“Really?” Shay said with feigned surprise. “Teachers are human? Is that what you’re trying to tell me, Mom?”
“I know it’s hard to believe, honey, but yes, some of us are. And then there are those like Mr. Garvin who are just…yummy.”
“Mom!” Shay said playfully just as the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it!” Shay said as she nearly ran to the door. She stopped, smoothed her long, dark hair then opened it.
“Mr. Garvin, Cameron. Hi! Come in, please,” she said with the biggest smile ever.
Erin was right behind her daughter and greeted both of her visitors along with Shay. She and Adam hugged briefly and politely as he showed her the bottle of wine he’d brought with him. She took and said, “It’s still very cold. This is perfect. Thank you, Adam. Come on in. Dinner’s almost ready.”
As they got ready to eat, Erin asked Adam, “Do you mind if Cameron and Shay have a small glass of wine with dinner?”
Adam looked at his brother and said, “It’s okay with me. I certainly won’t tell anyone.”
Everyone laughed before Cameron said, “Sure, I’ll take some. Thank you, Ms. Kimball.”
She poured a small amount into his glass and said, “At home you can call me Erin, okay?”
Adam extended the same courtesy to Shay, as well.
She went to pour some in Adam’s glass and he said, “Oh, no thank you. I’m really not much of a drinker, Erin.”
“Oh, okay. I had no idea.” She turned to Shay, held the bottle up slightly and said, “Honey? Would you like a little bit?”
“Um, no thanks, Mom. I think I’ll pass, too.”
She poured herself a glass and said to Cameron, “Well, it looks you and I are the only ones drinking tonight, Cameron. Cheers?”
After dinner, the four of them were sitting in the living room with the guys on the large sofa and the girls on the smaller love seat.
Erin was sipping a second glass of wine when she said, “So Adam. You said you were also interested in music. Anything in particular?”
“I love classical music. I even play the violin a little bit.”
“You’re kidding?” Shay said. “I love classical music!”
Erin shook her head and said, “I know it’s an important part of our culture, but I’ll never understand the appeal. I guess I need some cultural refining but it pretty much all sounds the same to me.”
“Here, here!” said Cameron. “I gotta leave the house when Adam fires up Beethoven or whatever. Give me classic rock over classical any day!”
“I am so with you, Cameron!” Erin told him. “Give me The Rolling Stones or Jimmy Hendrix or Lynyrd Skynard or Van Halen any day.”
Cameron offered her a high five which she gladly accepted.
“Well, that was a bust,” Shay said. “What else matters to you, Adam?”
“Helping the poor. I volunteer at a homeless shelter at least once a week,” he said.
“I do, too!” Shay said with incredulity. “That is so amazing!”
“Cameron, do you go with Adam?” Shay asked.
“Uh, no. That’s not really my thing,” he said.
“I see. Well, what is your thing if I might ask?” Shay inquired.
“Making money.” Shay made a face which prompted Cameron to say, “Look, if I could get a pro football contract I wouldn’t think twice about accepting a huge signing bonus. Money isn’t the root of all evil and I don’t even think the love of money is a bad thing.”