Brenda expressed surprise at finding Jason in the kitchen when she came downstairs after taking her shower. "Jeez, Jason, don't tell me you can cook," she said as she walked into the kitchen. "I didn't know guys did stuff like that."
"Some of us manage," Jason replied. "But it doesn't take a brain surgeon to make meatloaf."
"Tell my big sister that," Brenda snorted. "Talk about someone with zero cooking ability. She tried boiling water once and burned it. Believe me, any guy who plans to get hooked up with Sylvia better know how to cook, or he better have a lot of money so they can eat out a lot. She sure as heck isn't gonna feed him unless he's into cooking for himself or likes burned TV dinners."
Jason laughed. "Maybe you should be telling Paul that, not me," he said while he mixed the ingredients of the meatloaf together in a large bowl. "It doesn't look like that's anything I'm going to have to worry about."
"Yeah, I guess not," Brenda said. "Oh, well, maybe you'll find someone who can cook." She paused for a minute, then added, "You know, Mom's a terrific cook. She just doesn't get to do it much any more."
Jason turned and looked at Karen, who was standing next to the kitchen table. "Is she right?" he asked.
Karen blushed and said, "I can manage, as long as I have a good recipe to follow."
"Come on, Mom," Brenda chuckled. "You used to make all kinds of good stuff. You ought to taste her cherry pie, Jason. It's awesome. And, believe it or not, she makes the best Irish stew you've ever eaten. You know, Mom, you ought to make that while Jason's here. I bet he'll like it as much as I do."
"Maybe I will, honey," Karen said.
Brenda made a salad and Sylvia's mother peeled and cut up potatoes to make mashed potatoes while Jason finished the meatloaf and put it in the oven. While the meal was cooking, they played a game of "Hearts", which Jason won.
"Darn it, Jason," Brenda complained as she threw her cards on the table. "You're hustling us, aren't you? You win every game we play."
"I'm just lucky, I guess," Jason replied, grinning. "Maybe we ought to try a game of Bridge after we eat. I'm not as good at that."
"Yeah, sure, I bet," Brenda said.
Jason was mashing the potatoes and Karen and Brenda were setting out plates and silverware on the table when Sylvia and Paul walked in. "You mind if Paul stays for dinner, Mom?" Sylvia asked. She paused and sniffed. "God, what smells so good?"
"Jason made meatloaf," Brenda announced. "He says it's awesome."
"It sure smells good," Sylvia said. "Doesn't it, Paul?"
"Yeah, sure," Paul replied. He didn't look happy. "You can cook, too, Jonas? You got all kinda talents, doncha?"
"Hey, stupid, his name's Jason," Brenda snapped, surprising Jason.
"Yeah, sure, Jason, sorry, buddy," Paul mumbled.
"I'm not your 'buddy,' and I never will be," Jason thought while he finished mashing the potatoes and carried the bowl to the table. "Actually, if I'm lucky, I'll never see you again after I leave here."
Everybody, including Paul, made a big fuss over the meatloaf and, after the meal was finished, Paul and Sylvia immediately took off again. The fact that Paul had left cheered Jason up a little bit. He didn't like the way Sylvia's boyfriend leered at Sylvia's mother. And he was sure he'd smelled something on both Paul and Sylvia. It kind of smelled like burnt rope and, because of drug awareness class in school, he knew what that smell could mean. "Are they smoking pot?" he wondered. "I wouldn't doubt it. Nothing would surprise me about that jerk."
"You two can take a break, I'm washing the dishes," Karen told Brenda and Jason. "The two of you did most of the work cooking dinner, cleaning up is the least I can do."
"OK, Mom," Brenda said. "You sure don't have to twist my arm."
"You sure you don't want me to help?" Jason asked.
"No," Karen said. "I'll do it. You're spoiling me. God knows I normally have to wash dishes after every meal when you aren't here."
"All right," Jason said.
"Hey, Jason," Brenda said. "It isn't raining any more. You want to go down to the lake and watch the sunset with me?"
"Ah...OK," Jason replied.
The two of them walked out of the cabin, down to the edge of the lake, and stood on the shore watching while the sun sank slowly below the horizon, leaving a bright, colorful sky.
"You know what I said last night?" Brenda said as they stood there, staring across the lake at the sky.
Jason experienced a twinge of fear. "What do you mean?" he asked warily, even though he knew exactly what she was asking.
Brenda turned and gave him an "Are you dense or what?" look. "I mean about you having a thing for Mom," she said impatiently.
"Yeah, so?" he replied, wondering where their conversation was going.
"I saw the way you guys were looking at each other when I got home," she went on. She stopped talking and studied Jason's face carefully. Then she took a deep breath and asked, "Jason, is something going on between you and Mom?"
Shocked by the blunt question, Jason didn't know how to respond. "Ah...what...what the heck do you mean?" he stammered. "What could be going on between your Mom and me?"
Brenda turned away from him and shook her head, then she turned back. "Jesus, Jason, I'm not blind," she said. "I saw the same dreamy look on Mom's face today I saw on yours last night. And you had the same damn goofy look today. What the hell is going on with the two of you?"
"Come on, Brenda," Jason protested, "I don't have any idea what the heck you're getting at. Do you really think your mother and I are doing something?"
Brenda continued to look at him carefully. "Are you?" she asked softly.
Jason had no idea how to respond. He should lie to her; tell her that there was nothing going on between him and her mother, but lying was hard for him and always had been. And telling a lie that big would be nearly impossible. Fortunately for him, his debate training kicked in and he responded, "What, exactly, do you think your mother and I are doing?"
Brenda, who thought she was in control of the situation, seemed surprised by his response. "Jeez, well, I...I'm not sure," she stammered, looking flustered for the first time since they'd begun talking. "I...I...I'm not sure what I think."
"Well, it seems to me you're making some pretty serious accusations without any solid basis for them," Jason said. He hoped he'd put an end to this particular line of conversation. He decided to change the subject. "The sky's really pretty, isn't it? Must be it's that colorful because of the storm we had, huh?"
Brenda didn't seem to have heard him. "Mom and Dad aren't getting along," she said, her voice a little distant, almost as if she was talking to herself. "They haven't gotten along for as long as I can remember, really. I mean, Dad's drunk most nights by the time he gets home. And the sleep in separate beds, too. I always thought that was weird. I mean, nobody else's parents I know of sleep in separate beds. Do your parents do that, Jason?"
"Ah...no...they...they don't," he replied. Why the heck wouldn't she talk about something else?
"Heck, Mom's really pretty, don't you think?" Brenda said, surprising him.
"Ah...yeah...sure," Jason replied.
