Ch73: Undo the Love magic

“Great game, Wesley,” Donny said.

“So, you actually watched this time?” Wes asked.

“I did,” Donny lied,  not looking his son in the eye. 

“So, Janet kept you off your cell?” Wes said, grinning at her, and she also avoided his eyes. 

“It was me,” Wendy said, bouncing into the kitchen wearing snug jeans and a tight fitting top. “He couldn’t possibly talk on the phone when I was constantly chatting with him. Wes, it was a great game. Ooh, I have something for you.” 

She went for her purse and rummaged through it until she extracted a baseball cap. She put it on his head then made a face. “That’s no good. It’ll flatten your curls, but your dad said it was better than throwing it into the mud.”

Wes looked bewildered, taking the hat and looking at it. “Uh…why would you toss it in the mud?”

“Jasmine told me that’s what you do for hat tricks. Was she wrong?” Wendy asked.

Wes laughed. “Oh, I see. Thanks, Ms. Meadows.”

“You’re quite welcome. Well, dinner’s ready,” she said. “Call everyone in. It’s buffet style so grab a plate and serve yourself. You want fancy table service, you’ll have to come to my restaurant for it.”

“Coming through! Hungry guy coming through!” Troy shouted pushing everyone out of his way. He grabbed a plate and started piling food on it as if he were feeding three people.

Donny grabbed Wendy by the shoulders and pulled her to safety before she got run over.

“Thanks,” she said, laughing. “You better get in there. With Troy around, there may not be any left for us.”

“Oh, Mom, you can feed an army with all this,” Janet said, as she spooned a small amount of everything onto her own plate. “Even Troy can’t eat it all.”

“I’m gonna try though,” Troy said—or rather he tried to —his mouth being stuffed full there was no telling what he actually said.

“This is awfully nice, Ms. Meadows,” Cindy said. “Isn’t it, Daddy?”

“Absolutely,” he replied. “Do you often feed strays off the street?”

“Yes, always” Janet and Jasmine simultaneously spoke.

Donny laughed. “In stereo. I like it!”

Wendy handed him a plate. “They do come in handy when the radio breaks.”

When all plates were full and all sitting around the table, chatter bounced across the table  like multiple ping-pong balls in simultaneous play. The only two not talking much were Janet and Wes. Each slowly ate as they watched their parents who were laughing and joking as if they’d known each other forever.

“Janet, did you do that?” Wes whispered.

“Uh, no,” she said. “Not on purpose anyway.”

“I know I said I wanted my dad happy and it is good to see him talking and stuff, but…” Wes stopped to look at them again. “But I didn't expect him to like your mom.”

“He can’t. She’s still married,” Janet fiercely said.

“But that doesn’t always stop people, Janet” Wes said, frowning. “Damn,why couldn’t it be any other woman?”

“I thought you liked my mom,” Janet said, and now she was frowning, too.

“You know I do, but I don’t want her to be my step-mom. That would make you my sister and you can’t date your sister!” he said.

 “Whoa! Let’s not jump the gun, here, Wes. They only just met.”

“Look at them. What did you tell them? You must have done your yenta thing without knowing it.”

“Gees, Wes, you act as if I have a magic love wand. That’s not what I do. I don’t conjure up love from thin air. I just asked my mom to keep your dad company while I…uh…”

“Talked to those kids?” Wes said. “I saw you. You obviously shouldn't have left them alone.”

“It was only for a little bit,” she lied.

“I saw you talking to the skank squad, too. You really shouldn’t. They’re nothing but trouble,” he said.

“Yeah, Jasmine told me,” Janet said, nervously looking at him. “They wanted me to set you up with them.”

He grimaced. “Thank God I have you. They’ll leave me alone now.”

“Uh, don’t count on it,” she replied.

“Why not? You did tell them we’re together now, didn’t you?”

“Uh, well, no... but it wouldn’t have mattered, cuz they didn’t care that Jasmine and Troy are together, so…”

“Janet, are you ashamed of having me for a boyfriend?” he asked.

“No! I never said that.”

“Would you prefer me as a brother then? Step brother?” he asked pointedly.

“Heck no!”

“Then you better fix this. Undo the yenta thing.”

She gaped at him then turned to her mother and Donny. They did look entirely too close for comfort. Undo the yenta thing? And how, pray tell, was she to do that?

* * * * *

“Janet, I seem to remember you telling us it was Jasmine who lost the top to her swim suit,” Donny said, smirking at her.

With dinner over, they were now in the living room watching a picture CD of their vacation to Mexico and Wendy had just told them, when they got to the beach photos, the story of the rough waves ripping the tops off unsuspecting girls, namely Janet who was the only one brave enough to go into the water.

“Oh, she did, did she!” Jasmine indignantly shouted. 

“I may have forgotten how it went,” Janet muttered, blushing slightly.

Troy roared with laughter. “Oh, man, I wish I had been there!” he said.

“Really?” Jasmine said, glaring at him. “You want to see my sister topless?”

 “Well, yeah…I mean...no, not Janet! I just want to see you topless,” he insisted.

“I really didn’t need to hear that,” Wendy said, making funny face at Donny who laughed.

“So it was you flashing the guys on the beach, huh?” Wes whispered, putting his arm around Janet. “I would’ve loved to have seen that.”

“You’ll have to be satisfied with that,” she said pointing to the photo of her in a bikini. “It’s as close to naked as I ever get.”

“Hey, Dad,” Wes said, loudly. “Let’s take Janet back to Mexico.”

“Not a chance. Mexico is off limits. There’s a travel advisory there,” Donny sternly said. “But we can try Puerto Rico. Don’t even need a pass port to get there.”

“Really, Daddy? We can go? All of us together?” Cindy said excitedly, grabbing Steve’s arm. "We could have so much fun!"

“We can think about it,” Donny replied, casting a furtive and hopeful glance at Wendy.

“Thinking about it isn’t enough, Donny. You have to just do it,” Wendy said. “It was the only way to get my sister May to come with us. The tickets and everything were already bought and paid for, so she had no choice but to come. Wes, you have my permission to set everything up. We’d love to come, all of us! I just hope our bathing suits stay in place this time.”

“Oh, where’s the fun in that?” Donny said and they both burst out laughing.

Wes cast a horrified glance at Janet. He could have kicked himself and it became apparent to him Janet was of the same mindset. 

“Undo the yenta thing, huh? With you helping me like this, you may as well call me little sis already,” she snapped.

“Sorry…wasn’t thinking,” he mumbled.

“Obviously!” she said.

Just then the phone rang and Wendy got off the couch to answer it, Donny following her with his eyes.

“Hello,” she spoke cheerfully into the phone. “Hi, Lydia. Your long-lost son, huh? Can you describe him for me?”  She giggled and winked at Troy.

“Mom’s looking for me,” Troy sadly said. “Guess it’s time to go home.”

Donny glanced at his watched and nearly swallowed his tongue. “Holy moly, it’s late!”

“Yes, Lydia, I will banish your son from my home…at least until morning when I expect him to breakfast as usual,” Wendy said waving to Troy who waved back and headed out to the foyer with Jasmine in tow for a proper and private goodbye kiss.

“Congratulations? What for?... Oh, the restaurant! How did you know about it?... Jeffery told John? Okay.” Wendy listened, her expression one of surprise. “Yes, I...I suppose so. That is what he keeps telling me. I know, but I’m just not ready… not yet anyway.”

 Wendy caught Donny staring at her and a funny yet familiar feeling started somewhere within. She smiled and he smiled back and there it was again, a funny little flutter in her chest. It had been a long time since she felt that and it felt nice. 

“Listen Lydia, I gotta get going. I have guests here. Yes, you know Wes and his…yes, all right. See you soon. Bye!” She hung up and went to stand by Donny.

“Sorry, about that, but it seems I can’t keep my strays all the time. Their proper owners often want them back,” she said.

Donny laughed and he stood up. “It’s very late and we should be going, too. We had a wonderful time, Wendy. I can’t thank you enough.”

“Oh, I think you just did,” she replied holding out her hand.

He gladly took it and they stared at each other for a good long minute. Donny searched for something to say, something to prolong this pleasant little interlude, but nothing came to him.

“Kids, time to go,” he halfheartedly said, still holding her hand and still looking at her pretty face.

“I always have such fun here. Thank you, Ms. Meadows. You’re the best, don’t you think so, Daddy?” Cindy said, hugging Wendy tightly.

“You bet,” he said, finally releasing her hand. He suddenly wish he could hug Wendy like that.

“You’re very welcome, Sweetie,” Wendy said, kissing her cheek. “I’ll see you at breakfast, and why don't you bring your daddy, too, okay?”

“Really?” Cindy said, her large dark eyes growing even bigger.

“Yes, really. Like I said, I collect strays,” Wendy said, grinning at the delighted look on Cindy’s face and the surprised one on Donny’s.

Cindy gave her another hug and then waved to Steve. “See you tomorrow, Steve.”

“Wait!” Steve said and he followed her out to the car.

Donny looked around and saw Wes and Janet kissing. “Time to go, Wesley,” he said.

“Five more minutes,” Wes said.

“Now, Wesley. It’s late and we don’t want to overstay our welcome, do we?”

“Oh, you’ve already done that!” Wendy said, smirking.

Wes glared at his dad then grabbed Janet’s hand and took her out to the porch. There he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her until they were quite breathless. 

“Know what I’m dreaming about tonight?” he asked.

“Uh…getting another hat trick?” Janet said.

He grinned and shook his head. “I’m gonna dream of white sand beaches with big waves and you without the top of your bathing suit and maybe without the bottoms too.”

“You nasty boy!” she said, slapping his chest and laughing.

He kissed her again, but this time they didn’t get a chance to get winded.

“Wesley,” Donny said. “Say good night and let’s go.”

“Dad, I have my car,” he said.

“Yes, and I will be following you all the way home. Good night, Janet. Thank you for a lovely evening,” Donny said and he waited for Wes to do the same.

“You’re kidding me, right?” Wes said. “I can’t say goodbye to my girlfriend in private?”

Donny nodded. “You just did.”

Wes sighed and whispered in her ear, “I love you, Janet. Good night.” He then bounded down the steps.

“Good night, Mr. Sebastian,” she said.

“Good night, Janet. See you in the morning,” Donny said.

“Wait, what?” Wes said, turning at the bottom step and staring up at his father.

“Uh, in the morning?” Janet asked.

“Yes, your mother just invited me to breakfast,” Donny said, smiling. “She really is a lovely, generous person. I now know where you get it from, Janet. Come on, Wesley. It’s way past Cindy’s bedtime.”

Wes and Janet exchanged horrified looks, then he went back up the steps and whispered in her ear, “You have to do something.”

“Wesley!” Donny shouted.

 “Coming, Dad.” Wes kissed her one last time, then ran down the steps and hopped into his car.

“Yeah, undo the yenta thing, I must,” Janet muttered to herself, not realizing she sounded just like Yoda.