Joel and Carrie Ch. 11

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JoeDreamer
JoeDreamer
6,281 Followers

"Carrie, this is a mistake," I tried, but she was hearing none of it. I drove toward her house because Carrie was so angry I was pretty sure she would go without me if I refused. I didn't want her to face her parents alone.

I drove slowly to give her time to cool off and me time to think. It didn't help. My girl just seemed to get angrier and I couldn't see a way of avoiding a big blow up between her and her mother. This was not the way I wanted us to start off our summer.

The best I could come up with just before we entered her house was, "Just remember, she's your mother." Carrie didn't bother replying.

"Hello Daddy," she said as we entered the living room.

"Hello," he replied, frowning when he saw me. He didn't get up from the couch. That would be too much like welcoming me.

"Where's mom?"

"Upstairs," he replied, still eyeing me wearily, trying to decide how to react. "She doesn't want to be disturbed."

"Well that's just too bad!" Carrie snapped and moved toward the stairs. I wasn't sure if she wanted me to follow or not. It didn't feel right, but I was here to support Carrie no matter what. She saw my confusion. "Joel, you stay here and talk to daddy. I'll take care of mother."

"Okay," I said, not sure what I was going to say to him. I knew Carrie's father saw me as the man who corrupted his daughter. Nothing I said was going to change that. I was just hoping we could keep it civil. At least we were off to a good start. He hadn't swung at me when I walked into the room.

"Oh, and Daddy," Carrie said from halfway up the stairs.

"Yes?" he frowned, standing now for some reason.

"I'll still your little girl, but I'm also a woman, a woman who loves the man in front of you. Be nice."

"I understand that," he sighed. "But..."

"Good," Carrie interjected before he could finish. "Because if you want to know the truth, I was drunk the first time Joel and I met. I was upset about Jimmy cheating on me and wanted to get back at him. You and mom were out and I tried to get Joel into bed. He refused."

"Carrie, that's enough," I frowned. Her poor father lost all the color in his face. To say he was shocked was a vast understatement.

"And I was the one who first brought others into our relationship," she continued, ignoring me. Her poor father all but fell back onto the couch. "In fact..."

"Carrie!" I snapped. "Enough!" That wasn't something I typically did and thankfully it got through to her. She finally stopped.

"I need to go talk to mother," she said, eyeing her father carefully. "We'll talk later." Carrie disappeared up the rest of the stairs. I took one look at her father and went for his wet bar. I poured him a double and handed it to him.

"Deep down I knew you hadn't forced her to do something she didn't want to," he said after finishing his drink in one long swallow. I took it and refilled it. "That's not my Carrie or you for that matter, but to hear her say that she..."

"Carrie's her own woman," I interjected. "You and your wife did an amazing job."

"She is that," he sighed, sipping from his refilled glass when I handed it back to him. "And she clearly refuses to give you up no matter what her mother or I say."

"I feel the same about her," I said slowly. "We will be married one day and I plan on doing my best to make it a happy marriage. Carrie deserves nothing less." Her father looked at me in silence for a few moments before coming to some sort of decision. He put his glass down on the glass table near his chair.

"Joel, I've always liked you," he finally said. "And now that Carrie has let me know what happened and who instigated it, I really don't have a right to still be mad at you."

"Sure you do," I disagreed. "I'm the man whose going to take you little girl away from you and that bothers you. Only it shouldn't. Carrie's my heart and soul, but what we have has nothing to do with what you and her share. She loves you very much."

"And I love her," he said softly.

"Then why not just forget last summer and what happened?" I offered.

"Forget?" he frowned.

"As in don't ask, don't tell," I smiled slowly. "All you need to know is that your little girl found someone to love who loves her and is willing to do just about anything to make her happy. Isn't that enough?"

"Maybe," he sighed and fell silent for a few moments.

"If it helps," I began, deciding to try and release some of the tension in the room. "My father has already put in an order for a couple of grandsons after Carrie and I graduate college and get married. I'm more than willing to name one after you."

"We'll see," he grinned, reaching out and putting on the television. There was a baseball game on. Our home team was getting beat, as usual.

"Think we have a chance this year?" I asked. He sat back on the couch and relaxed.

"Sure," he answered, and then proceeded to talk about the players. I smiled. It almost felt like old times. Of course, I was distracted and kept glancing upstairs. I worried about what was happening between Carrie and her mother. They were yelling, but I couldn't make out any of the words. I'm not sure I wanted to, and then suddenly I could hear Carrie voice clear as day.

"Mother, I don't have to stand hear and listen to this! You're being ridiculous!" We heard the door to the bedroom upstairs slam. Mr. Capanna and I exchanged a look. Carrie came down the stairs two at a time. I'd never seen her look so mad.

"Daddy, you'd better go talk to her!" Carrie snapped. "She won't listen! All mother keeps repeating is that she's still mortified about last summer and she's putting up the for-sale sign tomorrow!"

"And I am!" her mother snapped from atop the stairway. "Do you have any idea how many of my friends no longer talk to me?"

"Then they weren't true friends to begin with!" Carrie retorted. "That's not my fault!"

"Okay, everyone calm down," Mr. Capanna said. Neither woman stopped yelling. He looked at me and shook his head before saying, "Maybe you should take Carrie out for a while. I need to talk to May alone."

"No problem," I said quickly. "We were on our way to dinner before Mrs. Capanna called."

"Take your time," he sighed, watching his wife and daughter fight. Mrs. Capanna face was bright red as they argued. Carrie wasn't much better. "This is going to take a while." I didn't laugh. It wasn't funny.

"I'll do what I can from my side," I offered. He nodded and we moved toward the ladies. I'm not sure how we got them separated, but we did and Carrie and I were back in the car driving away moments later.

"She so unreasonable!" Carrie began. I let her rant for a few minutes before finally cutting her off.

"Let's talk about something else," I interjected. "I don't want the fight to ruin our dinner."

"You're right," Carrie sighed, but it obviously wasn't easy for her to let it go.

"So, have you seen anyone since you came home?" I asked, and then smiled and added, "Besides Robbie and Tina." She looked at me and grinned. We'd had fun this afternoon. The memory seemed to mellow her a little.

"Maria," my girl responded. "We bumped into each other at the mall. She and Deana are doing fine."

"What about Tara and Jill?" I asked. They were Carrie's best friends and I knew seeing them would make her happy.

"Jill's not coming home yet," Carrie frowned. "She suddenly decided to take a couple of summer classes. I think there's a guy involved, but she's not talking. I haven't heard from Tara. I left her a couple of messages, but it's only been a day or two since I got home. I'm sure I'll hear soon."

"Anyone else?" I asked.

"Jennifer's last test was today," she answered. "She'll probably be home tonight or tomorrow." It struck me odd at how close Jennifer and Carrie had become considering how much they hated each other at one time. They'd stayed in touch all school year.

"I haven't heard from Tony in a while," I said. "I think he was pretty freaked after last summer."

"He was," Carrie said confidently. "He'd kept in touch with Jill for a while, but nothing much came of it. He's a nice enough guy, but we really never got a chance to know him well anyway."

We exchanged updates about our friends from college. Tommy had survived a year as my roommate. He and his girlfriend from home were still happily dating. I was pretty sure there'd be wedding bells in their future. Kip and Candice had graduated school. They weren't talking marriage yet, but they both found a job in the same city. It was probably only a matter of time.

Andie and Summer were having a tough time with their parents. Deana and Maria's parents were far more accepting than theirs. It was a shame really, but it would work out eventually. I had to believe that. They were both good people and they had to get at least some of that from their parents.

"Do I turn here to get to Francine's?" I asked, guessing that Carrie was thinking about her mother again because she was frowning. I knew this was right place to turn, but I wanted to distract Carrie from her thoughts.

"Yes," she replied, taking my hand in hers and squeezing. She knew what I was doing. My girl was no dummy, but she appreciated it just the same. She made an effort to smile. "Good choice. I love Francine's. I've been waiting to come back here since Christmas."

"I'm up for a burger and a beer," I grinned.

The place looked small from the outside, but it wasn't. If you weren't a local you probably would never know about Francine's. It was only about ten years old, but it quickly became popular and was always crowded. We put our name on the list for a table.

"I'll meet you at the bar," Carrie said, giving me a quick kiss and making her way toward the restroom. I watched her for a moment and smiled. Despite everything that was going on, I still couldn't help the feeling I got while I watched her move. My girl glanced back over her shoulder and noticed me looking. She shook her head, but smiled. I turned toward the bar.

"What will you have?" the bartender asked as I sat at a stool. He was one of the owner's many sons. You could tell because he was tall and red-haired. They all had the same look. I guessed that he was around my age. He was very muscular and could obviously act as a bouncer when needed, but Francine's wasn't the type of place to need one. He didn't look particularly happy as he asked for my order. Frankly, he looked down right annoyed, maybe even surely. I guess he had a right to a bad day just like everyone else. I started to order, but was interrupted.

"Oh Sean, is that how you greet a customer?"

The woman was also tall and redheaded. I recognized her from prior visits. It was Francine, the owner of the restaurant. Her tone confirmed that he was one of her many sons. Only a mother could talk to a guy like that, not that I'd know from personal experience. Francine's expression made her son blush, but he also frowned and shook his head.

"Hello, what will you have?" he asked me again, but his delivery wasn't much better. I couldn't help it. I laughed. His mother shook her head, but seeing my laughter relaxed slightly.

"You'll have to forgive my son," she said. "He usually has Friday nights off. His uncle was supposed to cover tonight, but Ian's friends stopped by for a surprise visit."

"Sorry," Sean finally said. "I'm just annoyed because I had to cancel a date."

"Please!" his mother said, rolling her eyes. "Patty Jamerson isn't a date. She's a booty call."

"Mom!" Sean cried, blushing badly.

"Well, it true," the woman insisted, but now she was just as red as her son. "Besides, your uncle is just having dinner with his friend. He'll be back in plenty of time for you to go out later."

"Joel?" I heard someone from behind me say. The voice was clearly happily surprised. I turned and found Jennifer standing there. I guess she got home early.

"Hey!" I smiled in welcome, giving her a quick hug. "Who are you here with?"

"My mom and little sister," she said, pointing toward the tables. The place was packed and I had no idea who she was talking about at first, but I figured it out quickly enough. There was only one table with a woman and a teenager. I was about to get up and go say hi, but Jennifer interrupted me. "Where's Carrie?"

"Powdering her nose," I answered. Jennifer rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Your order?" Sean asked. His mother was gone. I expect she was back in the kitchen.

"Sorry Sean," I smiled, turning back. "This is Jennifer."

"Hi," he said in surprise. I guess not a lot of people introduced him to their friends while he was working, especially their pretty ones. Jennifer noticed him for the first time.

"Hmm, he makes Tony look tiny," she said softly so only I could hear as she moved forward. She held out her hand and he took it. I looked at Jennifer and laughed. I'd thought it was Jill who had a thing for well muscled guys, but Jennifer was looking at Sean hungrily.

"Down girl!" I laughed. Jennifer blinked twice and started laughing in embarrassment.

"Sorry," she said. "I just don't meet very many redheaded guys."

"Yeah, it's his hair that distracted you," I put in. Jennifer gave me an unkind look. I shrugged. It's not like I didn't deserved it. I noticed that Sean was looking at Jennifer with the same interest she was showing him.

"Oh my," Carrie said with a grin as she walked up. "Love at first sight?"

"Something like that," I laughed. Sean took one look at my girl and shook his head before turning to me.

"I have a feeling that you and I are going to be good friends," he said, finally smiling for the first time. Okay, it was more of a grin. "You seem to know all the beautiful girls."

"It must be my sunny disposition," I joked.

"That's not it," Carrie teased, moving close and kissing me.

"Ah, so that one yours," Sean laughed.

"Yep," I replied. "Jennifer is up for grabs."

"Hey!" Jennifer cried. Carrie pushed away from me with an annoyed look.

"Sorry," I shrugged, not really meaning it. "Bad joke."

"So, you're not available?" Sean asked Jennifer, sounding disappointed.

"I'm not seeing anyone exclusively at the moment, if that's what you mean," she replied, smiling slightly.

"Interesting," Sean smiled. Carrie and I looked at each other and grinned.

"Joel, party of two, your table is ready. Joel, party of two," the hostess announced over the PA system.

"That's us," Carrie said. "We'll stop by after dinner. Jennifer, if you want to hang out afterward, just let your mother know and we'll give you a ride home."

"Well, either than or Sean can," I put in. Carrie took my hand and dragged me away before Jennifer could comment. I turned back and saw Sean and Jennifer talking to each other.

"I wonder who's going to get in trouble by their mother first," I joked. "Sean for forgetting the other customers, or Jennifer for leaving her mother and sister alone for so long?"

"You are so bad," Carrie said, but she was smiling. The bad mood from the confrontation with her mother was gone. I was looking forward to our meal.

The hostess led us to the far room. Our table was a small one off to one side. I noticed that there was another redheaded guy sitting at a table next to ours. He wasn't nearly as muscular as Sean, but the resemblance was there. Francine had said that her brother Ian was eating with a friend. I didn't realize she meant in the restaurant.

"Oh!" Carrie cried in excitement, distracting me from our neighbors. "There's Tara and Brian! They're here with their parents."

I smiled. It really wasn't surprising that they were here. Like I said earlier, this place was a local favorite. I liked Tara and Brian, but I was mostly happy for Carrie. Tara and Jill were my girl's best friends since forever.

"Go say hi," I said. "I'm hungry. I'll order our drinks and appetizers and be over."

"Thanks," she smiled. I watched as Carrie walked over to our friends. The waitress came just before she arrived.

"Hi, I'm Tessa and I'll be your waitress tonight," she began. "Can I get you something to drink?"

I placed Carrie and my order. The waitress smiled and turned away. I looked toward Tara and Brian's table and was surprised to see that Carrie was no longer there. I glanced around and saw the back of her just as she left the room. Something was wrong. I stood and made my way over to Tara and Brian.

"Hi," I said. "Is everything okay? What happened to Carrie?"

"We don't know, and honestly we don't care." It was Brian's father speaking. Neither Brian nor Tara looked at me.

"Pardon me?" I frowned.

"Look, we'll tell you the same thing we told your girlfriend," Tara's father put in. "Tara and Brian don't want to know you two anymore." I stood in stunned silence for a few moments.

"Wow," I finally said, not sure how else to react. I turned to Tara and asked, "Is that really true? I mean, Carrie's one of your best friends."

"That was before she became a pervert," Tara's mom put in. Her expression was cold and uncaring. I shook my head. Was this really the same woman who'd been friendly and kind when we all went over her house prior to the prom last year? She seemed immune to my shock. "I know my daughter had nothing to do with what happened last summer, but I don't want her hanging out with your kind."

Her parents didn't know the truth. I could tell them exactly what happened. I could tell them that their daughter loved to get fucked in the ass. I could tell Brian's parents that he liked Tara to be dressed in a school girl uniform before they did it. It would wipe the smug and condescending expression off of all their faces, but what would be the point? Carrie obviously hadn't done it and Tara was more her friend than mine.

"I understand," I said, but then turned to Tara once more. "Are you really willing to give up your friendship with Carrie over this?" Tara hesitated and Brian jumped in.

"Yes," he said. "This is the way it has to be." I wondered how much of this was him and his parents versus Tara and hers.

"You know, you make me sorry that I helped you two get together," I said, shaking my head. He blushed, but didn't back down. I looked around the table and there was not one friendly face. I raised an eyebrow at Tara. She looked at me almost helplessly and shrugged. I was surprised at the anger that came. Oh, I had the right, but it was more for Carrie.

"Will you please just leave," Tara father put in. "You're ruining our dinner."

"And you've just hurt the woman I love very badly," I said in tight control. "Or at least your daughter has."

"We don't have to stand for this!" Brian's father said, standing. He tried to look menacingly at me, but it only made me smile. He was overweight, out of shape and perhaps the least threatening man I'd ever met, not that it mattered.

"I'm leaving," I said, turning to Tara one last time. "But not before I have my say. You know that in time you're going to regret this. Carrie has been a true friend to you. You also know how she feels about friends. If you don't make this right, right now, you know they'll be no point in apologizing later. She'll never forgive you, and frankly, neither will I."

"I know," Tara got out. She didn't look happy, but she'd obviously made her decision.

"So be it," I said. "What a shame. Look what you've become."

"Hey!" Brian cried angrily and stood. It was a mistake. I was on edge and I'd already been threatened by his father.

"Brian no!" Tara cried, but it was too late. I guess she remembered what happened to Jimmy and his two friends when they jumped me. Brian clearly didn't. He took a swing at me. I slapped it away and poke him in the solar plexus. The air whooshed out of him and he fell back into his chair.

"Funny," I said coldly. "You would think as a wrestler you would have tried something smarter than a punch."

"Just go!" Tara said, tears in her eyes now.

JoeDreamer
JoeDreamer
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