Gone in Mere Minutes 3 - Sequel

I choked. Now I realized where she looked familiar from. She was Rachel's teacher!!

Andy spoke again. "So, what I would like you to do is get to know our daughter, romance her, and take better care of her than the jerk did." Carmen rolled her eyes, but continued to watch me.

"BUT, she's so much younger than me. She's, what, twenty-two, twenty-three?" I was incredulous.

But her father looked to the right, and covered his face, so that he didn't laugh in my face. Carmen burst out laughing, not bothering to hide anything. Isabella was giggling and blushing and having a good time at my expense.

"I will be thirty-four in two months. How about that, 'old man'? You sure know how to flatter a lady."

I was speechless. I was floored. I was dumb founded.

Actually, I was embarrassed. Her mother took over.

"If you want to get to know our daughter, you have our permission, and our blessing. But you need to keep being a stand-up guy. We will be watching you!"

That was it. I needed to stake my ground. I looked at Mrs. Falconi. Then I looked at Isabella. I held her gaze a little longer. Then I turned to her dad, the 'mob' boss, the head of the family, the guy who could make you disappear if he didn't like your eyeglasses. But he was staring off into space, like he couldn't believe the N.Y. Giants were only favored by 2 pts. Over the Houston Texans.

Like he was telling me 'Don't look at me, you're on your own'.

I took a deep breadth and turned back to Mrs. Falconi, because I felt confident I already knew how her daughter felt, and I was betting that Carmen was the key.

"Mrs. Falconi, I will keep your daughter company, as they same, if that is what she wants. And if WE decide we like the outcome, we'll act on it. Do you understand, CARMEN??"

Well, I succeeded in setting global warming back about twenty years in Joe's (You remember Joe, don't you?) conference room. Andrew Falconi shuddered, held his breadth, and looked sideways at his wife. Isabella cringed and looked down at her fingernails. MRS. Falconi stared at me and I knew how the Prince in Sow White felt when Maleficent stared at him. Her eyes narrowed, her lips curled, and she took a real deep breath. She smiled a crooked, thin smile.

"Be careful, Mr. Boyle. You don't want to cross the line." Her voice was brittle and cold. I held her gaze and replied, "I wouldn't think of it, MOM."

She blinked first, and then the thin smile broke into a broad grin.

"Of course, you could move it a little, SON."

Andy started breathing again and murmured 'Thank You Jesus', Isabella looked at me like I could take her virtue right there on the conference room table, and I thanked GOD that I had made the right call.

I figured I would push my luck a little further. "I hope my children will take to having three sets of grandparents, Grandma."

It got cold again, and Carmen stared at me. Then she smiled even broader and said, "I think that relocated the line enough for today, Mike."

Epilogue

It appears that Andrew Falconi called the business shots and only crossed his wife in family matters when he felt it necessary.(And when he took leave of his senses.) She loved him but she ruled the roost.

He felt it was time to groom a replacement for the 'business', and he picked Gino, and up and coming young man. Wrong. The slime was banging every thing he could find, because he could. Isabella was the last straw, as they say.

Andrew asked if I would like to give Isabella a ride home, after picking up my kids. She fell all over herself agreeing and came around the table to sit with me. She was glowing, and even her mother looked pleased.

Mr. Falconi then concluded the meeting saying there would no inducements to become involved in any 'outside activities' of a nefarious nature. They had three sons in addition to their daughter- an Army Captain, Andrew Jr., a New Jersey State Trooper, Salvatore, and a psychics professor at Rutgers State University, Dominic. All of them legit, and scrupulous. Isabella said her parents were very proud of all of them. Isabella had a masters in elementary education from Columbia University. She loved little children, and teaching them.

So we started to date and six months later, after some serious making out and her convincing me that her parents figured we had hooked up all ready, we found out that WOW, were we compatible in and out of bed. Two weeks later, I asked her parents (Plural) for her hand in marriage. Her mother grilled me for the better part of an hour and a half, to make sure I was serious. She finally said O.K.

It took he dad about six minutes, and a relieved 'What took you so long' to give me his blessing. Then he asked what did Isabella say.

"UUH, I haven't asked her yet," nothing full well she had urged me to talk to her 'traditional, old-fashioned parents first. (Smart girl.)

My kids were over the moon with Isabella and Grandpa Andrew and Grammy Carmen, as they called them.

So we were married and lived happily ever after. I suggested a honeymoon in Cartagena, Columbia, but my new wife shot that down- REAL QUICK. We are happy and expecting twins in four months, after eight months o wedded bliss.

Thanks for reading. I enjoyed writing it.

Now an apology, of sorts. I credited the 'Lighten the Fuck Up' ending to Saddletramp 56. (Sorry, boss.) It turned out it was Vandemoium1. Mea Culpa. So I add this:

Lighten The Fuck Up

I have been sick lately, a bit under the weather. I could not stop my stamps from sliding down the side of my battleship.

That's right- I had postage Naval drip. (GROAN!!)

I know, it's real grandpa joke. So sue me.

FINIS