Confessions of Your Friendly Neighborhood Lifeguard

Chapter Fourteen

I fiddle with my phone for awhile. Dialing Dr. Klein's number and pressing dial, then quickly hanging up the phone. I played this game what seemed like dozens of times, trying to get the will to call the woman I had sworn off. I took a deep breath, entered the number and was about to hit dial when my phone beat me to the punch. I jumped, but quickly answered the phone.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hello, Rachael, this is your mother. Remember me? I was just wondering if you ever planned on coming home?" I smiled to myself, glancing back at Patrick's house behind me. He waved to me from his porch, patiently waiting for me to join him again.

"Well have you sanitized the house from your escapades yet?" I replied sharply.

"Very funny, Rae, now seriously where are you?" My mother's tone was unamused, but I still chuckled to myself.

"I'm with Patrick."

"Oh, that boy who brings the cupcakes and took you on a date, but then you hated on and off for a couple of days?" my mom asked.

"Well it sounds stupid when you say it like that," I mumbled. "But, yes. I'm with Patrick. Why?"

"Well I would like you to come home. I want you to meet my boyfriend."

"Your boyfriend? That guy is your boyfriend now?" I shouted.

"Oh don't be dramatic, Rae. Just come here. I have dinner ready for all of us."

"It's 9:30, who eats dinner this late?" I protested.

"Brad is a doctor, he has long shifts. Now stop, arguging and come home. And bring Patrick. I think I should get to meet him." I was about to protest when I heard a dial tone at the other end. I turned back to Patrick and ran up to the porch.

"Everything alright?" Patrick asked.

"Depends on what you would consider alright," I groaned. "I have to go meet my mom's new boyfriend." Patrick's face twitched and I saw a slight smile come and go through his face. He thought this was funny. 

"Keep on laughing Patrick," I chortled to myself, crossing my arms. The look of arrogance left Patrick's face quickly and his eyebrow raised. "You're coming with."

The ten minute drive to my house was filled with endless protests. Despite the fact that Patrick drove and had his own capability of turning around the car himself, he still whined and begged that he didn't have to do this. I ignored all his complaints, all while laughing silently to myself. At least while Patrick was suffering, I could forget about my own uncomfortable situation coming up. As we pulled up to my house, however, Patrick grew silent and my nerves came back.

"This is going to be equally awkward for both of us," I stated. "The best thing to do here is to..." My mind drew a blank, I had no good advice.

"Is to?" Patrick asked smugly. 

"I don't fucking know, I've never done this before," I sighed. 

"Wait, you've never brought home a boyfriend before?" Patrick asked in astonishment. 

"Of course I brought home a boyfriend before, but I've never met a boyfriend of my mother before!" I explained. "This is weird. Really weird. Wait, have you ever been brought home to meet the parents? Oh of course you have, you dated Jo."

"Actually..."

"You've never been brought home? Oh my god, this is going to be a disaster. My breathing started quickening its pace and I put my head in my hands. "We've only been together for like twelve hours, we don't even know each others birthdays or favorite colors or, shit! Alright, let's bail, Patrick."

A hand gently grabbed my chin and pulled me towards the direction of Patrick. He pulled me slowly closer to him and I felt my body calm just from his touch. Patrick pulled me in closer and closer, and my heart picked up its pace again as his lips came to rest softly against mine. It wasn't exactly the most romantic place for a first kiss, but it was perfect. 

"Everything is going to be alright, Rae. For both of us," Patrick whispered. I was in such a state of happiness that all I could do was smile and nod. And to think, just 24 hours ago I had sworn Patrick off like the plague. But this... this was the happiest I'd felt in months. 

Patrick let go of my chin and grabbed my hand and kissed the top lightly. He smile and winked and with that we got out of the car and walked towards the house. We walked the front pathway, holding hands, but I could tell he was still nervous. Both our plams were getting cold and sweaty, but we were both ready for this challenge. I paused at the front door, taking a deep breath, counting backwards much like Dr. Klein had told me. My final boost of confidence was Patrick tightly squeezing my hand and I opened the door. 

"It's about time, Rachael, I've been waiting forever," my mom scolded as we walked in. I got a look at my mom, and I did a double take. My mom looked straight up HOT. She definitely had MILF status going on. She had a tight black halter neck dress with a long silver necklace. Her wair was curled and she did her makeup for the first time in like a year, probably. 

"Holy shit," Patrick muttered and I nudged him sharply. 

"Mom, this is Patrick. Patrick this is my mom," I said awkwardly. Patrick offered out his hand immediately and my mom smiled happily, shaking his hand. 

"Call me Tasha, please," my mom said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Tasha, I can see where Rae gets her good looks from," Patrick said smoothly. First time meeting the parents my ass. 

"Oh, I like him Rae," my mom giggled. "Now come sit down, Brad should be here shortly. Do you want anything to drink?"

"I'll take care of it mom," I said and she smiled and walked off to the kitchen. I turned towards Patrick who was smiling like a little boy. "What's with you?"

"Your mom is hot," Patrick stated. My jaw dropped into a smile and I pushed him again. "What? That  just means you're going to get hotter with age, if that's even possible."

"Oh my God, you're such a suck up, Patrick," I laughed. As we went to go sit down Patrick, the doorbell rang and my mom ran out of the kitchen to answer for, who i would guess, Brad. Patrick must have felt my body stiffen because he leaned over and gave me a quick peck on the cheek, which almost instantly calmed me. 

"Come on, Brad, meet my daughter!" Their footsteps came closer to the living room and Patrick and I both stood up waiting their arrival. When they walked in, all I saw was a Greek Adonis of a man standing in my living room.

"Holy shit," I muttered. Patrick looked down at me and nudged my softly, but I couldn't help it. Brad the doctor man was a 40 year fox, like a beach George Clooney. Hot Hot Hot.

"Hi Rae, I'm Brad," he smiled. "I've heard so much about you." Brad came in for a hug and I wrapped my arms around his muscular body. As we pulled away I noticed the flowers he had in his hand.

"These are for you," Brad said, offering them to me. I smiled and happily tooked the bouquet of daisies for my mom's new boyfriend. 

"Brad this is Rae's friend, Patrick," my mom introduced.

"Boyfriend," Patrick corrected, as the two men shook hands. I smiled at Patrick's little correction as he looked and winked at me. I ran to the kitchen to put my flowers in some water as everyone else started some small talk.

I looked at the three of them from the kitchen, hiding slightly behind the wall so that they might see me. I smiled from a distance, seeing more people in my house than there had been since my father. It felt good. It felt really good.

It almost felt like I had a family again.