Two weeks later, I had just walked in the door from school when mom told me that I had received a phone call and that she had wrote the number down next to the phone. I didn’t recognize the number at all, so when I called it back and got some official sounding office, I nearly hung up the phone without saying anything.
“Hello?” an average sounding male voice on the other end repeated for the third or fourth time before I finally said something.
“Hello, this is Max Riddle. I think someone called me from this number earlier?” I said nervously.
“Oh yes!” the man said sounding much more upbeat, “Please hold while I transfer your call.”
I was used to getting put on hold. That happens whenever I try to call my dad at his office.
“Hello Max!” a woman’s voice sang into my ear.
I knew the voice, but it took me a second or two to place it.
“Mrs. Orric?” I said, unsure if I had guessed right or not.
“That’s right Max!” She sang again and I couldn’t help thinking how unlike Mrs. Orric she sounded.
“Max, I have got to meet with you as soon as possible. I have some wonderful news for you.” She said.
“You do? I mean…” I couldn’t finish my thought. My brain was working in overdrive, but I was still confused.
“How about this evening? We can talk over dinner.” She said, but before I could reply, she added, “I won’t take no for an answer Max! And be sure to wear something nice. A suit and tie, if you would.”
I could hear a bunch of noise in the background that sounded a lot like a busy shopping mall or somewhere like that.
“Uh, I’ll have to ask my parents first.” I said.
“Absolutely Max! You do that; I will hold.” Mrs. Orric said, and then it sounded like she was talking to someone else wherever she was at. “No, no! It mustn’t have any writing or pictures.”
Confused and nervous I put the phone down on the counter and went searching for mom, but instead, I found my dad. He was just walking in the front door.
“You’re home early.” I told him and then I explained to him about how Mrs. Orric, the Mayor’s wife, wanted to take me to dinner. Needless to say, Dad was pretty much stunned.
“You know the Mayor’s wife?” he asked.
“Um, yeah.” I said feeling almost guilty, because he didn’t have a clue as to how I had met her in the first place and there was no way I was going to tell him either. In the end I told him, that I’d met her and her son at the movies.
“As long as we know where you’re going and when you’ll be back. I don’t see why you shouldn’t go.” Dad said, and I could tell that he was both impressed and proud that I was rubbing shoulders with someone so important.
I went back to the phone, picked it up and put it to my ear. There was even more commotion in the background than before.
“If they want that much money, tell them, we’ll have to pass. No wait; tell them, that we’re in negotiations with another company at half the price they are offering and see, what they say to that.” I heard Mrs. Orric saying.
“Mrs. Orric?” I said into the phone.
“Oh Max, is everything set then?” She asked, sounding overly sweet.
“Uh, my dad said it was okay.” I said, still feeling like my stomach was doing flip-flops like a fish out of water.
“That is wonderful! I will send my driver to pick you up in say, two hours?” she said. “Okay, bye-bye!” and then she hung up.
I hung up our phone and turned to see mom and dad looking at me with expectant eyes. I guessed, that dad had already told mom about the Mayors wife wanting to take me to diner.
“Well?” Mom said when I didn’t say anything.
“Sh-she’s sending her driver to pick me up in two hours.” I said, as that thought finally sunk in. “She also said I should wear a suit and tie.”
I showered, combed my hair, put on my best suit and one of my father’s ties, while mom polished my shoes for me. They kept asking questions like, I wonder what she wants? Or they would ask me about meeting her the first time. Stuff like that.
Dad also told how he had met the mayor and even once met his wife, but he’d never been asked to dinner.
Waiting for the driver to arrive was agonizing, but finally, a long black car pulled up in front of the house and I knew that must be for me.
“Do you have your phone?” Mom asked.
Dad stopped me as I was going out the door and handed me a wad of cash. “Just in case you need it.” He said, stuffing it into my sweaty hands.
It was kind of overcast as I stepped out of our house and walked down to the black car. I don’t think it was a limousine, it wasn’t that long, but it was still longer than your average car and the inside was all black leather with really nice black carpet on the floor.
I tried to ask the driver if he knew why Mrs. Orric wanted to see me, but all he said was that he had been instructed to pick me up and take me to the Pine Club.
“What’s the Pine Club?” I asked him.
“It is a very nice restaurant.” He said and then added, “Too fancy for my liking, but then again, I’m happy with a beer and some wings.”
As I exited the car, I saw that the sign on the front of the building read, “The Landmark Pine Club since 1947” and just from the outside of the building, I knew that I was way out of my element.
As I stood there I mumbled myself, “You’re not in Kansas anymore Maxwell Riddle!”
A gentleman was standing outside and greeted me as I walked up to the door, “Good evening Mr. Riddle. I am Mrs. Orric’s personal assistant, Oscar Huggins.”
I stuck my hand out to shake while wondering how he knew it was me. Then the car pulled away and felt stupid. Of course he knew who I was, I just got out of the car Mrs. Orric had sent for me.
“Hello Mr. Huggins.” I said.
“Oh no, please call me Oscar.” He said as he showed me into the restaurant.
A lady in a fancy long draping black dress took my coat and things and when she walked away with them, I asked Oscar. “Uh, how will she know which coat is mine?”
Oscar smiled knowingly, “It is their job to remember these things.”
My eyes were working overtime to take in all the wonder that is the Pine Club. I’d never been to such a ritzy place before. Heck, a few minutes ago, I hadn’t even heard of the Pine Club.
Mrs. Orric had spotted me coming before I had seen her. She walked over to me and dismissed Oscar.
“Max, my dear boy,” she gave me a full embracing hug before saying, “I have a wonderful surprise for you tonight! But first, I want you to meet some friends of mine.”
“Max, this is Sharon Monroe. She’s married to Judge Cartwright Monroe.” A lady with long dark hair and probing eyes stood and shook my hand.
“It is a pleasure to finally meet you Mr. Riddle.” She said.
“Oh please Sharon, call him Max.” Mrs. Orric said, putting one arm around the small of my back, and with the other hand patting the middle of my chest and asked me, “You don’t mind if we’re unceremonious here, do you?”
I shook my head because I thought that is what was expected, but to be honest, I wasn’t sure what she had meant by what she had said.
“This is Herriot Johanna, and her husband is the Lieutenant Governor of Ohio.”
I was sweating like a turkey on Thanksgiving-eve, so I wiped my hand on my trousers before presenting it to Mrs. Johanna to shake.
“P-pleasure to meet you.” I said, moderately showing how nervous I really was.
“Max, relax!” Mrs. Orric said, putting that same hand on my chest again, “We are all friends here.”
There were two other ladies at the table. Mrs. Orric introduced me to them as well.
“And this is Roxanne Stenenbaulm.” Mrs. Orric said, and not really thinking, I said, “Stenenbaulm? I think I’ve heard that name before.”
She stepped away from the table, walked around and took my hand, “I should imagine so, Max.” she said in a calm and familiar voice.
“Doctor Stenenbaulm?!” I exclaimed, “You were the doctor that took care of me when I came into the hospital a couple months ago.”
She smiled, “How’s your head?”
Instinctively, my hand went to the back of my head, “Uh, fine! Hardly having anymore headaches. Uh, if you don’t mind me saying so, you sure look a lot different than you did in the hospital.”
She smiled and the other ladies all chuckled at my remark.
“I’ll take that as a complement.” She said.
I think, I may have blushed a little at that.
“You two already know each other! That is so very wonderful!” Mrs. Orric proclaimed with sincere delight.
As Doctor Stenenbaulm moved back to her seat, Mrs. Orric directed me to a fairly attractive older woman with heavily tanned skin, which said to me, that she had recently returned from somewhere tropical. She also had shoulder, length salt-and-pepper hair, and seemed extremely dignified, even more so than the company of women she kept. She was at least twice the age of the other ladies, but just as energetic.
“Max, this is Genevieve Killington.” Mrs. Orric said, as the regal woman took my hand and looked deeply into my eyes.
“Killington?” I said, feeling weak in the knees and trying to keep my hands from trembling at her touch.
I should explain that the Killington family is well known, even to someone like me. The Killington family is the one that the town of Killington, Ohio was named for, long before I was even born. If you go Downtown Dayton, the Killington Tower is the tallest high-rise and its shining black walls stand out against the concrete and glass skyline.
Doctor Stenenbaulm spoke up and said with an air of humor, “I think, we better let Max sit down before he falls down.”
Mrs. Killington took hold of my bicep and gave it a squeeze. She looked at the other ladies and said, “Oh, he’s cute and he’s got muscles.”
Doctor Stenenbaulm spoke again, “Yes Genevieve, I’ve seen them for myself. Now let the boy sit-down.”
As I turned away from Mrs. Killington to take the chair that Mrs. Orric was directing me to, I suddenly jumped as I felt a hand on my butt. I spun around and saw Mrs. Killington looking at me as if I was a chilidog and she was the dog who hadn’t eaten in a week.
“He’s got a nice bottom too.” She giggled.
“Genevieve!” Mrs. Orric said in a chastising tone.
“What,” Mrs. Killington said, “I’m not dead yet, Dotty!”
When she realized that Mrs. Orric was sitting me two seats away from her, she protested, “Why are you putting him way over there?”
“Because, the boy doesn’t need you pawing all over him while he tries to eat.” Mrs. Johanna said.
I remember thinking to myself how prim and proper Mrs. Killington looked and, I found it extremely difficult, that such a refined looking woman could act so… animalistic!
Mrs. Orric then shared, “I do wish Holley could have been here.”
“She’s really having a hard time with this pregnancy.” Doctor Stenenbaulm said.
“The poor thing must be scared to death that she’ll loose this one too.” Mrs. Johanna, I mean Herriot, said.
“To lose two children so late in the pregnancies like she has.” Sharon said followed by a heavy sigh.
“I saw her and her kids this morning,” Mrs. Killington said, “She looked really good, lots of color in her cheeks. Mind you, her oldest son could use a bit of the belt though for the way he’s turned out. Give me a month with that boy and I’d straighten him out!”
As the ladies where exchanging gossip, something was gnawing at me, and then I realized what it was. I turned to Mrs. Orric and asked her, “I don’t suppose you mean Mrs. Kim, do you?”
All five of the ladies looked utterly shocked at my question.
Mrs. Killington blasted out with a hearty, “You know Holley?”
I nodded, “Yeah, I met her son Joji at the movies just a couple weeks ago. She gave us all a ride home from the movie because it was raining. But I didn’t know she was pregnant.”
“Oh, now there’s a fine boy if I ever saw one!” Mrs. Killington said proudly. “A lot like his father, that Joji.
Sharon added, “Let’s hope he doesn’t turn out to be such a lousy husband when he grows up.”
Mrs. Killington let loose a room shaking laugh, “I can guarantee you that he won’t be a lousy husband!”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mrs. Orric asked.
“Dotty,” Mrs. Killington said, trying to squelch any nerves that may have been trodden upon, “The boy doesn’t have any interest in girls.”
Doctor Stenenbaulm joined in with, “It’s not just playful fun that keeps him chasing after the other boys.”
Mrs. Orric put a hand above her chest and gasped, “I-I never had a clue.” She leaned forward, “Really?”
Mrs. Killington laughed as she said, “Fruitier than a fruit basket.”
I had no idea I said anything until after I had asked, “You mean Joji’s gay?”
Harriot, I mean Mrs. Johanna raised her eyebrows at me, “You mean you didn’t notice?”
“Well, I didn’t really get to spend much time getting to know him really.” I said in my own defense.
A waiter came to our table; at least I assumed he was the waiter, because all the guys in that place were wearing nearly identical black suits with black shirts and ties. If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought I was hanging out with the Sicilian Mafia or something.
“I see your guest has finally arrived, ladies,” he said, giving me a welcoming nod.
“What happened to our other waiter?” Mrs. Killington asked.
“That is the same waiter Genevieve.” Mrs. Monroe said with a hint of annoyance.
Mrs. Killington reached out without him seeing her do so and cupped his left buttocks just as she had mine. “Oh yes, that’s him alright.” She said smiling and nodding.
Everyone at the table, myself included, turned about twenty shades of red. Doctor Stenenbaulm chose to hide her face in her hands as Mrs. Johanna shook her head disapprovingly. The waiter simply smiled and laughed it off with a very funny comment, “Mrs. Killington, I’ve told you before that you can’t have desert before dinner.”
Mrs. Killington got a real kick out of that. “Well, then stop standing around looking all sorts of beautiful and bring us something to eat.” And she popped him one on the butt to drive home her point.
I guess, when you have more money than anyone else in town, and you get as old and senile as Mrs. Genevieve Killington, you can get away with groping waiters in a fine restaurant like the Pine Club. However, I didn’t buy for a second that she was as senile as she acted. There was too much life in those eyes of hers. I think she acted like that because she knew she could get away with the sort of things she was doing.
Mrs. Orric, uh… Dotty, as she insisted on being called now, ordered for me. I didn’t understand a word of what she told our waiter, nor did I understand what the other ladies ordered, but when it was served, I saw that it was some sort of brown glazed fish with mixed veggies and something that resembled rice but was a mix of light and dark brown grains that were about three times longer than white rice.
When I picked up the glass of ice water that had been set in front of me and took a sip, I thought I was going to die. I coughed and gasped for air as the fire inside my mouth felt as though it was going to roast me from the inside out. Doctor Stenenbaulm patted me on the back, as did Mrs. Orric.
“What the heck is that?” I wheezed.
Mrs. Orric picked up the glass and took a sip, “For Pete-sake, you got Genevieve’s gin.”
Mrs. Killington picked up the glass in front of her and said, “I thought this was kind of weak.”
Everyone in the place was looking our way as I coughed and sweated bullets. The ladies at my table all thought it was funny. I on the other hand was glad I could almost breathe again.
“Mrs. Killington, I mean Genevieve, took the glass from Dotty and took a big gulping swallow before letting out a satisfying, “Yeah, that’s mama’s sweet nectar!”
“Buck up boy!” Genevieve said, “A couple of these and you’ll start growing hair in all the right places.”
That caused me to choke and cough again at the reference to my growing pubic hair. I might add that I already have pubic hair, but come on. Having important rich ladies talking about my short-and-curlys is not something I would have ever thought might happen to me.
Doctor Stenenbaulm again dropped her face into her hands, but this time, she was laughing so hard that her entire body was shaking.
All through dinner, no mention had been made as to why I had been asked to join them, and I gotta say, that I was practically dying to find out. By the time we finished our meal, I had, mostly, become used to Genevieve’s playfulness and was really enjoying the company of my new lady friends. We talked about all sorts of stuff too. Doctor Stenenbaulm told us about the time a man came into the emergency room wearing handcuffs, a ladies thong and nothing else. I guess you had to be there and hear the way she was telling it, because boy was it funny.
I was having so much fun that I didn’t even notice when the conversation ever so subtlety shifted to the subject of each of their children. And then I heard the word… ‘THE D-WORD’, which was first spoken by Herriot. I honestly cannot remember what she said prior to that word, but you can bet, I remember every word that followed.
“…diapers in a single day.” Herriot said.
My fork clanged again my plate when I heard her say ‘Diaper’ and they all looked my way.
“Sorry,” I mumbled.
Dotty, I mean Eben’s mom, then began talking about Eben and his diapers. No kidding, right there at the table where God and everyone else could hear! She talked about his need for diapers as if it was the most normal thing to discuss at a place like the Pine Club.
And then Genevieve said, “Well, as you know, I kept all three of my boys in diapers until they left for college and they are all better men today because of them!” and then she hiccupped, because she had already had at least three more glasses of gin since I had arrived. Lord knows how many she had before I got there.
I couldn’t believe my ears. Every one of these ladies was talking about how they diapered their children and I don’t mean babies and toddlers, but school aged boys!
And then Dotty turned all attention to me. “And how I ever managed without the wonderful diaper case Max gave me two weeks ago, I do not know!”
She then reached under her chair and produced the green, zippered note book; I’d given her at Gulliver’s Mountain.
“I can’t tell you the number of times I have dreaded lugging the heavy diaper bag around for Eben.” She said, laying the folder in the middle of the table… OPEN!
“It has everything! Powder, wipes, cream and of course diapers! All in a completely generic case!” she said, pulling each item out and showing it to all the ladies.
Genevieve then asked me, “Where on earth did you come up with such a simple, and yet brilliant idea?”
Have you ever seen those old black and white cop shows were they put a guy in a room, shine a bright light in his eyes and then grill him for hours with questions? Well, that is exactly how I felt at that moment.
When I didn’t say anything, Dotty asked me, “You did say that you came up with this idea, right?”
“Yes mam.” I said, forgetting that this was supposed to be informal.
“For your little brother?” she asked.
“I don’t have a little broth… oh, you mean Damien?” I said, remembering that she had seen me changing Damien’s diaper at Gulliver’s Mountain. “Damien isn’t my little brother.” I said, and then I told them how I had ended up as Damien’s babysitter, slash big brother, and god help me, once I got started talking, I couldn’t stop myself. It was as though for the first time in my life, I was able to unburden every diaper related secret I had been keeping my entire life.
With enraptured interest, my female audience listened to everything I had to say and asked questions whenever they felt like it. I had become an open book for them to read.
When I had finished, I leaned back in my chair and sighed quietly to myself. Before that evening, I hadn’t known how consumed I had felt carrying all those secrets around with me, and afterward, I felt almost as though I could float away, unencumbered by my life of secrete close encounters.
The ladies continued talking for a while about the things I had shared, and about their own diaper related things. And then Dotty turned to me again and asked, “What would you think about going into business with us Max?”
“Excuse me?” I asked, nearly sliding out of my chair and under the table.
“We want to start mass producing your diaper case and selling it all over the country.” Genevieve explained.
“Huh?” I grunted, unable to process what was being said, “You want to do what?”
Finally, Doctor Stenenbaulm, I mean Roxanne, said to me, “Max, there are mothers all over the world that would love to have something as handy as your diaper cases.”
“What did you call it again?” she asked me.
“I haven’t really given it an official name yet, but Mark and I have been calling it the Super Hero Emergency Diapering Kit.” I said.
“No,” Genevieve said with another hiccup, “Needs to be shorter, more catchy.”
“Well, I kind of like what Dotty was calling it, a diaper case.” I said, “I mean it’s not a diaper bag, but a diaper case.”
“Diaper Case?” Sharon questioned thoughtfully.
“I like it!” Herriot decreed.
“It gets my stamp of approval.” Roxanne said.
Genevieve hit the table with her hand, “Diaper Case it is then!”
Dotty then asked me, “So what do you think?”
“About what?” I asked stupidly.
“About going into business with us?” Herriot said.
“Boys a bit slow?” Genevieve kidded me and gave me a wink to show that she was joking.
And then the thought of how I would explain all this to my parents, hit me like a ton of bricks.
“What’s the matter?” Roxanne asked me.
“Huh?” I grunted.
“You look like you’re going to be sick.” She said, and I guess from her medical experience I must have really looked bad then.
“I-I can’t.” I stammered.
“Well, why the hell not?” Genevieve growled.
“My mom and dad. What would I tell them?” I said ashamedly. “They don’t know anything about this. They’ll think I am sick and lock me away in some asylum.”
Genevieve put one elbow on the table and leaned toward Dotty, “You know… strip away the wild imagination he’s got, and I think he might just have a valid point there.”
Sharon then snapped her fingers, “I’ve got it! We make him a silent partner.”
“What? You mean duct-tape him and hide him in the basement?” Genevieve said with a hiccup and a healthy belly laugh.
I laughed too, albeit nervously.
Sharon pushed her chair back and leaned forward, “I know his father and I’m not so sure he’d be to open minded when it comes to something like this. However, how about, along with making him a partner, we also hire Max as a professional Big-Brother.”
And then Herriot added, “Just the way he does with the Damien boy.”
Dotty looked at me and asked, “What do you think?”
“Uh, but how will I have time for all of your kids?” I said feeling overwhelmed.
“You could take all the kids to the park on weekends for a couple hours.” Roxanne suggested.
“And maybe once every month or two, you could take them someplace special, like a water park or the zoo.” Herriot offered.
“You’d be freeing them up,” Genevieve pointed out, motioning to the other ladies, “for a couple hours each week and making money at the same time.” She picked up her drink and began to raise it to her lips, “Plus, your share of any profits from the Diaper Case.”
“You can tell your parents, that I thought you were doing such a wonderful thing with Damien that I wanted to hire you too and then I introduced you to my friends as well.” Dotty suggested.
I thought for a moment and then said, “That could work.”
Genevieve pointed a finger at me, “That means you’ll be changing diapers when you have the kids. No bringing back a poopy boy!”
I laughed, put my right hand over my heart and held up my other hand, “I promise.”
She made a dismissive huffing sound, shook her finger at me again and said, “You could use a little diaper training yourself mister smarty pants.”
For half a second I thought she was serious, but then she smiled and all the ladies chuckled.
I then leaned toward Genevieve and said, “Admit it, you just want to get me out of my pants!”
Wow! The laughter was so loud that everyone in the restaurant looked our way again.
Even though I was the one to say it, I blushed, because I honestly hadn’t thought before I said it. It just sort of came out of my mouth on its own.
One the laughter had subsided Genevieve gave me a reassuring wink of approval.
“I have another idea to go along with hiring him.” Roxanne added. “We should open an account for Max and put all of his profits from the company into that account. So he’ll have that money for when he goes to college.”
Genevieve was really feeling her gin, and it was showing. She slammed her hand on the table as she announced, “And by god, you are going to college too, young man!”
“Yes ma’am!” I said in a cute little voice, but I did mean it.
“Do you have any idea what you want to study?” Roxanne asked me.
“To be honest, I’ve been thinking about that quite a bit lately.” I said, taking a sip of my water. “I think I would…” I paused and looked around the table. Never before had I felt comfortable saying, what I was about to say, but sitting there at that table with those women, I felt completely safe in saying; “I’d like to do something just like what all of you have suggested. Working with boys of all ages…” I paused again as I looked each one of them in the eyes, “that are in diapers.”
Dotty put an arm around me and hugged me. The other ladies, except for Genevieve, who was too drunk to get up, came over and each hugged me in turn.
Finally, Genevieve said to me, “Boy, uh Max, come here!”
Partly reluctant for fear of getting groped again, I slowly eased myself to where she was still reclining. She grabbed at the front of my shirt, pulled me down and planted a wet, gin laced kiss on my left cheek.
“You are a good boy!” she said, patting my opposite cheek hard enough to nearly scramble my brains. Her breath was so saturated with gin, that it nearly pickled my eyeballs within their sockets.
While Genevieve kept one arm wrapped around my middle, Dotty said to me, “And now for your surprise.”
“Uh, I thought all this was the surprise.” I said.
“No, the surprise is,” She paused and looked at the other ladies who all shared knowing glances, “We have already begun ordering the necessary materials for the diaper cases and production should begin next week. This morning, thanks to some pull from Genevieve,” Genevieve bowed in royal fashion while still seated in her chair, “…we reached an agreement with the corporate headquarters for Kids-R-Us, Baby-World and Wal-Mart, to sell them. Your Diaper Cases will be on their shelves by early May.”
“No way!” I exclaimed, momentarily forgetting that we were in the Pine Club. I looked around at the women, who were all now looking guilty, “You all knew I’d agree to this all along, didn’t you?”
Genevieve grabbed my butt, however not like before, this time she was rubbing it in tiny circles. This time I didn’t jump.
“I said it before,” she began, “and I’ll say it again. Cute, sexy and smart!” and then she gave me a hard swat that felt almost as hard as when dad used to spank me. She then goosed me, really hard, which did get me to yelp and jump.
“Genevieve,” Dotty growled at her, “Stop groping our business partner!”
And Sharon quickly added, “And babysitter! Don’t forget that part too!” she said rubbing the back of my neck.
When I got home, both mom, and dad, as well as my brother and sister were excitedly waiting to hear all about my evening. So, just like the ladies had proposed, I told them about the job offer to act as a Big-Brother to their boys. To take them on outings and just hang out with them like I was already doing with Damien.
“And besides, Damien needs more friends to play with.” I said and mom started to cry.
“Why are you crying?” I asked her. “I thought you would be proud that I am getting a really good job.”
“I am honey!” she said, grabbing a tissue and dabbing at her eyes. “I am just so proud of you!”
“Dang little brother,” My sister said, “That sounds like a really sweet deal.”
“I hope you aren’t mad.” I told her.
“Why would I be mad?” she asked.
“Well, because you used to watch Damien and all.” I said.
“Believe me,” she said rolling her eyes, “I don’t regret letting you take over babysitting that little monster.”
I think that was the first time I had ever heard her say, that she had felt like that about Damien.
My brother didn’t have anything to say about the babysitting part, he just thought that it was cool, that I was working for such a rich cliental.
“I only have one condition.” Dad started to say, but before he could continue, I said, “My grades better not suffer?”
“Dot… I mean, Mrs. Orric and the other ladies already said as a condition of me working for them; I have to keep a ‘C’ average or better.” Of course that was a bold face lie; they hadn’t said anything of the sort.
“I’ll do them one better,” Dad said, “You had better keep a ‘B’ average or your butt is mine!”
“A ‘B’ average?” I complained, “Isn’t it good enough that I got a job? Now I have to be a nerd too?” I said jokingly.
Dad grabbed my elbow and pressed on one of the pressure points. It only took half a second for me to scream out, “OKAY, OKAY! I’LL KEEP A ‘B’ AVERAGE!”
“I know you’d see it my way.” Dad said.
Mom then added, “And you better check with Damien’s grandparents to make sure they are ok with Damien going along with you.”
“Yeah, I thought about that too. I was going to call them as soon as I got home.” I said, which was true; I had planned on doing just that.
Of course, Bill and Gladys were overjoyed at the news and totally on board with Damien making more friends. When they put Damien on the phone and I told him about it, he didn’t sound too happy about having to share me, until I whispered into the phone that he would get to play with more boys that wear diapers too. After that, he was all for it. Heck, he wanted to go play right away, but I told him that we’d have to wait until the weekend.
Never in a million years would I have ever thought that something like this could happen in real life, let alone to someone like me. “Daddy Max!” That’s what Mike calls me and now I get to play daddy to a host of diaper wearing boys. I can’t wait to meet them all!
~ THE END … or is it? ~
