Going to Texas

"You mean to meet the family and the extended family?"

"Yes and mom's friends will be there. Dad and mom are in small city law and that's why I broke out of the mould because I don't like small towns. I left Leighton Oaks to go to college to study finance and settled here after graduation. But Joe there's nothing significant about this invitation. I just would like you to see where I grew up."

"Okay on one condition."

"If anyone mentions engagement or marriage I'll kill them."

"No that's okay. Let them live. Three weeks after that I want you to come with me on the road for a month. I'm hiring a car and with be looking around Dallas-Fort Worth to invest in some sort of business that will provide me with an income and as well support my grandparents very comfortably in their retirement. They want me to locate near them and it's their money I'll be investing. Both are in good health and expect to live into very old age.

Anita hedged, "Then I'll think about it."

"Just says yes baby otherwise I'll say I'll have to think about going to your mom's birthday."

"Oh crap. This is pressuring me. I could lose my job by asking for a month off work."

"Well then resign. Plenty of businesses are advertising for chief financial controllers."

"But I'd loose my seniority."

"So which matters most to you, job seniority or spending a month with me roaming about and having some of the best fun of your life?"

"Oh god."

"I'm applying the pressure baby. Say it."

"I choose Texas."

"Right, we will be going to Texas and now give me that cute smile."

"That's the girl. Easy wasn't it? When I acquire a company it's likely I the chief financial controller will require a new deputy, pushing the existing one sideways with a sweetener. Good eh?"

"I-I think so."

"Why sound nervous?"

"Joe my parents are small city attorneys who are very conservative. Your grandfather sounds like he's someone important, probably a millionaire."

"So what? He left ranching to become a millionaire. Grandma was a secretary in his office when he came in all dusty and sweaty one afternoon and caught her bending over the filing cabinet displaying stockings held up by straps and he rushed her and mom yelled to lock the door. Dad was almost broke in those days and he owed her promised bonuses. Mom related that story at the wedding and said when she'd heard him coming up the steps to the pokey on-site construction office she faced the door and bent over the filing cabinet. In her words she said, "In the hope to snare the asshole. He was too beset by financial problems to notice I was pretty."

"Omigod," Anita said, shrieking in laughter.

"Grandma came from Western Australia and they breed them tough and produce real characters out there. A year after the wedding her parents were facing having to walk off their ranch or station as Australians call big farms. With the last of the bank loan money running out he hired a team of geologists to take a close look at his piece of dirt that was about the size of Los Angeles. And they found something, plenty of mineral rich ore but no gold. A few years later grandma's remaining parent died and she inherited a couple of million bucks as her share of the estate along with her sister and brother. Everyone thinks granddad is wealthy but he loses more than he ever makes. It's grandma with the big money and he continues to lose money faster than ever before because his decision-making has not improved. She wants her money she'd made from mainly good investments placed out of reach of him. Therefore she wants it in a business run by me that will ultimately become my inheritance."

"But what about your parents; you never talk about them?"

"Their boat sank off the coast of northern New South Wales one Saturday when they were out fishing and their craft overturned. The boat was towed ashore and pulled out of the water with a crane. Their bodies and that of a friend were found in the cabin where apparently they had been having lunch."

"Omigod, how awful for you. Oh my poor darling," Anita said, hugging Joe and stroking his face and cooing to him.

A few minutes later he pulled away and croaked, "That's what I really like about you Anita. You are like grandma... you are two women who genuinely like me, I mean going beyond the point of just liking me."

"Well I'm coming to love you."

"Jesus Anita, careful how you emote."

Anita just laughed and said she'd get coffee. She'd received the message not to push too hard.

CHAPTER 2

Anita's parents welcomed her warmly and Anita was disappointed that Brandy the family dog didn't recognize her and appeared to be keener about Joe.

"It's lovely to meet you Joe," Kate her mother said, embarrassing Anita by looking at Joe closely to assess his breeding lines. Kate had grown up on a horse ranch.

"Welcome to our home young man," Ronald her father said and asked, "Do you play golf."

"Yes sir."

"Call me Ronald but never Ron. We must have a game. According to what my wife has been told on the phone you are primarily Australian but are looking to resettle in Texas where you were born."

"Yes that's correct?"

The New England attorney laughed and said he rather disliked Texas. "Texans have over-exploited their state."

"Daddy please. What do you really know about Texas?"

"I've been there twice and seen the despoliation of vast tracts of former grasslands. Aren't I right boy?"

"I wouldn't know but I guess over-stocking, deforestation and climate change has affected grasslands in many counties and I've been to both New York and Los Angeles and when I see what man has done to both those habitats I shake my head in wonder."

"Are you criticizing New York? My mother is a New Yorker."

"I'd call it a bystander's observation but I guess it carries implied criticism."

"Well you sound honest, that's all I should say."

"Ronald just has to show who's boss around here young man and please call me Kate. You know he has clients who think its great having a gruff straight-shooter as their attorney."

"I bet there's a balance in your practice Kate, with you attracting clients looking for grace and sensitivity from their attorney."

"Oh Joe how perceptive of you," Kate said taking his arm. "Come along to your room where you'll be sharing with Anita. She admitted on the phone she sometimes sleeps with you. Ronald and I had a big row about this and guess who won? Now that's an example where the meek sometimes cannot be swept aside. That's why Ronald and I get along so famously; he has the intelligence to know when to back off."

"You sound a real character Kate."

She laughed and Anita turned to her father and smiled, saying that those two were hitting it off.

"Your mother was always a sucker for a good-looking guy."

"Yes daddy and what the hell had happened to your hair and your face and your body?"

Ronald grinned and hugged his daughter and said welcome home baby, baby because Anita had an older brother and sister.

Later Brandy arrived beside Joe with her lead, inviting him to go for a walk. He attached the lead and looked at Anita but she said to go and not to get lost. She wished to talk to her parents.

Kate and Ronald looked at their daughter in dismay.

"You have resigned that great job to go all the way to Dallas with a guy your hardly know," Kate said, bottom lip trembling.

"You can't sleep with a guy for almost a month and hardly know him mother and Dallas is only a bit farther away from here than New York."

"It's ten times the driving distance away," thundered her father.

"Then fly if you wish to visit us dad. You can drive around there in my car."

"You don't have a car."

"I will when settled in Dallas or Fort Worth."

"I forbid you to go."

"Can it dad. God little wonder mom has so much trouble with you."

"No you look here..."

"Can it Ronald," said his wife, dabbing her eyes. "Why don't you think you job is all that great? You're working in Manhattan for goodness sake?"

"Remove the bullshit mom and apart from a few features Manhattan is just another place. My workplace is not on Fifth Avenue mom as you appear to think it is. The travel agencies are in the good locations but we at head office are crowded in a soulless office block in the middle of a scruffy neighborhood where one can't risk walking at night even with company."

"But you were excited when you won selection and said you were working with great people?"

"Yes mom but the excitement faded and the people mostly showed their pleasantness was an veneer but some remain great and get to the right places New York is great and where I live is great."

"Then why not relocate with another business in New York, even in travel?" suggested her father."

"Because Joe is leaving New York as his vacation has ended and he's invited your daughter to accompany her, that's why," Kate sniffed.

"The very same reason mom left her parent's beautiful ranch to come with you to this dump," Anita said.

"That's bullshit."

"Stop it Ronald. You know it's true and you know we have lost this one. You ought to know that by your daughter's aggression. Darling this town is not a dump; the people are generally good people and you know it."

"Yes mom I concede that. I guess I just feel at home in big cities. This time I'll take care to influence Joe where we live."

"What is he dumps you?"

"I am a little more optimistic than that mother but I do this deal with you both. You have Joe with you all day tomorrow and until after your birthday lunch next day. We fly out at 6:00. If you both tell me after Sunday lunch you have misgivings about Joe as a potential son-in-law then I'll not go to Texas."

Ronald grouched, "You can't hang that responsibility on us."

"Shut up Ronald. Our baby had often challenged us and tell me, how many times has she lost?"

"But those were incidental things. This is putting a potential marriage at stake."

"Stop being so negative Ronald. All right baby, I accept the challenge providing you don't forewarn Joe what he's up against."

"Oh god, all right," Anita said, her confidence taking a tumble.

"It's only fair darling," Kate smiled. "We all know how to win something by stacking the odds in our favor. I don't wish you to influence him in this at all."

"Jesus mom do you have to be such a bitch?"

"Fetch met that old rubber spatula darling."

Ronald looked aghast. "You can't paddle the ass of your daughter now she's a woman."

"It's okay dad. I apologize for bad-mouthing you mom and I'll comply fully with your conditions. I have confidence in Joe."

Kate said, "Take him to golf in the morning Ronald."

He scratched his neck and said sorry but he was playing in his regular four.

"They are your pals right."

"You know they are Kate; you see enough of them."

"Then ask one of them to stand aside. That's what pals do for a pal isn't it?"

"I guess so. I'll call Ryan now."

""No you all push him around. Make this a test of friendship. Call Noah."

"Jesus Kate, are you insane?"

"Fetch me the rubber spatula Anita."

"No it's okay, I'll call him first and know he'll say no."

"He might say yes if you give him the chance of doing you a favor."

"Well Kate Allen. Allow me to prove you wrong."

Arnold came back from the phone looking sheepish and the women laughed and Anita said, "Thanks dad. Now mom you arrange to take him somewhere tomorrow. Oh I know, get him to row you on the lake and have afternoon tea at the pavilion."

"God he won't want to do that?"

"Ask him mom. He might be too polite to decline. It will be a great test to assess the quality of his manners and depth of his conversation prowess with a woman old enough to be his mother."

"All right, what you say makes sense. It he doesn't like the idea of rowing we'll just walk through the park and still end up at the pavilion."

The men arrived home wearing big smiles.

"Kate clucked, "They obviously won the match and have had a few beers."

Ronald fetched drinks for everyone.

"This young man," he said proudly, arm around Joe's shoulder, "finds it impossible to hit consistently but he's probably the longest hitter in our club although today he hit five of his big drives out of bounds. But I held our side together, almost playing out of my skin and Joe drove the 17th par-four green when I hit into the lake and then he sank a 50 foot putt...."

"About 35 foot I'd say Ron."

"Yeah well let's compromise and say 42 feet. We both got par fours on the 18th and Ryan and Ollie were all ready belly up after Joe's amazing eagle on the 17th and finished with one-overs. Oh what a morning! They were sour about their loss but both gave our boy bear hugs and invited him to play with him again."

The two women exchanged smiles and Anita said, "Dad could you take me to see Jenny Withers this afternoon to see her and her fourth baby. She and her parents are clients of yours."

"Er I was thinking of taking Joe to car racing this afternoon."

"Okay dad if car racing is more important than your daughter."

"Can't your mother..."

"I was asking you dad. It's a little opportunity to spend time with you. It won't take longer than an hour."

"What would you like to do this afternoon Joe?"

"I'd be happy to hang out with you Kate. I guess you'll want to grill me a bit?"

"Whatever for?"

"To assess my suitability to be kicking around with your youngest daughter."

"Oh you're passed that test. I see the way she looks at you."

"Huh?"

"Please Joe, do you have to be thick about emotional attachment just like most men?"

"The way she looks at me? I must look out for it. Um let's take Brandy for a walk, that is if you'd like to do that Kate."

"Oh that sounds lovely. Take mom for a row on the lake. She loves that?"

Ronald looked surprised. "Since when?"

"Dad you don't know everything." The lake row went well although Kate had to keep her arms around Brandy to stop the dog jumping in after waterfowl.

In the pavilion Joe was the youngest male adult by at least twenty years.

"Tell me about your late parents Joe. That's if you don't mind talking about them. Anita told me about the tragedy."

"Mom's doing big time in jail for murdering dad."

Kate dropped the cup and it broke the saucer and the cup handle broke off.

After the mess was cleared Kate said, "Oh Joe."

"It's okay. Mom claimed it was an accident but I'm not sure. She claimed she and dad were having a big row and he chased her into the kitchen and she grabbed the kitchen knife to defend herself and pushed it into his stomach."

"Omigod. How terrible."

"She admitted during the trial to having had a long affair with one of our neighbors, Evan Kennedy. I was living in Sydney and knew nothing about that but had to say in court that relations between mom and dad had been at an all-time low and my brother Pete gave similar testimony. Kate please understand. I didn't want Anita to know about this simply because there is no reason to know and I'll never return to Australia. Pete who is my twin will visit me here but will never talk about our parents."

"But I don't understand. Why are you telling me this when there is no need? I'd already accepted the boat tragedy story."

"To allow you to decide whether I'm a suitable person for your daughter as my mother is a convicted murderess. I wanted you to also know that if I think it necessary to lie to Anita then I will. If you believe I'm unsuitable for Anita then I shall go to Texas alone."

"No, definitely no. I want you and Anita to have a beautiful life together. I feel like hugging you my poor boy."

"Then hug me. Fuck what these other people think."

"Joe."

"Oh sorry. I just used the F-word."

"No I mean come to me and let me hug you."

Anita and her father were on the deck drinking wine when Kate, Joe and Brandy returned. Father and daughter noticed Kate's arm tucked through Joe's free arm. Joe returned with two more glasses and another bottle of wine.

Joe said, "Well here's a toast to the birthday girl and may lunch tomorrow be a great occasion for you Kate."

"Thank you Joe. Anita has told us that she has resigned her job with the intention of going to Texas with you. Well Ronald and I are happy about that providing there will be an open invitation for us to visit you."

"Omigod, that's wonderful mom," Anita said, and rushed to her mother and kissed her and whispered, "Don't ever tell him about the deal I had with you guys."

She said to the same thing to her dad when kissing him.

"I knew if I gave you guys time to think about it and a little time to get to know Joe you wouldn't have any real objection."

Joe said, "I'm pleased about that. Thanks Kate, thanks Ron."

Both women were aware they knew no other person permitted to shorten Ronald's name.

"Well Dallas is only a bit father away than New York when you jump on an airplane, that's what I thought," Ronald lied.

"Anita whatever made you think we'd have any objection?" Kate lied.

Joe looked at them suspiciously. "This all sounds a little too pat. I smell some sort of conspiracy."

Kate, Ronald and Anita lied, emphatically denying that.

"Cheers," Joe said, continuing to eye them as if expecting one of them to buckle and admit the truth.

As Joe and Anita took their seats on the New York-bound small aircraft the following evening she said she was so excited. "Soon we'll be going to Texas. My girlfriends will be devastated but they'll put on a big party for us."

"Yeah I suppose they will."

"But we'll be back on a visit. Carla and Peter are bound to invite us to their wedding. We've gotten on with them so well."

"I'd like that. They are so suited and should do well in life after marriage. That was a swell lunch. Your mom's friends and you sister did us real proud and you mom sat there like a real Queen Bee."

"Yes she was very happy indeed. I think my sister is half in love with your already."

"Jesus she's married with a kid and anyway she doesn't have your sexy tits and butt."

"Joe you mustn't judge people by their breasts and butts and she simply feels emotionally in tune with you. She is very happy married to Enzo."

""Yeah well they are a great couple. What's their kid like?"

"Lucas is a lovely little blonde. He's three."

"Perhaps we should invite them to vacation with us when we settled."

Anita snuggled up to him and said she was delighted he was interfacing with her family so well.

"They're all good guys, that's why."

A little surprised by that statement Anita smiled and said yes they were.

"I have a twin brother."

Anita sat up straight in surprise and a flight attendant told her to buckle her seat belt.

* * *

In Dallas they signed into the Crown Plaza on Elm for two nights before settling into a serviced apartment long term.

"Well ready to look around?"

Anita said she was highly excited. "Could you have sex first and then I'll freshen up."

"Yeah my not? Dallas can wait."

They rocked into a sixty-nine and expected to sweat because the air-con was struggling with the outside temperature into the high nineties.

She sucked one of his big hairless balls because she'd convince him to shave and what a fight that had been. He'd accused her of attempting to turn him into a gay dude but she won him over saying she'd let her pubic hair grow unless he cooperated.

Anita felt hugely emotional when his thick dick entered her and guessed she knew what that was about, being at the peak of her cycle for reproduction. She'd long decided she'd like a couple of babies by the time she was thirty-six, no later.

As usual his thrusting drove her crazy and she gushed when he rammed a finger up her ass. Anita kept on going, almost exhausted and when he yelled squeeze she squeezed and he flooded her, and red-faced and panting rolled alongside her and clutched her but the big difference this time he gurgled, "I'm in love with you."