••••
I step out of the shower, only to find Tina waiting for me in my room. I wonder if she came into my room last night, only to find me gone? She’d said she had another present for me, but if she had, she didn’t say anything.
"Remember to open the door for her, and do everything you can to treat her like a lady," she tells me, as though I don’t already know.
I’m getting ready for my date with mom, and for some reason, Tina has brought it into her head that I don’t know how to treat a woman properly.
"You may be tempted to use your switches on her, but avoid it if you can," she said.
There is only one switch in my mother right now, and I can’t move it unless I’m in physical contact with my sister, as that’s when I made the switch.
"I know, I know," I protest. "Now are you going to get out so I can get dressed, or do you plan on watching me?" I should have known the answer before I asked.
"I’m staying, of course. Look, I want to make sure everything goes well for her tonight. She is a strong woman, but I can see she is still hurting inside." How can she tell that? I’ve tried to keep an eye on my mother myself, but she seems to be handling my dad’s leaving better than I’d thought. Is this some sort of feminine intuition?
"I promise I will do everything in my power to make tonight a good night for her," I realize what I’ve said a moment after her eyes go wide.
"I mean, I will do what I can, WITHOUT using my powers," I corrected myself.
Tina then spends the next twenty minutes critiquing everything I try to wear, until she’s finally satisfied with my raiment.
When I finally make it out of my room, Mom is nowhere to be found, and I have an idea to turn this into more of a date. I slip outside, catching my breath in the frigid cold. I go to my car and grab a small bouquet I’d purchased earlier, and then ring the doorbell.
Tina and Loveth both answer the door, and grin widely when they see it’s me.
"Hello, young ladies," I tell them, unable to hide my own mirth, "I believe I have a date with the lady of the house?"
"Mom, your date is here," Loveth calls over her shoulder loudly, and then turns back to me. "You’d better treat her right tonight, Mister." We all laugh, but the laughing stops when Mom walks out.
Mom looks absolutely stunning in a black, shimmery dress that hugs her curves from her ankles down. She is wearing matching high heels, but I can’t seem to pull my eyes away from the low V-cut of her dress that shows her cleavage nicely. She does a little spin when she sees us looking, spreading her arms out and smiling. It’s also a backless dress.
"You like?" she asks, with a slight sparkle in her eyes. "Loveth helped me pick it out."
My throat is dry, and I can’t get any words out. Loveth had helped her pick that out? She looks like a mature sex goddess, ready to ravage the town! She looks ten years younger. She looks... She looks... Dammit, she looks delicious!
I have to clear my throat a couple of times to get it working again, which sets the two younger women to giggling, and mom to blushing.
"Shall we, milady?" I ask as I hold my arm out to her.
She takes it in her hand, and we go out to my car.
"We really don’t need to go there tonight if you don’t want to," she tells me as I pull out of the driveway. "I know how expensive it is, and it was the girls’ idea more than mine."
I know it was the two other women, helped along by Nancy, who came up with the idea of going to the fanciest restaurant in town, and while it means I will have to dip into my savings, I don’t mind at all. She really does need this right now.
As promised, when we arrive at the restaurant, I make sure to open the doors for her, and the reservation is under Mr. Xavier. My dad’s name is well-known, so it was no problem getting us a table.
When I open the menu, however, I have to stifle a groan; it’s more expensive than I’d thought.
"We really don’t have to eat here, son," Mom tells me as she looks over the menu, and I can feel her happiness switch lower a bit. I may not be able to affect the switch, but that doesn’t stop me from sensing it.
"I promised you a date anywhere you wanted, so this is fine," I tell her, meaning it. My savings can handle it. "Besides, when was the last time you got to go out and have a good time?"
She thinks about it for a bit before looking me in the eyes and telling me, "Last Christmas, when we had our date then."
I smile, remembering the simple date at the local fast food joint and then ice-skating afterwards. "I remember. You skated circles around me and laughed every time I fell."
Mom smiles then, and I know it’s genuine, as her ’happy’ switch tilts upwards, and we both laugh, until she looks back down at the menu. "Everything looks so expensive, son. I don’t dare order anything."
I reach out and pull the menu from her hands, which unfortunately reveals her cleavage, and I have to look away before I get caught staring.
"Then I will order for my beautiful date tonight," I said.
She tries to protest, but I’m not going to have it.
When the waiter comes and takes our order (while staring at my mom), she complains again.
"I saw that on the menu. That’s too expensive, son. And the champagne? Son, I know you can’t afford this." She looks around at those close to us before leaning over and whispering, "We should go now, before he comes back with our food."
To say I’m shocked to hear my own mother recommend ditching after ordering would be an understatement. Seeing her bend over in that dress sets my heart pounding. I’m surprised she doesn’t try to rush me off to the hospital; my heart seems to be thudding so loudly.
"Relax and enjoy the night, Mom. I’ve got this." But she doesn’t seem to want to listen.
"At least let me pay for some of it," she insists.
"Don’t you dare!" I reply quickly. "Mom, if this were a date with Dad, would you be so worried?" She shakes her head. "Then enjoy the food, and hopefully my company, and let me take care of the woman who has meant the most to me throughout my life."
She sits back then and looks at me wide-eyed for a few seconds before saying, "The most... What about Tina?"