After I’d finished showering, I quickly brushed my hair and shaved the stubble that was struggling to grow on my face and neck. I was very tempted to see what Mom had laid out for Rheta (and if it was as fully detailed as my own outfit had been), but I urged myself to wait until dinner when she would be in its full glory. Returning to my room, I dressed in the outfit Mom had left me, noticing that she’d also left out my dress shoes and the bottle of La Costa aftershave that I’d had for years. I’ve never really liked dressing up like this in the past, but I knew that when I did, I looked damn good. Giving myself a once over in my mirror, I adjusted my tie, straightened my hair, did the Blue Steel and, feeling confident that tonight was going to be awesome, walked downstairs.
Walking into the kitchen, I gave myself a little strut and did a twirl to give them the full effect. With my back to them, I got a wolf whistle of my own, although I couldn’t tell who it was from as they were both sitting at the table. Facing them once again, I noticed a hazy look in Rheta’s hazel eyes and a flush building up her cheeks. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that my sister was swooning over me. Mom stood and walked over to me and gave me a hug. “Well, don’t you look handsome?” she asked rhetorically.
Smiling what I hoped was a dashingly confident smile, I said, “If this is what I’m wearing, I can’t wait to see what my dates for the evening will be in. The two of them constantly blow me away and I hope that my effort for this night doesn’t go unappreciated.” Mom just smiled brightly at me, that smile alone letting me know that none of this wasn’t being appreciated. “But honestly,” I continued as I looked away from the brilliance of Mom’s smile and into nothing in particular, “it feels a bit excessive. I mean, cufflinks; seriously, who wears these anymore?”
Looking back to her face, I saw Mom smile even wider. “Don’t look at me, handsome; it was your other date that chose your outfit, I just bought it.”
The both of us looked to Rheta as this was revealed. Cheeks red from embarrassment, Rhe just gave a severely repressed smile as she turned to not be looking at us. “You look nice, Henry. Like Mom said, handsome.” Before I could even say ‘thank you,’ Rheta quickly strode out of the kitchen, saying that she was next to have a shower and get ready, adding that if she wasn’t down in 20 minutes, the oven needed to be turned off and the garlic bread put in it to cook while it cooled down.
With a confused look after my sister, I checked the clock before turning back to Mom. “What’s up with her?” I asked incredulously.
“She’s just excited for tonight,” Mom answered vaguely. “Despite her show of disgust earlier, I think that she was genuinely touched that you called her your favourite lady and wanted to call tonight a date. I may have teased you about not getting many dates, but the same goes for your sister. Do me a favour and treat her well tonight.” Giving me a look that seemed to speak volumes that I couldn’t yet comprehend, Mom continued on. “It’s her first time, on a date, fake as it is, so please just be sure to take the time to make tonight special for her.”
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