We talked a couple of times during the week by phone, but I stayed off the subject of sex. I played it cool, and that Saturday night I found myself on her stoop again. Since I didn't know what she was serving, I was carrying a bottle of red and a bottle of white.
This time, Katie answered the door, and there was a young man standing behind her in the living room. Her greeting was friendly, if not a little stiff. I wasn't sure whether she didn't like me, or she just lacked the social graces that came so natural to her sister and mother.
"Uncle Dan this is Ryan," she introduced us as I entered the house.
"Hi Ryan," I smiled. He was a big guy, even taller than my six-foot frame, and he struck me as being very reserved.
"Hi," was all he said.
"Mom is in the kitchen," Katie continued.
"Well let me go in and say hello." I excused myself and walked past them on my way to the kitchen.
Trish was leaning against the kitchen counter a glass of wine in her hand and talking to Aileen and a young boy.
"Oh Hi," Trish's face lit up as soon as she saw me. Aileen smiled too, and the boy just stood there looking awkward.
"Hi," I said as I held up the two bottles of wine. "I'm glad I brought two, since you have already started."
"First of all," Trish said feigning indignation. "This is my first glass, and second of all, you are late. You were supposed to be here at seven."
She walked around the kitchen table to greet me. She had on a floral print blouse over a white camisole type tee shirt and a denim skirt. Her blouse was conservative and the tee shirt showed just a hint of cleavage.
"I know. I'm sorry," I said exasperated. "I got held up at work."
"Look at you," she said as she approached me and brushed my hair with her hand. "You're all windblown."
"I had all of the windows open in the car. I hate air conditioning."
Trish gave me a kiss on the cheek, and before she moved away from me she whispered, "You look cute."
I tried not to let the surprise and satisfaction show on my face. "All you ladies look very pretty tonight," I said looking around the room. Katie had come in the room behind me.
"Uncle Dan," Aileen spoke up. "This is my friend Chaz."
"Oh so this is the infamous Chaz," I said with an accusatory tone.
"What?" The boy said surprised.
"Uncle Dan!" Aileen was mortified.
Trish had a big smile on her face seeing her youngest daughter in such a predicament.
"It's nice to finally meet you Chaz," I said as I held out my hand.
"It's nice to meet you too, sir." The boy shook my hand.
"So what did you make for dinner?" I tried to break an awkward silence in the room. The two girls laughed, and Aileen almost spat out her drink.
"Mom doesn't cook," Katie said sarcastically.
"She doesn't even know where the stove is," Aileen added with glee.
"That's not true, smart ass," Trish said with a tight smile. "I put the take-out in the oven to keep it warm." And with that we all laughed.
"Okay, all of you comediennes help me get dinner out to the table," Trish instructed her girls. "You boys go sit in the dinning room. Dan," she addressed me with a warm smile." Do you want a glass of wine?"
The six of us sat at the big dinning room table, with candles and a tablecloth, eating take-out on paper plates. So much for my classy sister.
The conversation after dinner was entertaining with Trish and the girls monopolizing most of it. Ryan spoke, but only when Katie let him, and Chaz just looked intimidated by the whole situation.
"So Chaz," I spoke up when the girls finally came up for air. "What are your intentions with my niece?"
"Uncle Dan!" Aileen looked like she was going to crawl under the table. Trish, on the other hand, smiled contentedly, and Katie just looked stunned, but Ryan, of all people cracked a wry smile.
"I don't know." Chaz said to me politely, and then he turned to Aileen. "What are my intentions?"
Wow, I thought, I like this kid. He took an unenviable, awkward situation and turned it back on the girl, who undoubtedly had been pulling his chain.
Aileen looked back at him contritely, "I don't know."
I had been just looking to embarrass my niece and this boy, and now it turned out to be a touching moment.
"Why don't you two excuse yourselves, and go out and talk," Trish said in her best motherly voice. "Katie, you and I can clear the table."
"What do I do?" I asked sarcastically.
"You just sit there, and try not to embarrass anyone else."
After dinner Katie and Ryan said goodnight, for they were going out on a date. Aileen and Chaz were still out in the back talking. Trish and I sat in at the dinning room table and had some more wine.
"Where are you staying now," Trish asked.
"I'm renting a room not too far from here."
"Only a room. Is money that tight?"
"No nothing like that. It's walking distance to town, and close enough to the boys and mom."
"You know, I have a separate apartment in the house."
"I remember."
"It's not much, but it's better than just a room. Do you want it?"
"Don't you have someone in there now?"
"I did, but I had to get rid of him."
"I can't afford much until I know what the settlement will be."
"Whatever you can afford. Whatever you give me is better than what I'm getting now."
Now, several comments came to mind with the opening she had just given me, but they all sounded crude and juvenile in my mind, so I just gave a wink and a nod.
"Thanks, that sounds great" The thought of being closer to her was tantalizing. With that, Aileen and Chaz came in from outside.
"Hi," Aileen sounded happy. "Whatcha guys talkin' about."
"I just offered Uncle Dan the apartment."
"Wow! That's great!" Aileen actually sounded excited. "Remember the last guy we had. He was creepy. I couldn't sunbathe in the backyard, without wondering if he was spying on me."
"I'm not creepy?" I asked tongue in cheek.
"No, you just like to make people uncomfortable," Aileen remarked.
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Aileen said intently. "It was something that we needed to talk about."
"So?" Trish asked.
Aileen looked at Chaz, and he smiled back. "I guess that I have to talk to Justin."
"Who is Justin?" I turned to Trish.
"Justin is Aileen's boyfriend," Trish explained tolerantly.
"Well if Justin is Aileen's boyfriend, then who the hell is Chaz?" I mocked.
"Uncle Dan?" Aileen said exasperated.
"Shut the hell up," Trish admonished me.