I got some more good news: Uncle John was coming up for Christmas. I hadn’t seen him since the summer and looked forward to spending time with him. I also wanted to introduce him to Tracy.
I got my tests back and I’d aced them all. At noon, school was out for Christmas break. Teddy Wesleyan had sent a car to pick up myself, Jeff, Jim and Mike for the Christmas Dance on the Wesleyan campus. I think half the school hung around to see who the stretch limo was for. We all strutted out like we owned the place, and Tracy gave me a big kiss to remind me who I belonged to.
When we were all safely in the car, and on the way, Mike said, “Did you see that? They’re going to be talking about us over break. This is great.”
They all turned on me.
“Okay, Dawson, enough with the cloak and dagger,” Jim said. “Who are our dates?”
I smiled.
“You guys are going to be very happy. Tami sent me pictures.”
I pulled out my tablet and brought up Megan.
“Jim, this is your date, Megan. She’s on the basketball team and is six feet tall. As you can see, she’s very pretty. She’s a little fragile, though; she has a complex about her height. I think you can help her get over that. She’s also one of the sweetest girls Tami knows. You guys’ll have a lot of fun.”
Next, I brought up a picture of Jenna.
“This is Mike’s date.”
Jenna was in her cheerleader outfit.
“Her name is Jenna, and she’s on the JV cheer squad. She just got out of a long-term relationship and wanted to have some fun. Rumor has it she liked your Mohawk and has a thing for little boys. So I think you two will hit it off.”
Mike slugged me in the arm and we all laughed.
“Jeff, I saved the best for last.”
I pulled up the picture of Janet Hill.
“This girl is everything you ever dreamed of: she’s cute, smart, and has a wicked sense of humor. I actually know her pretty well, and I’ve told her all about you. She’s very eager to get to know you.”
“Are you going with Tami?” Jeff asked.
I looked a little sad.
“Unfortunately not. Tami has found herself a date.”
I pulled up a picture of Jennie and me together.
“I will be accompanying Jennie. Her boyfriend just went back to California, so I agreed to be her escort. I figure I have about a 50/50 chance of it being a fun date.”
They all looked a little sad for me. We spent the rest of the drive with me filling them in on everything Tami had told me. I was sure she was doing the same for the girls as we made our way to the campus.
WE ARRIVED AT WESLEYAN and went right to Teddy’s campus house. The girls, Tami and her date were waiting for us. I let Tami introduce everyone, and couples split off to get to know each other. I was especially happy to see Janet wink at me. She and Jeff were hitting it off. The other two couples seemed to be getting along, but I didn’t see the same spark.
“Hey Jennie, how are you doing?” I asked as I observed the pissed-off look she was giving me.
“Not great,” she shared.
She saw me stiffen up and she patted my arm.
“Don’t worry, I’m not mad at you. Teddy’s trying to push us together. It just smacks of what Mother always tried to pull. I thought we were past that.”
“Want to go with me as I ruin his day? I bet after I talk to him he’ll quit trying to match us up,” I said, and she gave me a sheepish smile.
“And I was looking forward to you coming to Wesleyan,” Jennie said, and my eyebrows popped up.
I think I sometimes forget how smart she was.
“I want to see this. But I have to warn you, he likes you a lot. I don’t think you staying home will deter him from playing matchmaker.”
Teddy was in the four-season room having a scotch with an older lady that I didn’t know. When Jennie and I walked in, he smiled.
“David, I thought I heard you boys arrive. I hope everyone is having a good time.”
“It’s good to see you. Jennie has been the perfect hostess, and everyone is taken care of.”
I smiled at the woman sitting next to Teddy.
“David Dawson, I don’t believe we’ve met.”
This woman just oozed money and power. She gave me an appraising look and then smiled. I think I passed some kind of test. Jennie jumped in.
“Where are my manners? I’m supposed to be the hostess, and I forget to introduce my grandmother. David, this is Grandma Wesleyan, or Cynthia.”
“I hear you recently received some bad news. How is your mother doing?”
Cynthia seemed to have a genuine concern that touched me.
“She just started chemo, so it’s still early. Our family and friends have really rallied around her. She’s in surprisingly good spirits,” I said, and she got up and hugged me.
I was surprised at the fierce hug and the kiss on my cheek. I felt myself misting up as the raw emotion tried to overwhelm me.
“Yes, family is important in a time like this,” Cynthia said, as she wiped a stray tear off my cheek.
She straightened and took a deep breath.
“Now tell Teddy your bad news, so you and Jennie can enjoy the rest of the night.”
“Teddy, I think we’re in trouble. The Wesleyan women are mind readers.”
“I could never pull one over on Mom. You, my son, don’t stand a chance. Let me save you having to give me the news: you’re not coming to Wesleyan. With your mom’s situation, I would be more disappointed if you did. I just want you to know the offer is still open if your circumstances change. Also know, if you ever need anything, I want you to call me.”
Teddy got up and hugged me. Jennie grabbed my hand, and said as she pulled me out of the room, “I have to get everyone dressed for dinner.”
We went back to the living room, and I could see how everyone was getting along. Mike and Jenna seemed to be okay. Jim and Megan were still a little standoffish; it seemed their shyness was an issue. I glanced over at Tami, and she gave me a look that said to stay patient.
Tami’s date was Trevor Lang. I wanted not to like him, but he seemed like a nice guy. I wasn’t trying to ignore him, but I still wasn’t happy to see Tami with someone. I sucked it up for her sake, talked to him for a few minutes, and found he was a bigger geek than I was. The little Brainiac seemed perfect for Tami.
We all were sent to different rooms to dress. The four guys went into one room, and Jennie guided me to my own room. I jumped into the shower and came out in a towel to find Tami waiting on me in a little black dress. She smirked when she saw my state of dress.
“I thought I’d get in here early before all the other girls came in for a peek. You better get your boxers on quickly if you don’t want to be showing your stuff.”
I took her advice, and sure enough, all the girls came giggling into the room. Tami, the evil minx, had set me up.
“Ladies, I see the organizer of this little event decided to give you a little show.”
“Actually, it might have been my fault,” Janet admitted. “I told them about going to your modeling gigs and catching glimpses of your bod. Since we all know you aren’t shy, I figured we could get a look as you got dressed.”
I just shook my head and got dressed. The girls talked among themselves, but I don’t think they ever looked away. Even Tami, who had seen me naked almost my whole life, was enjoying the floor show. The only girl not in the room was Jennie. I dressed in my silk pants that Cindy insisted made my butt look great, a thin black sweater that clung to me, and a shocking red cashmere jacket that was in honor of the Christmas Dance. They had me do a twirl and they seemed to approve of the attire.
My boys all looked good. I had had Cindy and Angie go to each of their homes and make sure they had an outfit that worked for tonight. Poor Trevor was wearing his Wesleyan school jacket. Everyone made a point not to embarrass him.
Jennie was in the hall and didn’t realize that all the girls were with me. When she saw me escort them out, she shook her head, gave me a look, and then grinned. We all went to the dining room and had a nice stand-up buffet. It was a good way to get everyone to mingle.