
“And where might this little hideaway be, sweetie?” he asked in a conspiratorial whisper.
“I don’t know for sure-somewhere in Hocking County… don’t tell her I told you!”
“I won’t, Honey. I would like to talk to her, though. Why don’t you see if she can come to the phone now, okay?”
“You’re gonna tell her, aren’t you? Please, Dad, swear you won’t!”
“I am not going to tell her-I promise. I want to talk to her about something else.”
“Okay. I’ll see if she’s out of the tub yet,” Amy said and set the phone down.
A moment later, Amy returned. “She’ll be here in a minute. I guess I’d better get off-I need to start getting ready.”
“Have a great time tonight, kiddo.”
“Thanks, Daddy. And don’t worry about me-I’ll be fine! Bye!”
Amy dropped the phone and a few seconds later Ann got on. “Hello Sam, what’s up?” she said.
“I’d like to know what you’re doing letting my daughter go out with a fucking man is what’s up!” Sam lashed out.
“Settle down, Sam!” Ann exclaimed. “First of all, Jason’s not a man-he’s only seventeen years old! And second of all, I don’t think you realize just how much this dance means to Amy. She’s been moodier than hell lately and hasn’t exactly been an angel with her chores or schoolwork, either. But ever since she’s been asked to this dance, she’s been cheerful and happy for a change and I’m not about to ruin it for her. Besides that, it’s only a dance, Sam, not an orgy! I’ve told her that there is to be no drinking and that she is to be home no later than eleven-thirty. Plus, I’ve asked around about this Jason boy and from what I’ve heard, he’s a nice young man. Now, do you have any more criticism as to how I should be raising my child?”
Ann always had a knack for making him feel like a turd. “No, Ann, I don’t,” he managed to say. “I’m just concerned about her, that’s all. It would have been nice, though, if you would have at least discussed this with me beforehand.”
“You’re right about that and I apologize,” was all she said.
Sam wanted to put in a few cents more but decided against it. He had argued with Ann enough lately and simply wasn’t in the mood to argue any more. Besides that, he had to get on the road as soon as possible. “Well, I’ll let you go then,” he said. “Do you know if Amy will be there tomorrow evening?”
“Probably not until late-that’s a Saturday night. Why?” Ann said.
“I was thinking about calling her to see how the dance went, that’s all. I’m getting ready to go out of town on an assignment and I won’t be back until some time tomorrow evening.”
“Well, I should be home by ten at the latest, so one of us will be here anyway. You know how Amy is-she doesn’t make any plans until the last minute.”