Sidetracked by Dellani Oakes Part 64

The girls blushed.

“No, ma’am,” Inez said. “You don’t mind that I’m older?”

Deirdre shook her head. “I want him happy. If you do that, then I don’t mind.”

“Thank you.”

Their guests didn’t linger, but the young men walked the girls out to see them off, and stayed quite a while. When they returned, they were both smeared with lipgloss, which Deirdre politely ignored, though she did tell them to wash.

“Are you happy?” she asked when they came back.

She was seated in the recliner, alone in the living room. Fred was playing Call of Duty with his younger sons. They were yelling and swearing loudly in the den.

“Getting there,” Eoin said. “She’s not Wendy, but I believe she could be more.”

“Good. Keep it in your pants,” she ordered sternly.

“And if not, keep it wrapped,” the young men chorused.

“No more grandchildren until I’m fifty. That includes you,” she pointed at Eoin.

“Can’t promise that,” he said with a sly grin and a wink. “But perhaps I can wait until you’re forty. But if you think I’m waiting that long to have sex, you are, in fact, mistaken.”

Deirdre giggled, tossing her head back. “Duly noted. It does my heart good to see you both smile.”

Eoin got ready to go home a little later, promising to come by for dinner the next night. “I promise to eat you out of house and home.”

“I have so much food, even the Vacuum Brothers can’t suck it all down. Please, you would be doing me a favor. And a standing invitation for Sunday dinner, since you aren’t working.”

“Yes, Mum, I promise. And I’ll call when I get home.”

“Good. I’ve trained you well.”

Eventually, life got back to normal. A new principal replaced Harkness and another golf coach was found to step in for Bullock. Inez, Fonda and Eoin became fixtures around the house, and Deirdre worked furiously on her book. It wouldn’t be then next Great American Novel, but she was pleased with it.

Once she was out of her boot, she and Fred decided to go to Eoin’s show. He set them up with seats near the stage, and told them to order whatever they wanted. The management had agreed to cover their meal, as a thank you.

Excited as a girl going on her first date, Deirdre dressed for their night out. Her dress, chosen by Eoin, was a shimmery red, which offset her pale complexion and blonde hair. Her fancy, matching shoes, sported a stiletto heel, giving a graceful curve to her leg. When she walked into the living room, her boys snapped pictures of her, requiring more when she joined their father.

“Now I know what it’s like for you, on special occasions,” she teased. “Can we go now? We’ll be late.”

“Go,” Aiden said. “Have fun. Be good and don’t stay out late. I want you back here no later than two.” He slipped something into his father’s hand. “We don’t want any hiccups,” he said, dropping his voice to sound stern.

Fred chuckled when he saw a condom packet in his palm. He dropped it into Aiden’s pocket. “Thanks, but no.”

“Seriously, Dad. No more kids. I’m tired of the brothers I have, already.”

Laughing, their parents went out to the driveway. Climbing into the Jeep didn’t seem very classy, but Fred’s heap had now been given to Aiden.

Arriving at the club, they were treated like royalty. Stacy saw them to their table, at the point of the stage, where it jutted into the audience. All the servers came to say hello, and they were lavished with food and drinks. After his first Tom Collins, Fred switched to ginger ale. Deirdre had two Cosmos before the show started, but didn’t want anymore after that.

The lights dimmed and Eoin’s voice began, with no accompaniment. After the first few notes, a quiet guitar joined, then drums and organ. He seemed to caress the words as he sang, the lights slowly rising to show him standing alone on the stage. Dressed in sleek black pants, and a sparkling white silk tee shirt, he wasn’t in drag. The song, Arms of a Woman, wound to a close and the applause was deafening.

“Good evening, my friends,” he said, using his own mild tenor voice. “Forgive my dishabille, I promise Angelique will visit later. Tonight is very special for me, because two people, dear to my heart, have come to see us for the first time. Closer than my own parents, they have taken this strange Irishman to their hearts. Welcome, Deidre and Fred.” He gestured to them. “We have a very special show for them tonight, featuring some of their favorite songs. I have on good authority that my opening number is near the top of the list.”

© 2019 Dellani Oakes