"This isn't a good idea. I don't think I'm ready for this. We haven't been together nearly long enough."
"Hey, hey." She stopped at the door. "You'll be fine. Just relax. They'll love you."
"I don't think they'll be comfortable with you dating so soon, especially a guy like me. I'm just not ready, I can't go up to your mom and stepdad and just-"
"You'll do great. Trust me." Yeah, as if I could. Parents hated me, especially after they learned I was a son of Hermes. I was grouped into this category of tricksters and bad boys that no parent liked, and I couldn't blame them. I really wasn't the type of guy people wanted their daughters to be with.
As she knocked, I did some quick fast breathing and took about ten seconds to pick everything up. I had to get fresh flowers and chocolates to make an impression, because that's apparently what women want in a guy, to be presentable and charming. When I got back, the door was still opening. I straightened my hair, checked the flowers, and put on a relaxed face. This was it.
A short woman looked at me. Her hair was graying, but still she looked like someone who could very well be related to Ashley. She had a peculiar stance, like she was expecting me already. She was rather old, so there was probably some strain between her and Apollo before they had a child. That also showed how desirable she was if Apollo of all people stuck with her for so long. She must have also been very beautiful to have attracted Apollo and, if mothers pass on to daughters, she would act in some of the same ways as Ashley.
With all that down, I knew the impression I had to make. I smiled meekly and stood back a bit to let Ash talk.
"Ashley, who is this gentleman with you?"
"Mom, this is Brandon." She pointed rather awkwardly to me. "He's my, um, my boyfriend."
The mother seemed taken aback. I awkwardly reached forward with the flowers. "F-for you, Miss Stone." She wrapped her hands around them, bewildered. She already had a negative assumption of me, due to the fact that her little girl was moving on to dating.
"Ok." She said slowly after a minute. "Why don't you two come in?"
The place was spotless, which made me believe that the mother was unemployed, due to the fact that she had enough time to make everything so clean. However, the family wasn't poor; the furniture and decorations were a bit too much for a poor family. The stepdad would be the main moneymaker. I couldn't wait to meet the man of the house, who came down the stairs as we walked into the living room.
"Hi, sweetie." He bent over and kissed her on the cheek.
"Hey. This is Brandon, my boyfriend."
"Oh." He examined me, and I looked right back. "Ok." He was pretty fit, so he probably took sports and physical activity rather seriously. He was walking with a limp though, so he had had an injury in his leg recently that wasn't stopping him from continuing to exercise. He was trying very hard to keep a serious face when looking at me, so my guess was that he was a fun dad. He was trying to give Ashley a fun personality so that she would like him. Typical stepdad. I knew what to do around him.
The mom gestured to a side room, I was guessing the kitchen. "Ashley, can I talk to you privately?"
"Of course." She looked back apologetically at me and walked in through the door.
"It was nice mee-" The door slammed behind them. I took a deep breath and looked at the stepdad, now openly smiling.
"It's ok. You can drop the act. I can tell you're trying to bluff so that we like you, but I want to see the real you."
"Good, I was going to show the real me."
"Great. How about we sit down and watch some TV?"
"Sure. The game should be on in five minutes." He nodded and dropped onto the couch. I followed. He tossed me a Coke and cracked open a beer for himself before turning on ESPN. We leaned forward in unison, as the last few minutes before the game trickled away.
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"Honestly, you're too young for this!"
"Mom, I'm growing up and meeting people. You have to respect the fact that I've got someone in my life now."
"You should be focusing on other things, not boys!"
"I know it's hard seeing me grow up, but I love him."
"That's just what you think you feel about him. I bet he's a no-good scoundrel just wanting to take advantage of you."
"No, he would never do that."
"You're blinded by how you feel. Who is his godly parent exactly?"
I swallowed. "Hermes. But look-"
"Bah. A son of Hermes can only mean he's a troublemaker. Now then," she said, moving to the door. "I will not tolerate this relationship."
"He was willing to die for me, mom."
"Hogwash! He's a rascal. You can't build a relationship with someone like that anyways."
"This isn't you and dad, ok?"
We both paused in silence. She opened the door and motioned me to the living room.
As soon as I stepped out, both my stepdad and Brandon cheered.
________________________________________________________________________________
"That's it! That's what we needed!" I slapped him on the back before noticing Miss Stone. "Oh...sorry about this." Her expression said it all. I got up and headed to the door.
"What are you doing, young man?"
"I can tell when I'm not wanted, ma'am. I get it all the time. I'll just see myself out, no need for a talk."
She opened her mouth. "Miss Stone, I hope you understand that I want what you want for your daughter. So, if you aren't comfortable with the relationship, go ahead and say it."
"I'm uncomfortable with your relationship with my daughter."
"Ok then. See you guys later. Goodbye."
I stepped outside and breathed in the warm summer air. Now that that was all over, I could feel relaxed again.
"What the hell do we do now?"
"What? She didn't hold me to any terms. She just said she was uncomfortable. If she had told me not to date you, I wouldn't. But she didn't. I don't see why we have to stop."
Ash smiled. "You are a rascal, aren't you?"
"That's what makes me me." I pulled her into a side hug and we made our way back to camp, strolling slowly through Manhattan.
