5 comments/ 19936 views/ 3 favorites The Maturation of Vinnie Pt. 01 By: coaster2 For those of you who read Quartet: Jenny, you will remember Vinnie Blanton as the troubled brother of Tom Blanton who needed help to straighten out his life. This is the continuing story of Vincent (Vinnie) Blanton. * Chapter One: My name is Vincent Blanton but almost everyone calls me Vinnie. I am 28 years old; or as my older brother used to say, 28 going on 18. He used to say that and for the most part, he wasn't wrong. I took me a long time to grow up; not physically, but emotionally. I'm probably still going through that, but things are a lot better today than they were a year or two ago. Just to fill in the background, I'll tell you a little bit about my life to date and then I'll tell you the reason for this story. I was never much of a student, unlike my older brother, Tom. I scraped through High School by the skin of my teeth and I'm not sure they didn't give me a diploma just to get rid of me. I wasn't really interested in getting any more than the absolute minimum education for the least amount of work and that's what I accomplished. I'm a pretty decent athlete, but again, I just didn't have enough interest to concentrate on that either. It was too easy, I suppose. The one thing that I did concentrate on was having a good time. I picked up that interest when I was about sixteen and it stuck with me until just a year or so ago. For me, a good time was hanging out with the guys, drinking a few brews, now and then smokin' some dope and, of course, getting it on with the ladies. I'm not an ugly guy; about six foot and 185 lbs with dark hair and dark brown eyes. I've had more than one girl tell me I look sexy, so I've pretty well assumed that's the case. Life was pretty good for me. My old man owned a construction and renovation company that did a lot of high priced work and we lived a pretty good life. When my brother joined the company after he graduated from Tech School, I was already a crew chief and he came on to head up the second crew. It meant we were able to take on more work and that meant more money in the pot and that was fine with me. I admit I was a little pissed when Dad made Tom the head guy and I had to report to him. After all, I'd been there longer and I thought I was doing a good job, so I should have been the guy. The truth is, Tom was better organized and had a lot more know-how than I did, but I just couldn't admit it to myself. When he brought in another guy to run the second crew and then started ragging' on me about how this new guy was getting the work done quicker and smarter, I was really pissed. I guess I was pretty unhappy and I think that led me down the path that got me in all the trouble. I was just showing up to work to get the paycheck. As far as I was concerned, I'd do what I had to do and no more. At night, I was out with my boys and we were working over the night club scene downtown. In the meantime, my brother got married and took off for Europe on his honeymoon and that's when the shit really hit the fan. My Dad had a stroke and there was no one around but me and Robbie, the other crew chief, to run things. When the little guy started giving me my assignments, that's when I knew I'd had enough. Like my brother, I owned a share in the company; a one quarter share. It was probably worth a lot of money, but I didn't know how much. About the time my brother was talking about getting married to Jenny, I met a girl I really liked. Her name was Marcia Raymond and she was a beauty. She really liked me too, or so I thought. She liked to go to the casinos and play blackjack and poker and stuff and I liked being with her, so we became a couple. I guess I was gambling a bit more than I realized and I was running short of cash now and then. Marcia said she knew a guy who would lend me some dough until I could get even again and that's when I made the biggest mistake of my life. I went along with it and borrowed ten grand from this guy Tremblay. I figured my luck would change but it didn't and the next thing I knew, I owed this guy close to fifty grand. I was in shit up to my neck and I needed to find a way out. That was when Dad had his stroke and Tom had to take over the company. I was really upset that Dad was sick, but I figured maybe that would force Tom to sell the company and I'd get my share and pay off Tremblay. Then Tom came along and offered to buy me out. I wasn't doing very well on the job because of all the problems and finally Tom called me and insisted on a meeting. He knew all about my money problems and worse than that, he said Marcia was Tremblay's girlfriend and was just setting me up for him. I didn't believe him. Tom said he'd help me, but I knew the only way out was to accept his offer to buy me out. Two days later, I got a visit at my apartment from Tremblay and some goon friend of his and he worked me over pretty good. I ended up in the hospital with a bruised kidney and ribs. I told Tom what happened and he said he'd look after it. I guess he did. He said he paid the debt to Tremblay and the guy who put the beating on me was in jail for parole violation. It was then that I knew I couldn't keep going on the way I was. I had to get my head straight and do something about my future. I got to see the special side of my brother then. I knew he was a black belt in karate and I figured that would protect him from Tremblay, but I saw the smart side of him too. He had figured out how to let me run my own business as a framing contractor and still pay me out for my share. It was such a good offer after all the shit I had caused him that I would have been an even bigger idiot if I didn't say yes. It would take me a while to recover from the beating, but at least now I had a future to look forward to. For all the problems that my brother and I had over the years, I knew he was one cool guy under pressure. I'd seen him lots of times in hairy situations and he would just 'ice down' as he sized up the problem and the options and then make a decision. I had no idea that it would carry over into real physical danger situations until I heard what happened a few days later. His wife Jenny told me in private because I don't think Tom was very happy with how it all came down, but I just shook my head in amazement when I heard the story. Apparently, Tremblay was unhappy that he didn't get every dime that he figured he was owed which included a fifty percent interest payment. Tom had made him understand that he was going to get about half that interest and he was going to like it. Tremblay must have stewed about it for a few days and then one night, after more than a few drinks, decided he needed to get the rest and then some. He got a gun and went to Tom & Jenny's house and when Jenny answered the door, he pulled the gun on her and backed her into the house. The way Jenny tells it, it was like something out of a Steven Segal movie. Tom came in, looked her straight in the eye and told her not to move and then turned around, shielding her from Tremblay. When Tremblay started making demands that Tom go and get the money he wanted, Tom just said No! Jenny said it scared her to death; she was sure Tremblay was going to kill them both and maybe even their little girl, Nikki. Tremblay must have moved toward Tom and Jenny said it happened so fast that in just a second, the gun was on the floor across the room and Tremblay was on the carpet in serious pain with a broken wrist and blood running out of his mouth and his ear. Tom sent her downstairs to look after their daughter and cool as a cucumber, picked up the phone and called the cops. I would have given anything to see that. Chapter Two: So that's how I got to the stage that I knew I had to grow up and carry my own weight. It took me a month to heal up, but when I did, I sat down with Tom and his financial advisor and we worked out a plan on how I could have my own business. Tom would be my banker for a while, but in the end, I had to make it work on my own. To tell the truth, I was scared. I realized I didn't have any business experience and while I knew how to follow a framing plan, I didn't know anything about payroll or taxes or Workers Compensation and all the other stuff I needed to run a business. Tom said he would get me started, but sooner or later, I'd have to learn how to run my own affairs and if I couldn't do it myself, I'd have to hire someone. When I looked at how much business I had in front of me and how much more there was available, I was pretty sure I would have more work than I had people to do the work. I put the word out that I needed some rough and framing carpenters and with our family's reputation, it didn't take long to find some extra guys. Most of my first jobs were for my brother and that was a good way to get started. I'd like to pat myself on the back and tell you what a sharp businessman I was, but the truth is, it was all set up for me. Right off the bat, I knew I needed someone to look after the paperwork and the money and naturally I went to Tom for advice. He just smiled and handed me a card from B.C.I.T. and told me to ask for an instructor in the Financial Management faculty. I should ask for some recent or about-to-be graduates to interview for a permanent job and then call him when I had some names. When I got the list of names, I called Tom and he set up a meeting with his financial guy, Steve Inhalt and we looked over the résumés. He helped select five likely candidates and then we started calling to see when we could meet with them. Steve agreed to be with me for those interviews because he could assess their skills and I couldn't. After that, it was up to me to pick someone I could trust and work closely with. Steve and Tom emphasized that this was the next most important person in any company, so you wanted to make the best choice possible. We were lucky and were able to get all the interviews arranged over a day and a half stretch and since Steve worked out of his house, he agreed to let us do them there. We had renovated his house a few years ago and it was really something for just 1500 square feet. Before we interviewed anyone, the three of us sat down and figured out who was going to do what. We decided that I would tell them what the business was all about and Steve would tell them what kind of systems I would need. Tom was there to fill in any blanks and also because he thought it might be time for him to have someone as well and take the responsibility off his shoulders. He had a "part time" accountant, but all the other paperwork was being handled by him after Dad had his stroke. With all the new business and the regulations and bylaws that Tom had to deal with, it was getting to be too much. This way we would probably kill two birds with one stone. It sort of worked out the way we planned. I say "sort of" because Tom and I got into an argument about which one of the candidates was the one best for me and it turned out we both wanted the same person. I threatened to tell Jenny on him because the one all three of us agreed was the best was a girl. I mean, she was a woman. 100% all woman! She was hot! Tom said I was letting the little head do the thinking for the big head again and I asked him which head was doing his thinking and he was stuck for an answer. Steve thought this was all too funny and just sat back and watched the comedy act. In the end, we agreed that it was my need that was the most important and the reason for the interviews in the first place. I got the girl! If I had it to do over again, I might have reconsidered, but that's another story that I'll get to. Tom grumbled a bit, but then admitted that any of the candidates would be fine for his needs and he would make his own decision. I don't remember the last time I got one up on Tom, but it was a long, long time ago. Maybe this was the start of a new trend? The new girl's name was Dana McNabb and she was a drop-dead gorgeous blonde with a body to rival any Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. She was also pretty self-confident and I got the impression when we interviewed her that she didn't take any shit from anybody. We weren't allowed to ask her age and she didn't offer one on her résumé. I guessed she was mid-twenties, but these days it's tough to tell. Steve said she had all the right answers when he talked to her about what the accounting and reporting needs were, so that was good enough for me. Since we didn't have an office, we would be working out of our homes, or in her case, out of her apartment. I phoned her to tell her she had been chosen for the job and got a bit of a surprise. Right off the bat, she laid down some ground rules that I hadn't expected. "Look, Mr. Blanton, I'm really happy I got this job. I just want you to know that I don't date anyone where I'm working and there aren't any exceptions." It was as straightforward a statement as I'd ever heard and it completely caught me off guard. "Ah ... well fine ... I understand. I hope you didn't think that ... well ... that you got this job ..." She cut me off right there. "No! I know I was the best candidate. I just want it understood that I'm not date material. I'm there to work and I'll do a damn good job for you ... but that's all. OK?" "Yah ... sure ... like I say ... don't get the wrong impression. We wanted the best person and that was you." I finished uncertainly. "Good ... then we understand each other." she said in a more friendly tone. "When do you want me to start?" "You can start tomorrow. I'll meet you on our main jobsite and take you around and give you an idea of what we do. Then we can sit down and talk about suppliers and employees and the other things involved with the business." I gave her the jobsite address and we agreed to meet at nine the next morning. Things were a lot calmer the next morning. I had four houses on the go; two reno's and two new structures. Our part of the business was to frame and sheath the new parts and cut the openings for windows and doors and that was it. I showed her the list of jobs we had lined up and it would keep us busy for at least a month. In the meantime, new jobs were being proposed almost every day, so we wouldn't be short of work from March through October. The trick was to make sure we had the manpower to do all the work and not get behind. She looked at what we did with interest; I mean, she didn't just ooh and aah at the houses; she looked at what we were doing. She asked questions about what the hard parts were and what could cause problems like delays and such. She was just as smart as we thought she was. I invited her to lunch and she seemed hesitant, but agreed. We ended up at the White Spot and I finally got her to relax and tell me a bit more about herself. She was probably a bit older than I thought because she had finished High School and gone to work for five years in a food processing plant out in the Valley. She hated it at first, but then she got a chance to work in the Lab and it was more interesting. After that, she got a chance at supervision, but she got tired of the long hours during the seasonal high period and she decided to go back to school. She chose BCIT because she saw how well prepared the graduates were when they came out into the workforce and she also saw how quickly they were hired; even over University graduates. She chose accounting because it was an everyday skill that every kind of business needed and it was always portable. Besides, she liked working with numbers and she soon figured out that the top accountant in any firm had a lot of power. She owned her own Condo in Burnaby and drove a late model, bright red, Mazda Miata. She dressed smartly and I guess you would say professionally, but then, I wouldn't know. All in all, she was a very independent lady. She was also going to be a challenge. I would have to use more than just my normal charm to get though that tough exterior. I wondered what had made her so wary of men that she had to lay down rules before they even said hello. Tom had asked me to find out if she had her own computer and she said yes, she had a new laptop and yes, she had all the usual programs on it. She talked about which accounting package to use and she though she should find out from Tom what he was using. It might be smart for the future to use the same package. It was something that I hadn't even thought of, but that shouldn't be any surprise. That's why I needed her! Her first day on the job was a Wednesday and by the end of the day, Friday, she had all the systems up and running with all the information loaded on. I was impressed. I asked her if there would be enough for her to keep busy and she said she wasn't sure yet, but if not, she'd probably offer to take on some of Tom's work. He hadn't hired anyone yet and was still using the part-time services. A month later it was mid-April and we were running full blast just to stay even. I'd never worked harder in my life as I ran from job to job and made sure things were running on schedule. One thing I had to learn was to control my temper. When things went wrong, I would normally blow my top and swear and carry on until I could figure out what to do or one of my workers would come up with a suggestion. I was the total opposite of Tom when it came to solving problems. I just had to learn to calm down and deal with the situation the best way I knew how. It was tough, but I had to force myself if I wanted to run the business without blowing up every day. The best lesson I got on keeping my temper was one Friday afternoon when Dana brought the paychecks to the jobsite. Someone had framed the whole side of an addition backwards with the window openings at the wrong end. It would take almost a whole day to fix the mistake. I flipped as I usually did and was stamping around the site swearing and spitting and generally acting the fool. When I finally calmed down, I heard this laughing and just before I blew up again, I turned around and saw Dana. She was almost doubled over as she watched my performance and my first reaction was embarrassment. She didn't have to do anything else; she had me red in the face and it wasn't from anger. "Do you always go off like that?" she laughed. I exhaled loudly and stuffed my hands in my pockets as I looked at her with what must have been a stupid grin. "Yah ... pretty much." I admitted. "I'll have to come around more often. That was very entertaining." she continued with a big grin. "Well, I'm glad I made your day. I wish it wasn't necessary. It just cost me my Saturday." I moaned. "Too bad. You'll have to tell your girlfriend she'll need a rain-check." Still with the big smile. "Ah well, there's one thing I won't have to do." I said ruefully. "No girlfriend to tell." "Really! Now that's a surprise." She was obviously having fun on this particular Friday afternoon. It suddenly dawned on me that it was the first time I had seen her in this mood. I looked back at her and gave her a big smile in return. I was almost sure I saw her blush before she turned away. I informed the guys we needed to fix the mistake and when we figured out who had screwed it up, we had free beer for our next pub outing. As it turned out, one of the guys showed us how we could just take the wall out in one or even two pieces and turn it around. It would be quicker than ripping it all out and starting again. I think he had just become the most popular guy on the site. It meant a half-day on Saturday and not as many angry girlfriends and wives. I turned back to Dana and walked over to her as she finished distributing the checks. "Can I buy you a drink after your long week?" I asked casually. "You know my rules ... no dates." she said with a straight face. "It's not a date, just a drink after work." I tried. The Maturation of Vinnie Pt. 01 "Sorry ... I'll see you next week." she smiled vaguely and then turned toward her car. I stood there disappointed and I wondered what it would take to break through that hard shell she wore. I wondered as well what had caused her to build it in the first place. It watched her drive away and I finally turned and headed for my truck. Chapter Three: I'm not used to rejection from women and so I looked at Dana McNabb as a personal challenge. I wasn't even sure if I liked her, but the challenge was so obvious that I couldn't resist. I had to be careful though. I didn't want to upset her to the point that she'd quit or sink further back into her protective armor. It was a problem that I had no experience solving and I needed some advice. The problem was, I couldn't think of who would be qualified to give me advice. Certainly not Tom. You could count the number of women he dated on one hand and I couldn't be sure he wasn't a virgin when he got married. Probably not, but I couldn't be sure. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the most likely source of good advice would be another woman. Now Tom's wife Jenny might be a possibility. She certainly brought him out of his shell and I got the impression she was a bit of a hidden hottie. You wouldn't know it to meet her, but sometimes ... well ... you never can tell. So, with that in mind, I thought I would approach Jenny about my problem with Dana. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Jenny would give me some tips on how to get through to Dana and I'd be grateful. Simple, right? Well, maybe not. Jenny, as it turns out, wasn't thrilled with the idea and wasn't sure she could help even if she wanted to. I guess my reputation from the old days put me in a bad light and even though I was past that now (which I wanted people to believe), she was skeptical about my motives. After a bit of straight talk, she admitted she wasn't really the right person to give me advice. She was never part of the regular singles scene and she couldn't relate to Dana because she hadn't met her. She suggested I look for someone who knows her better. Stymied, I thought. I needed a contact from her past; someone who could tell me about her. When I thought about it, I had to admit I was becoming a bit obsessed by her. That had never happened before. In the past, any serious rejection was a reason to move on to someone else and not waste a lot of my valuable time. Dana was different. I had the feeling she was worth the effort. I also had the feeling it was time I started to get serious about my relationships with women. Maybe one led to the other, but whatever the reason, if I was going to get serious about one particular woman, it had better be worth it. Dana McNabb, as far as I could tell, was worth it. I happened to mention my interest to Tom in a casual sort of way and he suggested I talk to some of the people she worked with. After all, if you were checking references, you wouldn't think twice about calling previous employers or associates, so why be shy about check up on her personal information with the same people. After all, what was the worst that could happen? I found out. "Would you please explain to me what the hell you were doing asking questions about me with Brad Collins?" Dana demanded in a loud and obviously irritated voice. Oh shit! Busted! Collins had told her about my call. Maybe I wasn't subtle enough and it made him nervous. Whatever ... I was up shit creek without a paddle. "Ah ... just doing a background check." It was almost a question to see if she'd believe it. "After I'd already been hired and working here for almost two months?" she demanded. "Uh ... well ... I just thought I'd get some more ... uh ... background." I still must have sounded pretty weak. "Bullshit!" she spat. "What is it you want to know?" She had one of those commanding voices that didn't allow for any mushy answers. Now, I've got to tell you that I'm not used to being intimidated by women. It hadn't happened until Dana came along and to tell the truth, I didn't know how to handle it. I guess we all react differently to unexpected events and I certainly reacted differently. "Look, Dana. I'm tired of beating around the bush. I'm interested in you. I don't give a damn about your "no dating" policy. I have no idea what your problem with personal relationships is and I was trying to find out. There was nothing underhanded or illegal or immoral about it. I just wanted to know. Understood?" I guess I put myself across pretty forcefully because she had a bit of a startled look on her face. She stared at me for a bit and then looked away. "Why do you need to know?" she finally asked in a quiet voice. "Curiosity." I had begun to calm down a bit and realized I was really interested in her answer. "I find you an interesting woman and I want to know more about you. You're smart, good looking and very self confident. What red-blooded heterosexual male wouldn't be interested in you?" I suggested. She looked at me carefully with her gray-green eyes and finally said: "I'm entitled to my privacy. I don't feel like I have to tell you or anyone else about myself unless it affects the job and as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't affect the job." The statement was even and without any hint of anger or pain. It was just a statement. "OK ... I'm out of order ... I know. I won't bother you again about it." I said just as evenly. "But it doesn't mean I'm not curious." I finished with a smile. She looked back at me without expression for a moment and then I saw the faintest hint of a smile. "You aren't what I expected, Mr. Blanton. You're not what I was led to believe." Again, that even, controlled voice. "Ah ... I see ... my reputation ... I should have guessed." I grinned. "Well ... people change." I said and left it at that. "Oh, by the way, my name is Vincent, but my friends call me Vinnie. I'll leave it up to you to decide which you prefer." With that I turned and headed for my truck. Chapter Four: I'm not the kind of guy that gives up easily. If I'm interested in something, I usually stick with it until I'm satisfied I've got as far as I can go. With Dana, it was different. First of all, she was occupying my thoughts far more than I expected. I kept thinking about how I could find out more about her. What was her secret? The most obvious conclusion was that she'd been burned by some guy and she was just protecting herself from getting hurt again. That was the most obvious conclusion. I had a hard time coming up with other reasons. I told you early on that I just scraped by in High School and never went any further with my education. That doesn't mean I wasn't smart enough. It means I just didn't care. When I look back now, I wish I had cared. Anyway, my point is that I'm not dumb. My reasoning skills were tested years ago and they were in the "fourth quartile", whatever that means. I could read plans and do calculations and estimates for my jobs with no problem because it was important to me. I guess that comes under the heading of motivation. Having convinced myself that I have at least reasonable intelligence, I continued to wonder and try and think of ways I could get to the bottom of Dana McNabb. Well, to be truthful, I wanted to get to the bottom, the top and all the parts in between. I mean, I may be partly reformed, but not yet completely reformed. She was a stone cold fox and smart to boot; the perfect ingredients for the "New Vinnie" as I liked to think of myself. I gotta tell you about my Mom. Ever since Tom got married, she's been nagging me about finding "someone" and getting married. Now, she makes it sound like any old girl will do, but I know better. She thinks the sun shines out of Jenny's ass; especially since she and Tom have produced twins. Jenny has a daughter Nikki from her first marriage and she's going to be a real beauty. She'll be a teenager in a couple of years and I can already see the worried look on Tom's face. He thinks he knows what's coming. Hah! If it sounds like I'm a bit jealous of Tom and Jenny now and then, it's true. I never met two people who were so perfect for each other. The way they talk, I think they figured that out about thirty seconds after they met. It's like they were almost brother and sister without the fighting. I guess the jealous part is they have what I want; that perfect match. Anyway, I know any girl I get serious with is going to have to pass the "Mom Test" and so I have to think about that as well as making sure I'm happy too. The worst thing that could possibly happen in our family would be a failed marriage. I don't have to worry about Dad; if it's OK with Mom, it's OK with him. He may have had a stroke and have trouble talking and getting around, but there's nothing wrong with his mind. Now there's another perfect couple! It never dawned on me to talk to Mom about Dana until one night I was thinking about all the changes in our family since Tom got married. It's like we turned the place upside down. Dad was only sixty when he had his stoke and he can live a long time if he sticks to his diet and gets some exercise. As long as Mom's around, he'll be on the straight and narrow, that's for sure. Anyway, Mom's always been a good thinker and she been very supportive of me; particularly when I was going through those bad times. The more I thought about it, more I figured I had nothing to lose. "Mom ... I need some advice." I began one Sunday evening after dinner and I was helping her with the dishes. Tom and Jenny, Dad and the kids were in the Family Room so we were alone. She looked over at me and had a funny look on her face. "What?" I asked. "I don't ever remember you asking me for advice Vincent." She always called me Vincent when she was serious. "Well ... there's always a first time. I need some advice about a girl ... a woman I mean." I started hesitantly. "Hah! I knew it!" she said with a triumphant look on her face. "So what kind of trouble are you in?" she asked quietly. "No Ma ... those days are gone. This is different. This is someone I'm ... interested in ... you know ... I want to get to know her." I continued in my uncertain way. "You, Vinnie? You don't know what to do? This must be different." She was giving me her undivided attention now. "Well there's this girl ... woman ... and she's really hard to get to know. I mean, she won't talk about herself and she won't give me a chance to get to know her. She's got some kind of secret or past that makes her really careful or even afraid of getting involved with any guy." "How old is she?" Mom asked. She had her 'Mom radar' locked on. "I dunno ... about my age, maybe a year or two younger." Mom didn't say anything for a minute or so as we continued to dry the dishes. "Maybe she's not right for you." she offered. "Maybe ... but I'd sure like to get the chance to find out." "So, what makes her special?" "Well, she's very good looking, but she's also smart and she's very ... I dunno ... self confident I guess." "Is this the girl ... I mean the woman ... you hired to do your books?" Mom asked. "Yah ... she was the best candidate by far and so far she's been doing a great job." I stated. "Tom told me about her. He was impressed with her too. He said he thought you'd be interested in her." she laughed. "Well, I haven't gotten very far. She just isn't interested and I'm trying to figure out if it's me or if she just doesn't like or trust guys." We continued to finish up the dinner dishes and I hadn't heard any encouraging ideas from Mom to this point. Maybe she was as baffled as I was. Or, then again, maybe not. "Our annual barbeque is coming up in a couple of weeks. Your people will be invited and I'll make sure she's invited too. The invitation won't come from you ... it'll come from me." She had that way of ending all debate. I looked at my Mom and I could almost hear the wheels turning. She had a plan and it looked like she was going to step into to see what she could do. I had to smile. I might have known. She couldn't resist. There was only one thing to say. "Thanks, Mom. She looked at me kind of sideways and smiled and said: "You're welcome." Chapter Five: Mom and Dad always had a Spring Barbeque; or at least as long as I could remember. When the company was small, it was only a few people, but now with three crews on Tom's side and my guys, we had almost fifty people invited to the party. I wish I could tell you about all the conversations that were going on, but I can't. I know Tom talked to Dana for a while and then I saw Jenny and Mom talking to her and they all seemed to be having a good time. I was really happy about that and I figured maybe at last she would loosen up a bit. A couple of my guys had a few more beers than they should have, but we made sure they got home without doing anything stupid like trying to drive. It was a nice sunny day in May and everyone was having a good time. After a while, the crowd kind of thinned out and I could see that Dana was still there, talking to my Dad of all people. I was beginning to get a good feeling about her, but I decided I'd keep my distance until I got the official report from Mom. I'd said Hi to her when I first saw her and thanked her for coming and that was about it. I didn't want her to feel I was crowding her again and besides, I knew Mom had some sort of plan. I was sitting on the edge of a brick planter wall, sipping on a beer when Dana sidled up to me. "You've been avoiding me." she said right out of the blue. She did it again. Caught me with something I was not expecting. "No ... no ... not really. Just giving you some space." At least I didn't sound like an idiot. "Your mother isn't shy, is she?" she smiled. "No ... Mom's never been accused of that." I answered with a grin. "What makes you say that?" I said, hoping she would tell me. "I was getting the third degree. I gather she's your scout for a prospective wife." she laughed. I started to choke on my last gulp of beer. I must have turned red and I nearly snorted the beer out my nose. Shit ... this woman was causing me all kinds of problems with my self control. She could have me scrambling without even trying. "Uh ... that's Mom for you. She has a mission in life ... and I'm it." I scrambled. "Yah ... I thought so. Mom's are like that." She was still smiling and she looked like she was actually having fun making me squirm. "That smile looks good on you." I offered as I began to feel a tiny bit more confident. "I'm not always in work-mode, you know." she shot back. "Is it just work-mode that makes you so serious?" I said with genuine curiosity. That seemed to stop her for a moment and she had a thoughtful look on her face. "Is that what you see ...that I'm always serious?" she asked lightly. "Well ... I do remember you having a good laugh at my expense a while ago." I laughed. "Yah ... Mount St. Helens ... I remember." she laughed again. "How's the anger management coming along?" "Don't ask me ... ask the guys." I was smiling again. We were having a pleasant and fun conversation despite some of the awkward moments. "You can't be that bad ... they seem to like working for you." she said with a sly grin. "That's good to know. I hate trying to be someone I'm not." I said seriously. "You're not who I thought you were." she said in an unguarded moment. I looked at her carefully. I wasn't sure, but we had made some progress in our relationship; if that's what you could call it. "Can I take that as a mild compliment?" "If you like. I just wanted you to know I enjoyed today and I like working for you. After an awkward start, you've been a perfect gentleman." She was smiling again and it was beginning to get to me ... but not in a good way. It was like she had some secret or some special knowledge and she was laughing at me because I didn't know what was going on. I decide to continue to be the "perfect gentleman". "Thanks. I'm glad you're happy with your job. You're a big help to me and I appreciate it." I meant what I said, but it wasn't what I really wanted to say. "Your parents have a lovely home." she said conversationally. "Yah ... Dad found it. It was in bad shape and he made it into this. It was how he got started in the renovation business." I said. "Your Dad is a really nice guy. So is your brother Tom. You're lucky to have a close family like you have." she said sincerely. "Yah ... yah ... lucky." I was becoming a bit curious about this line of conversation. I seemed like it might be leading somewhere, but I had no idea where "somewhere" was. I'm usually quick to fire back one liners and stay in a conversation, but for some reason I thought it might be smart if I just shut up and see where this was all going. Every once in a while, I get smart. "It's something I haven't had ... at least not for a long while." she said absently. It took all the willpower I had to just nod and not say anything. "My parents divorced when I was twelve. My Mom raised me. We became almost like sisters ... sort of." She wasn't looking at me. She was speaking to the shrub beside her and she seemed to be lost in her thoughts. I continued to pay close attention but said nothing. She turned and looked straight at me ... straight into my eyes. I had never seen that look in a woman before. There was a searching going on. She was looking for something ... or maybe ... someone. It was spooky. I didn't know what to do or say ... so I said and did nothing. I just locked onto those eyes and stayed with them. "You surprise me Vinnie. You're a good listener." "It's a new thing for me." "When did it start?" "Five minutes ago." She laughed and her hand touched my arm and it was like an electric current passing between us. That was another new thing for me. "You keep surprising me Vinnie." "Oh ... how's that?" "I didn't take you seriously at first. I thought you were some spoiled kid with a business that was just given to you. I've been watching you. You work hard. You're good at what you do. It's a good business." She said it all as if it was just a statement of fact. No emotion and yet there was some admiration as well. I decided to take a chance. "I didn't ever think I'd get your approval." "You just had to earn it." she popped back almost before I'd finished. "So ... does the no dating rule still apply?" I gambled. "I don't know. We'll see. Don't be too anxious. I need to ... never mind. Just be patient." She had been on the brink of telling me something and then she held back. I took a deep breath. "OK ... I'll be patient." We had come a long way in an afternoon. I began to wonder what Mom or Dad or Jenny had found out about her. Just the same ... we had come a long way. Sometime after everyone had left and I was helping Mom, Jenny and Tom clean up the Patio and put away the leftovers, I got a chance to talk about the party. "That was another great barbeque Mom and Dad. Everyone had a great time." Not the most original start, but at least it got Mom's attention. "She's a nice lady, Vincent. I like her. You could do worse." she said almost absently. "I could do worse? That doesn't exactly sound like the good housekeeping seal of approval." I said with some disappointment. "It's just an expression. I liked her. She's very ... mature. She would be good for you." "Bran Flakes and fresh fruit are good for me. You don't sound very enthusiastic." Now I was downright uncomfortable. "She has a secret. One she can't let go of. This isn't going to be easy, Vincent. You may not like what you discover ... that is ... if you discover it." "You're going to have to be patient and just let her come to you." It was Jenny. She had walked into the kitchen as we stacked the dishes and glasses in the dishwasher. The Maturation of Vinnie Pt. 01 A moment later, Tom wandered in and learned against the counter; listening to the conversation. I was interested in his take on Dana and so I asked him. "I think she's a really special lady, Vin. I don't exactly know why, but she's not like any girl you've ever dated before. I can see why you're attracted to her." Jenny was next. "I agree. She's ... unusual. Very adult ... mature. Something about her past ... well ... I guess you'll have to wait to find out. I'm like your Mom though. I like her. But I think you'd better be ready for her if she decides to connect. She's pretty powerful. You'll have your hands full." Jenny was smiling and it made me feel a lot better. I was being given some hope but there was still a long way to go. I went home that night feeling good but still without the answers that would tell me how to unlock the secrets of the lovely Dana McNabb. The Maturation of Vinnie Pt. 02 Chapter Six: We worked our asses off that summer. I think the whole five months were just mashed together and I can't recall anything that would really separate June from September except the number of daylight hours we had to work with. By the beginning of October, we had probably done more jobs than I figured we would do in the whole year. The crews were getting worn out and I knew it was time to back off the pressure. Luckily, we weren't getting as many new jobs offered, so we could start to plan for some missing crew members. The guys had made a lot of money in a very short period of time. The smallest take of any of the crew was over $60,000 for the five big months and that made them pretty happy. We didn't work any Sundays and tried hard to avoid Saturday afternoons just to keep the wives and girlfriends from rebelling. For myself, I couldn't believe how much I'd made in my first year. I was going to be able to pay Tom off for the money he fronted on my gambling debts and still have plenty left over. It was hard work but we were being rewarded very well for it and we had nothing but satisfied customers. I hadn't given much thought to Dana over that period. Since the Barbecue, I'd hardly had any time for a social life and no time for a mental struggle with the lady. We saw each other regularly on the job and I have to say her attitude had changed for the better. I was trying out something new for me; patience. Let the lady come to you was the strategy I was using. I was polite, complimentary and more than happy with her work. She was appearing on the site more often than I expected, but I was happy to have her there and she wasn't just wandering around aimlessly. She had questions and she was providing me with some suggestions on how we might be more efficient. It didn't take me long to figure out she was really into her job and our business. Dana was also doing work for Tom and he was really happy to have her as well. She was super-efficient and very driven. Things we thought would take days to accomplish she had done in a few hours. She had really helped Tom with the Critical Path system update that she recommended. She had implemented it on our jobs and I'll be the first to admit I didn't really understand how it worked, but it worked! It became our operating bible. Tom already had a system, but when she showed him ours, he switched over right away. Tom was paying her very well for her services so she had two jobs and a very nice income. Dana had decided to distribute the C.P. system updates personally, so, once again, she was on the jobsites frequently. It was on one of those morning visits when disaster almost struck. It had been raining for three straight days. We were still working, but in that kind of weather, you just can't move as quickly and safely as you can when it's warm and dry. On top of that, most of us were wearing some kind of rain gear and all that did was slow us down and make us hot when we really got going. Dana arrived about nine that morning and I noticed that she was wearing what I thought were dress clothes under her raincoat. I was about to say something to her when she walked up the double-up 2 X 12 ramp to the entrance on the main floor. She was wearing some sort of low heeled leather shoes and as she got within a couple of feet of the house, her feet went out from under her and she fell heavily onto the ramp. She'd managed to catch her arm over the ramp but it was wet and slick and she began to slip over the side. There was a drop of almost ten feet into the cavity in front of the foundation and the fall would have certainly meant injury to her. I'm not sure how it happened, but I was right at the end of the plank when she slipped and without thinking I stepped out on the plank and grabbed her arm just before it slipped off the plank and she fell into the trench. She was dangling there by the one arm and it took all my strength to pull her up so that she could wrap her other arm over the ramp. Once that was accomplished, I could pick her up under her arms and pull her to safety in the house. She was clearly shaken but with the exception of a couple of abrasions and some stretched muscles, I was pretty sure she wasn't injured badly. I helped her into the house and led her to an area that was dry and had a stool she could sit on. She had lost a shoe and her briefcase in the accident and she had made a mess of her raincoat and pant-suit, but it wasn't anything the dry cleaners couldn't restore. "That was close." I said, breathing deeply. "You gave me a good scare." "Me too. I slipped ... and it happened so fast." she said with a gasp. "I'll get one of the guys to get your shoe and your briefcase." I said, walking to the edge of the building. A couple of the guys on the crew had witnessed the accident and had already retrieved her shoe and briefcase. They were muddy, but otherwise undamaged. They passed them to me and I thanked them and headed back to Dana. "We can clean these up fairly easily I think." I offered. "Are you hurt anywhere?" "A couple of scrapes and a sore arm ... not so bad." she said looking at me with a smile. "Thanks for the rescue. I thought that only happened in the movies." "I did too. I guess I wasn't really thinking ... I just reacted." "Well, I owe you. I don't know what would have happened if I had fallen in there." she said with a sober look. I thought about that for a moment and then decided how I would respond. "OK then ... here's the deal. First, I want you to wear proper shoes and clothes when you come on the site. Something with a good grippy sole like our work boots. You don't need to dress up for us." I smiled. "And second?" she asked with a wry smile. "Hmmm ... let's see ... how about dinner on Saturday night. I'll take you to Maurice's. I haven't had a night out in months and I can't think of anyone I'd rather spend it with." It was a risk, but I was tired of dancing around and pretending I would be "the perfect gentleman" forever. She didn't answer immediately. She looked at me for a long moment and then nodded. "OK ... pick me up at seven." was her simple answer. It's funny how simple answers can be complicated. I was so unprepared for her agreement that I didn't know what to do next. Not very cool for a guy who once upon a time was used to getting yes answers to these kinds of questions. So, I did what was becoming a new bad habit for me; I just stood there with my mouth open and a stunned look on my face. Luckily, Dana saved the day. She started to laugh. "Vinnie, you are so funny." she grinned. "I don't know how you got that reputation of yours, but it couldn't be this way." She had a streak of mud on her face and her clothes were a mess, but somehow, she looked gorgeous. I reached over the tried to wipe the mud off her cheek and she just stood there and let me try. I guess I had a grin on my face too, but it was one of satisfaction. We had finally broken through whatever barrier that she had built all those months ago and we were on equal terms. Or so I thought. "Seven it is." I said more confidently. Chapter Seven: As I was getting dressed on Saturday evening I tried to remember the last time I had been out on a date. It must have been with Marcia, but I really couldn't remember where or when. It didn't matter. This one was way more important. First of all, it was a lot harder to get and second, it was with someone I really wanted to be with. Dana was a real beauty and I had given a lot of thought to what I should wear. In my old Vinnie days, I would wear something flashy and very modern-cool. I had the feeling though, that I might be smarter to be a bit more conservative. First of all, Maurice's was a nice place usually catering to the over-thirty crowd. Secondly, I wanted Dana to be comfortable and not be upstaged by my trying to show off. I had bought a black blazer for Tom's wedding and with a new pair gray slacks and some nice black shoes. I bought a new cotton dress shirt; white with a gray pinstripe but decided against a tie. I thought that would give me the right look. A bit more mature, I thought. I told Mom about the date and I guess she told Tom or Jenny because I had a couple of phone calls with suggestions and helpful hints on how not to screw up this big opportunity. As if I wasn't nervous enough already. There was one other problem. I really didn't think picking her up in my truck was very cool. I had considered renting a car for the evening when Tom stepped in and did something completely unexpected. He let me use his Jaguar for the date. I couldn't believe it. This was his pride a joy; a '61 restored four door sedan with the leather upholstery and a fantastic dark red paint job. This had to be the icing on the cake. I owed him more than one already, so this just added to the total. When I arrived at Dana's apartment, I was nervous. I wasn't the picture of confidence and I was concerned about making a good impression on our first date. I really wanted a second date and more, of course. I was a few minutes early, so I sat in Tom's car and just waited until it was five to seven before I got out and went to the lobby door. I pushed the buzzer beside her name and waited a moment before she answered. "You're right on time." I heard the now familiar voice. "Hi, shall I come up?" "No, that's OK, I'll just be a minute and meet you in the lobby." she answered in a pleasant voice. I was kind of hoping I'd get a look at her place, but that would have to wait. About one minute later I heard the elevator move and then stop and then move again. In another minute the doors opened and she walked out and I was stopped dead in my tracks. She was even more gorgeous that I had expected. She was wearing one of those little black dresses that every good looking woman has and with the skinny straps at the shoulders and the deep V cleavage and the length ending just above the knee, it was so simple and yet so fantastic. She was wearing a pair of shiny black high heels; not stilettos, but still, they were just as classy looking as she was. She had a long coat draped over her arm. "Wow!" It was all I could manage and she walked toward me with a big smile on her face. "Why thank you, Vinnie. You look very elegant yourself." she said in what seemed to be a sincere voice. I was secretly patting myself on the back for choosing the clothes I had because we looked like a proper couple out for an evening. "Wow, Dana. You look ... fantastic." I tried again. I helped her as she slipped the coat on and I held out my hand to her before opening the door for her as we headed out to the parking area. I was sure I should be making some kind of small talk, but I was damned if I knew what I could say that was anywhere near intelligent. As we approached Tom's car, Dana turned to me with a shocked look. "Is this yours?" she asked; obviously referring to the Jaguar. "No ... I wish. It's Tom's. He loaned it to me since neither of us thought you should be riding around in a work truck tonight." I explained. "It's beautiful." she said and she ran her finger tips lightly over the deep gloss of the front fender. I opened the passenger side door for her and she slipped into the leather seat in one fluid motion. I closed the door with a light push and a satisfying 'snick' of the latch. As I slid into the driver's seat she was taking in the interior with the black leather seats and the walnut burl on the dash, door panels and steering wheel. "It even smells wonderful." she said in appreciation. "I feel like we're going to the opening of a play on Broadway or in London." "They'd be taking your picture when you arrived and wondering who you were." I offered, going along with the theme. Dana turned toward me and smiled. "You're going all out on this date aren't you." she said with a confident look. "Yes, I am. It was very difficult to get and I don't intend to waste it." I was beginning to relax a bit; mainly because Dana was clearly enjoying herself. We had a fifteen minute drive to Maurice's and we talked a bit as the graceful old car rolled quietly through the village. I was almost sorry when we arrived at the restaurant since Dana was so obviously enjoying the ride but I thought perhaps later, after dinner, I might take her for a tour. It was just a shame it was November and dark, but I didn't think she was thinking of that. Dana waited for me to open her door and help her out and we walked into the restaurant. I identified myself and we were seated almost immediately after the waiter took Dana's coat. I was conscious of several of the men giving Dana the once-over as we walked to our booth and I allowed myself a smile at their envy. Tom had recommended Maurice's and he was right. It was perfect for us. It was quiet and the menu was Continental. We shared an appetizer of fresh muscles in tangy tomato sauce and then ordered our entrée. Dana chose a light veal dish cooked in a white wine sauce while I decided on the grilled salmon. I didn't want her to think I was just a 'meat and potatoes' guy. The food was just as good as Tom had said it would be and I could see Dana was very happy with her choice. We weren't in any rush and the service was perfect; somehow the waiter appeared only when we wanted him. I ordered a bottle of wine with dinner once I had learned that Dana preferred red wine and I let the waiter decide for us. He obviously chose well because Dana thought it was terrific. I had a lot to learn about wine, so I took her word for it. I really wanted to talk to Dana and try and learn more about her, but somehow, the restaurant didn't seem like the right place. I wanted more privacy and so our conversation was very general and light. I was with a Dana that I hadn't seen much of before. She was happy and enjoying herself and not the least bit defensive or cold. I probably had a smile on my face for the whole evening because I was feeling that good about it. I must have been staring at her because every once in a while she would look at me like she was wondering what I was thinking. The answer was: how do I get to know her better without spoiling this perfect evening? "This is a lovely restaurant, Vinnie. It's quiet, the service is perfect and the food is wonderful. You've chosen well." She smiled as she held up her wine glass. I tapped her glass with mine. "Thanks ... I'm glad you like it." I smiled. "I waited a long time for this and it's been worth it. I think there are a few guys in this room tonight who are very envious of me." I was working in uncharted territory and maybe taking an unnecessary risk, but I was feeling good and I didn't think I was going to get myself into too much trouble. "Is that your usual line or did you reserve it just for me?" she asked with a sly look on her face. "Just for you. Besides ... it's true." I said with a serious tone. "I have to tell you, Vinnie," she said after a moment, "I am surprised. You aren't the guy I was told you were. I thought maybe you were just being on your best behavior because you wanted to get to me, but ... now ... I've changed my mind." "Dana ... there's an old Vinnie and a new Vinnie. What you heard about me was the old Vinnie. I had to do some growing-up not long ago and I had to change. I admit, I am on my best behavior. I want to impress you. I want to get to know you better. I am attracted to you. But ... things have changed in my life. They had to change." I finished on a serious note. "I can see that." she admitted. "What caused the change?" "I got myself into trouble with the wrong people. I was stupid and thought I could just talk my way out of it. I was wrong and if it wasn't for Tom, I might not be here tonight." "That sounds pretty serious. Were you in trouble with the law?" "No ... worse ... I was up to my neck in debt and borrowing from a loan shark. It got ugly and I got a real lesson in what happens when you don't play by their rules." "So ... when did all this happen?" she asked timidly. "Almost exactly one year ago." I said, remembering that painful episode. "Some guys take a little longer to grow up than other guys do." I offered. "That's a hard way to learn." she said seriously. "Yah ... but I was lucky. I had a brother who was looking out for his stupid kid brother. I owe Tom a lot; not just for looking after the bad guys, but for making me understand I had to change." I realized I wasn't looking at Dana, but at my wine glass. What's that old saying: "In Vino Veritas"? We hadn't had that much wine, but I realized I was telling her the absolute truth about me; nothing hidden. When she reached across the table with her hand to touch and hold mine, that same electric feeling from the other day passed through me again. I looked up at her and her expression was serious and yet she was also smiling. I guess I smiled in return, but it wasn't my happy smile, it was my wrinkled, unsure smile. "I like the new Vinnie." she said quietly. "Thanks. I think I like him better too." I said lamely. Chapter Eight: The mood brightened from there and we shared a dessert. Neither of us seemed in any rush to end the evening. The conversation hadn't gotten any more personal and I still wasn't any wiser about who she was and what secrets she held. I quit worrying about it. I was just going to enjoy my time with her and think about the other stuff some other time. I wasn't wearing a wristwatch, so I didn't really know how long we had been there, but when I looked around, the restaurant was almost empty and a clock on the mantel of the fireplace said it was nearly ten o'clock. We had been there over two and a half hours and it seemed like just a few minutes. Finally, I paid the check and we headed out to the car. I was really uncertain about what to do next. I didn't want the evening to end but I was just as sure I didn't want to spoil it either. I decided the new Vinnie would just 'fess up. "Dana ... I don't know what to do next. This has been such a great time and I really don't want it to end, but I don't know what you want." She smiled at me as she slipped into the front seat and without getting an answer, I slowly closed the door. As I got into the driver's side and began to put the key in the ignition, her hand covered mine and she leaned toward me. The kiss was as unexpected as anything else that evening. I must have just sat there like a brick, because she kissed me and then moved back to her seat. "Why don't we go to my place and I'll make some coffee. Maybe it's time you had your curiosity satisfied." she said in a voice that would give a statue an erection. I didn't dare say anything. I'd screw it up for sure. My brain was already on overload and it was everything I could do to get the car started and move out onto the road and head back toward her apartment. After we had been driving for a minute or two, I reached out with my hand towards her and she took it in hers and held it. I glanced over at her but she was looking straight ahead with no expression on her face as far as I could tell. We rode the rest of the way in silence. I thought about pulling her toward me and kissing her when I helped her from the car and again when we were in the elevator and finally when she closed the apartment door behind us, but each time I chickened out. She was completely in control of me and I was just happy I had gotten this far. I helped her off with her coat and hung it in the hall closet, then followed her into the Living Room. I was about to look around and get a feel for the place when she walked up to me, wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a kiss that started from her toes and came all the way up through her body. It took me a moment, but I was soon right there with her. The Maturation of Vinnie Pt. 02 I'm not sure how long we stood there like that, but I didn't care. I had waited so long for this and now that it was finally here, I was going to enjoy every second of it. Finally, we broke and she just stood there looking into my eyes. I dared not look away. Besides, she had beautiful eyes; light blue with little flecks of gold. They were clear and bright and I thought she was searching for something with them, but I could only wonder what it might be. "That was worth the wait." I finally said. "Hmmm. I'm glad." She was using that super-sexy voice and it was working its magic on me. I was as hard as a rock and desperately trying not to let her know. "About that coffee," she said finally. "cream and sugar?" "Sure ... I'll have what you're having." I finally could smile and enjoy the moment. She still had her arms loosely around my neck but there was some space between our bodies and I was desperate to keep it that way until I got control of myself. Unfortunately, the little head didn't want to pay any attention to the big head. "Why don't you relax on the sofa and I'll make the coffee." she said finally, still not taking her eyes off mine. "Yah ... of course ... uh ... unless you could use some help." I offered lamely. "I think I can manage." she smiled. She was killing me and she knew it. The only smart move was to retreat. When her arms dropped away from me and she turned to the kitchen, I made my way to the sofa; hoping like hell she hadn't noticed the tent in my pants. I heard the water running and some other typical kitchen sounds and waited quietly for her to return. I looked around at the Living Room and realized she had done a great job of decorating. There was a bit of artwork here and there and the colours and furniture and paintings all seemed to be nicely tied together. It looked like one of Jenny's jobs and I wondered if Dana had done it herself or had some help. Whatever, it looked really nice. Dana walked out of the kitchen with a tray and mugs with separate cream and sugar as well as a couple of small spoons. She put the tray down on the coffee table in front of me and then joined me on the sofa. "You're awfully quiet, Vinnie." she said with a slight smile. "Hmmm ... I'm thinking." I answered without realizing it was the truth. "A penny for your thoughts." I looked at her and I guess I must have had an odd look on my face because I could see her expression change to one I thought looked like serious curiosity. "I'm still trying to figure out what's happening." I said finally. "I mean ... between us. I haven't really learned much about you and yet I feel like I'm being pulled to you with a big magnet. Does that make sense?" I asked with wrinkled brow. "Yes ... I understand. You're attracted to me. You've already told me that several times. I believe you." she said looking directly at me. "I guess what you really want to know is if I'm attracted to you. Isn't that what you mean?" "Yah ... that's exactly what I mean." I said with a sense of relief. At least it was now out in the open and I didn't have to keep beating around the bush. She must have seen my shoulders sag and the tension drain out of me because she had a big smile on her face and her hand reached out for my arm. "Relax Vinnie. I won't bite ... yet." she laughed. She turned back to her coffee for a moment and then turned to me again. "The answer is yes ... I am attracted to you. I like who you are now. I'm glad I didn't know you before. I don't have to compare you with anything except who you are now." "Dana ... was it just my reputation from before or is there something else I should know about. I mean ... if we're going to be ... involved." It was an awkward moment for me and I tried like hell to get the words out without making a mess of it. "Why do you need to know?" she asked with a concerned look. "I guess ... I guess if we're going to be honest with each other ... there shouldn't be any secrets ... I mean important secrets." I said carefully. She was quiet for a few moments as she sipped her coffee. "All right. You're right. Important secrets can hurt. I hope this doesn't change how you feel about me." she said with a frown. I was tempted to say something and then decided against it. She was obviously leading up to something big ... something she thought was dangerous. "I told you my parents divorced when I was twelve. That isn't the whole story." she began. "My father was an alcoholic and he beat my mother sometimes. What finally put an end to it was the night he came home drunk and hit her so hard he knocked her out. I heard the commotion and ran out of my bedroom and started screaming. He grabbed me and tried to shut me up but I wouldn't stop yelling. He was getting really rough with me and then ... and then ..." her voice tailed off. Her eyes were closed and I could see the tears forming at the corners. I slid down the sofa to hold her and I could feel her sobs. "He hit me and he threw me on my bed and ... and ... he tore off my pajamas and ... he raped me." she blurted, followed immediately by more sobs and tears. All I could do for her was to hold her tightly. I could feel the tears in my eyes and I knew this was a secret that had been buried for a long time and one that had caused her great pain. I felt the horror and anger she must have felt toward her father and I wondered if he was still alive. I could have easily killed him at that moment. "Vinnie ... I've never told anyone about that night before except the psychiatrist and my doctor and the police. No one knows about it and I'm not even sure why I told you. You must never tell anyone about it ... please." she begged. "Of course not. I can't think of anything worse that could happen to a young girl than that. I'm so sorry, Dana. I almost wish I hadn't asked you to tell me." I was still hugging her closely to me and her sobs had subsided finally. "I had to tell someone sooner or later. I've been hiding from it for so long. The psychiatrist told me it would have to come out sometime. I just didn't think it would take so long." she said sorrowfully. "Why me, Dana? Why would you trust me? I mean ... I'm not upset about that ... it's just ... we're just getting to know each other. Why did you pick me to tell your secret?" "I don't know. Maybe it was your family. You had something I didn't have ... a strong family. I thought you would understand. You do, don't you?" she asked searching my face for a reaction. "Oh yes ... I understand. Better than most people I suppose." I paused for a moment. "Dana ... what happened to your mother? Is she still alive?" "No ... she's dead. She died in a car accident about five years ago. She left me a bit of money and that's when I decided to go back to school. I don't have anyone anymore." she said sadly. "You're wrong. You've got me. You've got us ... the whole damn Blanton clan!" She looked up at me with the strangest look I have ever seen. I couldn't tell what it was, but it wasn't bad. It was like I had just surprised her with something that she should have known. Her head was back on my shoulder and I lowered my head and kissed her; not a passionate kiss or a sexy kiss, but one of those loving kisses; light and gentle but lasting more than a moment. I closed my eyes and put my head back on the sofa. I quietly thanked whoever for Dana and my family and all the good things that I had taken for granted up until recently. "Dana ... what happened to your father?" I finally asked. "They arrested him and he was charged with assault I think. He never did much jail time, but when the judge in mom's divorce got his record, he really let him have it. Mom got a permanent restraining order and he was supposed to pay a bunch of alimony and child support. We didn't see much of it. He was having a hard time holding a job and just kept drinking himself into an early grave. The only thing mom and I got out of it was the house. I'm pretty sure he's dead, but I just don't care. He's out of my life forever. It hurt a lot more when I lost mom." "Yah ... I can understand that." We just sat on the sofa for a while; holding onto each other without talking. "Vinnie." she said quietly. "There is something else. Something you need to know." "OK ... as long as you're sure you want to tell me." I answered. "I'm sure. I ... If I had been in your school when you were there ... I would have been on your list of girls." she said without emotion. "I was pretty loose and I was trying to be something I wasn't. I guess I just wanted someone to be with. I was popular and it wasn't hard to get a date." "It's not hard to believe you were popular." I smiled. "Are you embarrassed about those days?" I asked. "Yes ... I guess so. I was a slut, to be honest. I was easy and everybody knew it. I wasn't very proud of myself." she said in sad tone. "Something caused you to change. What was it?" I asked. I was really interested. "I don't know. Maybe when Mom died and I had to look after myself. Maybe my past was catching up to me and maybe I didn't like who I saw in the mirror. Anyway ... I quit dating guys when I was working in the Lab at Valleyview Farms and I guess I never went back." she said simply. "Until tonight." I smiled. "Until tonight." she smiled back at me. "Dana ... I'm not the guy to be upset or critical about your past. I've had to rebuild my reputation too. I just haven't had as long as you have to make it stick." "If you can forgive me, I can forgive you." she said with another of those quiet smiles. The mood had changed dramatically for the better and I was beginning to feel that stirring below that might cause me some embarrassment. "So where do we go from here?" I asked almost absently. "How about the bedroom?" she suggested in a serious voice. She must have felt my body tense, because she sat up and looked at me with a big question mark. "Uh ... Dana ... this is our first date. I mean ... uh ... are you sure you want to ... I mean ... it's been a while for you." I was scrambling again. I wanted to take this beautiful woman to bed in the worst way, but not if it meant screwing up our just-getting-started relationship. "Vincent Blanton. Are you telling me you aren't sexually interested in me?" she demanded in a pretend-serious tone. "Uh ... no ... I mean yes ... I mean yes, I'm interested that way in you, but I'm just scared ... I don't want to screw this up Dana. It's just way too important to me. To us!" I finally finished. "Don't worry ... I'm not about to revert to Little Miss Pushover, if that's what you're thinking. You're the first guy ... the first man I've been interested in period! You've worked your ass off to get this far with me, so don't throw it all away. I want you and I want you now. With any luck, I'll want you tomorrow too. Besides, you can't hide that bulge in your pants forever." she laughed. "Dana ... I never thought I'd see the day when I didn't know what to do when a beautiful woman invited me into her bedroom, but you are definitely going to have to show me the way. I'll be damned if I'm going to screw this up." I said with a straight face. "Well here's to us." she said and she climbed on top of me and wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me another of those deep, sexy kisses she was so good at. Chapter Nine: She led me to the bedroom and it was all I could do to keep from tearing that lovely dress off her. I wanted this to be perfect but I had no idea how. My experience with women was just as a way to get my rocks off. I mean, that's kind of crude, but that's all it was. That's not what Dana was all about and it's not how I wanted it to be with her either. I was going to have to let her lead me and tell me what she wanted and do my best to make her happy. It was a totally new deal for me. The good part was that by just pulling the zipper in the back of that little black dress down and pushing the little straps off her shoulders, the dress fell right to her feet. She was standing there with her back to me and she was wearing a strapless bra that just barely contained two very fine looking, large breasts and in matching black, a pair of very small bikini panties and that was it. She had lost the shoes in the living room. I wrapped my arms around her tummy and hugged her to me and I wondered what I should do next. I decided to start on my own clothes. Dana turned around and began to unbutton my shirt and I just let her go ahead. I leaned in and kissed her gently and then watched as she unbuckled my belt, undid the top clip and unzipped my slacks. I had to remove my slip-on shoes using my feet, but it wasn't that tricky and then I could step out of my pants. I reached down and took off my socks as Dana watched me with a smile and her hands on my shoulders. So there we were. I was wearing nothing but my Jockey's and Dana had nothing but a bra and panties. I assumed I should go next, so I reached behind her to undo the clasp of her bra and she began to giggle. She reached behind and took my hands and brought them around to the front and helped me understand that the bra clip was in the front. I had to laugh. Mr. Smooth at work. But I have to tell you, when that bra came off, all I could say was "Wow!" Dana was one spectacular woman and I couldn't take my eyes off her. "You seem to be pleased with what you see." she said slyly. "Oh yah! Dana ... you are very, very beautiful." I gasped. "Why thank you Vincent. You're pretty handsome yourself." she replied in a fun-filled voice. She pushed me lightly with her hand toward the bed and the next thing I knew, I was on my back, laying across her bed. "You're enjoying my problems aren't you?" I said. "The great Vincent Blanton is tongue-tied?" she grinned. "Yah ... that's the least of it. I feel like a beginner." I confessed. I suddenly remembered something ... something important. "Dana! I don't have any condoms." I blurted as I abruptly sat up. "I didn't even think ... it wasn't supposed to happen ... I'm sorry." "Neither do I." she said in a calm voice with a grin that was completely out of place for the situation. Once again she was enjoying my embarrassment. She put her hand back on my chest and pushed me back again. "Relax, I'm back on the pill and I'm sure neither of us has to worry about passing something unwanted along ... do we?" What followed was something out of one of those fantasy movies I used to watch. It wasn't just sex and it wasn't all one-sided. I found I was spending most of my effort to make her happy and not thinking anything about myself except to hold on for dear life. If someone asked me to describe what happened for that unknown period of time, I could probably do it down to the very tiniest detail. It was as if we were in some time warp and everything was moving in slow motion. I had never experienced anything like it before in my life. For a while, I wondered if she had put something in my coffee, but it was all too real and too powerful to be artificial. We stopped for a while and just lay on the bed, holding each other lightly. Her eyes were closed and for a moment I thought she might be sleeping, but her hand moved to the side of my face and she held me there with the lightest touch. My mind was going like crazy and I couldn't seem to put two words together. Once again, I decided to shut up and just let things happen. "That was lovely, Vinnie. You were perfect. Thank you." she said in the quietest voice. "It was amazing. I've never felt anything like that before. It was better that I could have imagined." I finally said. "Were you imagining this?" "Yes ... oh yes ... many times." I admitted. "Me too." she said as her head came up to look at me. "Really? I didn't know. I thought ... I thought it all just happened tonight." I said haltingly. "When did you decide?" "I don't know. When I walked off the elevator tonight and I saw you and you looked so handsome. When you saved me from falling the other day. Maybe at the barbecue? I don't really know, but I do know tonight was perfect and then that car and the restaurant. When you held my hand driving back here, I guess that took away all my doubts." "We took a long time to get here, didn't we?" I said. "It was worth it. I'm glad we did. It made it so much better for me. Did it for you too?" she asked looking up again. "Oh yes!" I was basking in the afterglow and it was as nice a feeling as I'd ever had. I just wish I had the words to tell Dana how I felt about her. I wasn't sure, but I thought I might be falling in love with her and I wanted her to know that. I just didn't know how to say it. I began thinking about how much we had told each other about ourselves tonight. I was like some kind of confessional except it wasn't in church. We had no secrets any more. We had opened the door to each other and we both knew all there was to know about our pasts. I began to realize just how important that was to the way I felt about Dana. The question was ... how did she feel about me? The Maturation of Vinnie Pt. 03 I am grateful to ErikThread, my fellow Viking, for his insightful and helpful editing. It took me a few tries before I caught on, but I hope you think the result is worth it. Any errors are obviously attributable to me exclusively. * Chapter 10: I stayed at Dana's place and it was a night to remember. I woke up sometime in the middle of the night to discover Dana stroking my cock. The scent she gave off was pure sex. We had been starving for so long and now we were feeding ourselves as if there might never be another tomorrow. She climbed on top of me when she realized I was awake as well as erect and I slipped inside her with a single, easy thrust. I heard her 'oomph' of acceptance and we began a slow and deliberate dance; each of us trying to outdo the other in giving pleasure. I covered her face with little kisses and she returned them. I had discovered that Dana had different kinds of orgasms and I was having fun finding out which ones were which. I also discovered that Dana liked to talk when she was making love. She wanted me to know how she was doing and what gave her the most pleasure and when it was happening. I had never experienced a talkative partner before and I loved it. "Talk to me baby," I said softly. "Oh Vinnie ... that is so smooth. I'm going to come again soon ... just a little one, baby ... just a little one ... just a tiny one ...oh ...here it comes," she crooned. I felt her body stiffen and her back arch as the little waves of pleasure passed through her. Then she would relax again and I could almost feel the smile of satisfaction, even thought I couldn't see it. This was what making love was really about. I hadn't changed my pace. I was slowly but steadily stroking and just allowing her to drift along with me. If she wanted more, she would tell me. I had never felt such perfection making love to a woman. I had never felt so completely in control and so completely satisfied. It was what I had imagined a hypnotic trance might be like. I didn't have any thought in my head besides satisfying this beautiful woman. I wanted to give her everything and anything she asked of me. "Tell me what you want Dana. Tell me what I can give you," "Oh Vinnie ... I'm getting everything ... everything I need. You are so strong and so loving. I've never had anyone treat me like this," she whispered. "I'm glad ... it's the same for me. I've never had anything mean so much to me. It's crazy ... I've got so much to learn about you. I want to know everything that pleases you so that I can do it over and over again." "Hmmmm," she purred. "Just keep doin' what you're doin', babe. Don't overcomplicate it." When we awoke Sunday morning we made love again. It seemed natural and easy and comfortable -- and still exciting. "Time for a shower, lover," Dana mumbled into the pillow. "Hmmmm ... mind if I join you?" I asked in a hoarse whisper. "You better ... I need you to wash me ... and other things," she giggled. "So ... now you're admitting you're a naughty girl," I said, peering just over the top of the pillow. She rose up on her elbows, displaying her lovely breasts to me. I reached out to touch a nipple and she took my hand and held it to her breast, the palm covering the nipple. I could feel it stiffen against my hand as I gently stroked it. "If you keep doing that, we're never going to get out of this bed," she smiled. "And the bad part of that is...?" I grinned with what I hoped was a sly look. "Hmmmm ... can't remember," she laughed into the pillow. Dana leaned over and kissed me on the cheek and neck and I continued to stroke her breast. "Come on, lover boy," she said finally. "If you look after me in the shower, I'll make you breakfast. I think we're both ready for something to eat." The double meaning wasn't lost on me. I washed and then dried this fantastic woman, but not before she had turned to the shower wall, spread her legs and pushed her hips back toward me, inviting me to take her. "You don't have to be gentle, Vinnie. Show me your power. I want your power. I want you to take me hard. Can you do that Vinnie?" she implored. "Yah ... Dana ... just tell me if I'm giving you what you want. Just tell me." She grunted as I entered her and began stroking more forcefully. "Oh ... yah ... Vinnie ... that's what I want. Drive it baby ... fuck me hard baby ... fuck me hard," she implored. I increased my stroke and gripped her hips as I drove into her. "How we doin' ... is this what you want?" I gasped as I continued my driving plunges. This was hard work but worth every bead of sweat. "Yah ... that's it ... more ... gimme more ... keep it comin' baby ... I'm comin' soon ... I'm comin' soon ... ahhhh yaaaahhh ... drive it baby ... drive it all the way home." She was breathing hard and gasping out her words as well. "I'm almost there ... awwwwwh yaaaahhh ... yaaaahhh ... " I was plunging into her at a frantic pace I knew I couldn't sustain. It was almost over for me, and I could only hope that she would finish before I did. As it happened, we exploded almost at the same instant my cock began to swell and Dana's pussy began to contract. There was nothing to control any more. We just let go and let whatever happened happen. Dana nearly fainted and it was only the water cascading down her face as her head snapped back in the throes of a massive climax that kept her on her feet. I was in no better shape as I felt my knees weaken and tremble with the stress and tension of my effort. An orgasmic grip locked us together. We slumped against the wall as we began to come down from our high. Finally, Dana turned herself toward me. I was leaning with my face tilted upward to take in water from the shower head. After some time, Dana looked at me and I looked at her. She began to laugh, in short bursts to begin with, but soon, both of us were laughing at some hidden joke that neither of us understood. It must have been hilarious because we were shaking with release as we clutched at each other. Finally, as we began to gain some sense of control, we stepped out of the enclosure. "Jesus, Vinnie ... that was wild. We're lucky we didn't hurt ourselves." Dana was still breathing heavily as I caressed her body with the soft towel. "Do you think we would have noticed?" I laughed. "No ... probably not," she laughed in return. "Oh man ... you are somethin' else. You really do know how to look after a woman." Her compliment was very good for my ego. "Well, it all depends on who I'm with. This was all new for me too." Her eyes scanned mine. "Do you think I can convince you to stick with me for a while?" "Are you kidding? I don't want this to end. I'm just getting used to the idea of what it's like to be with a real woman." She searched my eyes again, the warmth of her embrace pulling me closer as her hands gently held my cheeks. "Then let's not worry about it. Let's just see where it takes us. There's no rush to decide, is there?" "None ... none at all." My smile was the trigger for hers in reply. I could sense her relaxing and letting her breath out. Was she worried that there was something unspoken in the conversation? What could I have done or said that left her in doubt about my feelings? I knew the answer to that. I was ready to declare my undying love and marry her on the spot. Once again, though, I seemed to have an attack of caution and waited for her to decide those things. One thing was certain however ... the relationship between us had been changed forever. I was on cloud nine and I bet everyone within a hundred miles could tell just by looking at me. I pulled on my jockeys and last night's shirt while Dana slipped into one of those long t-shirts that women often wear to bed. We worked together in the kitchen and soon had a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, juice and coffee on the go. We worked well together as a team, I thought. I took every opportunity to hold, stroke and caress her and she playfully rubbed her bum against my crotch and her breasts against my arm whenever she got the chance. Dana was right. We were hungry. It was nearly noon and I had no idea how many hours sleep either of us got last night, but thinking about it ... I didn't care. We had the rest of the day ahead of us, but I was uncertain whether Dana expected me to go or if we could spend more time together. Once again, I waited for her to make the first move. "Well, Vinnie, we've really thrown everything up in the air, haven't we," she finally said with a grin. "Yah ... I guess we have. Regrets?" I asked. "About last night and this morning?" she smiled. "Nope. Not a one." There didn't sound like any doubt in her voice to me. "Good ... great ... I'm really happy about that. I loved every second of it. From the moment you stepped off the elevator right up to this second," I said honestly. Dana smiled and stood up, coming around the table and plunking herself down in my lap with her arms around my neck. She gave me one of those magnificent kisses she was so good at. "Well then ... I guess we're an item, as they say in the gossip columns." "I guess we are." I knew I had a giant grin on my kisser. I pulled her to me again and we shared another of 'those' kisses. Things were going very well for the 'New Vinnie'. "So, what would you like to do today?" I asked. "Guess!" she said with a devilish grin. "Ummmm ... go to the ballet?" I kidded. "Nope ... try again." "Ummmm ... we could go for a drive in Tom's car?" I offered more seriously. "Mmmm ... maybe later. Keep guessing!" She was enjoying herself. "Well ... if I was a horny guy and I had a gorgeous babe like you sitting there with nothing on but a t-shirt ... why ... I might get the idea that it would be an ideal late November day just to cuddle up in front of the fireplace and spend some quality time together." "Mmmm ... getting closer ... but I don't have a fireplace." She was having fun again. "Well then ... let's see ... no fireplace ... no drive ... no ballet ... that just leaves one thing." I said finally. "What?" "We go back to bed," I said simply. "What took you so long to get to the right answer?" she asked with what I took to be fake disgust. "I wanted to give you options. I might have changed your mind," I said with a smirk. "No chance in hell," she said, standing up and pulling on my arm. "Come on, big guy. I've been going without for more than a couple of years and I've got some catching up to do. I hope you're up to it." "Well ... I'm going to try my damnedest ... I promise." "If last night was any example ... I think you're going to do just fine." The rest of the day was a festival of loving and stroking and licking and tasting and sucking and exploring. We both got the message early. There was no hurry. We had lots of time and we could do anything we wanted when we wanted and by god, we did. Dana talked to me quite a bit since she was the teacher and I was the student. I spent the whole afternoon studying. She was a very, very good teacher. I was a very, very eager student. By the time we were ready to take a break, she told me I had passed with honors. Dana loved oral sex. We did 69's from above, below and sideways. I loved giving and she did too. Now that's a formula for success in any relationship in my opinion. She rode me and I dogged her. We tried the jackhammer and she thought that was a good way to finish a session. We did it standing again with her legs wrapped around me while I pressed her up against the wall and drove into her with everything I had. I got very high marks from her on that one. She asked about anal and I told her the truth that I'd never tried it. She said we should save it for another time. There were periods when we just lay together with me inside her and we were just holding each other and doing a bit of touching. She would practice something she call Kegel exercises. Whatever it was, it squeezed the hell out of my dick and felt fantastic. I'm sure there were things or positions we didn't try, but I can't think of them. Dana is so sexy that I had no trouble coming back for more and more. Even when I thought I couldn't get it up anymore, she came to my rescue with that lovely mouth of hers and just like that, I was back in business. She was very complimentary about my part in all this. She said she thought she would have worn me out long before now, but I have to admit, I lasted a lot longer and a lot more often than I ever have in all my times with women. She was serious apparently about catching up. She said she hadn't had sex for over two years and the last couple of times were pretty pathetic. I did the smart thing and didn't ask who the fool was. As far as I was concerned, I was in seventh heaven and had won the lottery -- all at the same time. We ordered Chinese delivered, and with a couple of glasses of her wine we had a nice dinner, considering we were naked, sitting on the carpet in the bedroom and sharing cartons of Chow Mein, Guy Ding and Szechuan Beef. Nothing like a formal Sunday meal. After that, we cleaned up we headed for the shower and this time we took a pass on sex. I think we both got the idea that we were good together and we didn't have anything more to prove. I got dressed, and after a long session of kissing, I finally headed out the door and drove home. It was one of those things I couldn't have guessed would happen. I had been in hot pursuit of this fabulous woman for months and now I had finally achieved my goal. This was only the beginning. She and I were not a one night stand. I truly hoped this relationship might actually go somewhere. My only concern was how to act with her when she showed up on the jobsite tomorrow morning. Chapter 11: When I got home, my message light was flashing with four messages. I ran through them one at a time. The first was from Tom, wondering where I was -- and more particularly where his car was. The second was from Mom. She wanted to hear about the date, naturally, since in her mind, she had set it all up. The third was from Tom again, with a distinct note of panic in his voice. The fourth was from Dana, and I must have played it four times and saved it. She had that ultra sexy voice going and she was telling me how good the last twenty four hours had been and that she would be expecting more of the same when we were together again. I nearly came in my pants when I heard that. It was my very first obscene voice mail message. I called Tom first and promised to deliver the car that night if he could give me a ride back to my apartment. I guess he was anxious to get his car back because he readily agreed. I called Mom next and told her as little as possible except that the date had gone very well and yes, I was sure there would be another one. I got another dose of "you could do worse," Yah, I sure the hell could. Finally, I called Dana on my cell just as I was heading out the door to take Tom's car back. She answered with that special sexy voice and I knew what I was going to say. "Hi, this is your doctor returning your call," I said with as deep a voice as I could muster. "Oh ... I'm so glad you called. I wanted to make an appointment for my next treatment, doctor. When can I come?" she asked pointedly. "Well ... since you are a special case ... how does next Saturday at five pm sound?" "Oh .... I don't know if I can wait that long. Don't you have anything ... sooner?" "Well young lady ... you're in luck. I just happen to have another ... opening ... next weekend. Say Friday at seven pm?" "Don't you have anything sooner? I'm sure I won't be able to wait that long," she pleaded. "Well ... let's see ... I do make house calls ... perhaps tomorrow?" I said in a grumpy voice. "Oh thank you. I'll be very grateful ... I can assure you ... doctor." "Very well, young lady. Tomorrow at six. A house call. Will that be satisfactory?" "Well, I certainly hope so. Thank you doctor. You are very ... considerate." "You are such a naughty girl, young lady," I said in my best doctor voice. "Yes ... I know. It must be the company I keep." She was on the verge of laughter. "Perhaps you could use some discipline ... now and then," I suggested. "Oh ... what kind of discipline?" she asked, sounding very interested. "Perhaps a good spanking. I've always believed a good spanking will help keep the child on the straight and narrow." I was parroting my mother's words from years ago. I was also having trouble keeping from breaking out in laughter. "Well, I'll leave that up to you doctor. After all ... the doctor knows best." She gave it her best Hollywood imitation. "Well, until tomorrow then. I'll look forward to ... seeing you ... Miss McNaughty," I smirked. "Goodnight doctor. Sleep tight." And with that, she hung up. This was wild. She was right into role playing and the tone of the whole conversation was all about sex. I had a hard-on as I climbed into the Jag and headed toward Tom's house. I suppose I was going to get the third degree there too. Ah well, what could I say but ... HOT DAMN! Jenny never even gave me a chance to get in the door before she was on me with the questions. Tom just stood off to the side and watched the interrogation. "So how did it go?" she asked, already knowing the answer. I didn't show up almost a day late with Tom's car because it went lousy. "Well, we seem to have broken down the barriers," I said. "What does that mean?" she asked pointedly. "Did you sleep with her Vinnie?" she asked in an accusing voice. "Jenny, that's none of your business. Let's just say we hit it off really well and leave it at that," I said in a stern voice. "You did sleep with her didn't you?" she accused. "Jenny ... what's the phrase ... a gentleman never tells." "When did you become a gentleman?" she asked with a slightly sneering tone. "Last night," I laughed. "You just make sure you treat her well, Vinnie. She's someone special, in case you haven't noticed." "Don't worry. I have no intention of screwing this up," I assured her. Jenny looked at me and then grinned. "You've got it bad, haven't you?" "Is it that obvious?" "Just be careful, Vinnie. She really is something special and she can be hurt if you aren't careful." "Don't worry, Jen ... it took me a long time to get this far. I'm going to be walking on eggshells for a while. I'm still amazed I've finally gotten through that steel wall." She smiled and leaned forward and kissed my cheek. "Good luck, Vinnie," she said. "Thanks. Come on Tom ... I've got work tomorrow," I said, turning to Tom. Tom laughed. "Wow ... the new Vinnie!" "Yah ... the new improved Vinnie," I shot back. "I've got responsibilities." Tom drove the Jag back toward my apartment and we talked along the way. "Did you find out what the tough exterior was all about?" he finally asked. "Yah ... but I promised I wouldn't tell." "You really made a break-through then?" "Yah ... everything. She gave it all to me. I couldn't believe it. She told me things she wouldn't tell anyone. It was amazing. She was amazing." Tom looked at me and nodded with a smile. "I'm glad Vinnie. I hope it works out for you. You really have worked your ass off this year and I think everyone around you wants you to succeed. I think that probably had a lot to do with Dana's change in attitude." I was sure he meant it and I was pretty sure he was right about Dana. I slept like a log that night, and when the alarm went off at seven, it was all I could do to drag myself out of bed and hit the shower. I was on the job just as there was enough daylight to see what we were doing. It was another in a long string of cold, wet, pre-winter days and I was beginning to wonder if we shouldn't be scheduling some downtime for the whole crew. The guys had worked hard since March and even now, with the limited light, we had lots of work and I had to watch I didn't over-book us. Sure the guys made lots of money, but I didn't want to burn them out. The Maturation of Vinnie Pt. 03 The highlight of my day was Dana showing up about ten that morning. She was dressed in jeans, proper work boots, a rain jacket with day-glow safety stripes and a white hard hat with her name on the front. On anyone else, it would be work clothes and nothing remarkable. On Dana, it was downright sexy. The jeans were tight, the boots were clean and tan colored and the jacket was open at the front, revealing a good look at her lovely front porch in a cotton work shirt. With her makeup, it made the whole package look like an advertisement from the ladies section of the Work Warehouse. "Now that's what I call a proper outfit," I heard one of the guys say. I gave him a look, but I couldn't get upset. He was right. She looked terrific. "Hey ... how are you?" I asked with a smile. "Great," she smiled. "Here's your C.P. for the week. Nothing too special. You're right on the money as of Friday." "See you tonight?" I asked, making conversation. "Sorry ... I have a doctor's appointment." She looked at me with a slightly crooked smile. "Maybe tomorrow? Or the next day? Or the next day?" she continued. It was a game, but it was a fun game. I was just lucky enough to know what the game was. "Yes ... yes to all of the tomorrows," I said with a smile. "Good. See you then," she said and then did something completely unexpected. She stepped forward and kissed my cheek, smiled, turned and walked back to her car. Two or three of the guys must have seen it because all of a sudden I heard the whistles and catcalls from the back of the house. I'm sure I turned bright red, but then, after I thought about it, I was feeling pretty good. She wasn't shy about showing affection in public so why should I be shy about returning it. I was falling for the best looking woman in the land and I didn't care who knew it. Chapter 12: I racked my brain trying to come up with the perfect Christmas gift for Dana. I wanted it to be something special because she was something special. I had fallen for her and fallen hard. I was sure now that this was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. For her part, she seemed to feel the same way, but I still wasn't sure. We had kind of calmed down after that first week or two when we were having sex every minute we were together. We were still having lots of sex, but it didn't seem so frantic and it didn't seem like Dana was quite as intent in making up for all the lost time she thought she had missed. We were good for each other. We had taken to doing some work planning together. We figured out a way for the guys to have two weeks off at Christmas and New Years and then we started planning on next year's work load. She was amazing. It was like she had been doing this all her life. At the same time, she was teaching me. She made me want to learn. I was excited with what we were accomplishing and I was beginning to understand much more about the business I owned. From me, Dana got lots of compliments and enthusiasm. I threw myself at anything she wanted me to do or wanted to show me. I seriously considered buying Dana a ring. A big diamond engagement ring. I chickened out. It wasn't that I didn't think I was sure about her, but I wasn't certain that she felt the same way about me. After all, we had only been together for a few weeks and neither of us was saying the words. I was afraid that it might frighten her off and she ... well ... I just didn't know. I had looked around and found myself a car that I could take Dana out in without having to use the truck. Actually, Dana found the car after two weeks of hard searching. It wasn't some sports car or muscle car; it was a conventional four door sedan. We bought a '03 Caddy DeVille from an estate sale. I really liked it, considering I was mostly a truck guy. I think Dana thought I was showing off, but then she negotiated what I thought was a ridiculously low price, and when she slid her bum onto that nice leather front seat, she changed her mind. It was the right car for a successful business couple and we were both pleased with it. Dana and I had only been together for a month, and Christmas was just a few days away and I still didn't have that special something for her. I had picked up several small things for her, almost stocking stuffers, but the big thing was still eluding me. I decided to talk to Jenny and see if she could help me. This time, she was a big help. "Take her to Hawaii, Vinnie. You've both earned a vacation and it would be a great place for you two to get closer. You may find out how she really feels about you," Jenny said. "Yah ... that sounds great. We've already figured out how to get the time, thanks to our planning ahead." I was enthusiastic about Jenny's idea. It would be the perfect way for us to really get close and maybe decide on our future together. "I guess I should go to a travel agent and see what I can get for January." "Good luck. I hope she enjoys it. I know I would, assuming Tom would ever take me there," she laughed as her husband came into the kitchen. "What did I do?" he asked with a questioning glance at me. "It's what you didn't do," his wife quickly answered. "Vinnie's going to take Dana to Hawaii. You'll notice that she gets to go there before I do," she said with mock disgust. "So whose brainstorm was this?" Tom asked, obviously irritated. "Your loving wife's," I laughed. "I might have known. I suppose this means I won't hear the end of it until I take Jen and the kids there too," he said with a twisted grin. We shot the bull back and forth for a few minutes and then I thanked Jenny for her help and headed out for Dana's. I had taken to going there most of the time because it was such a nice place and mine was so plain. Dana didn't seem to mind, but I didn't have the guts to take any of my clothes over there yet. I was still being really careful with our relationship. I was still very unsure of how she felt about me. Maybe I shouldn't have been. She kind threw my world upside down that night. "Hey babe ... how are you?" I asked as I walked in the door. She didn't say a word and when the door was closed, she wrapped her arms around my neck and laid the best kiss on me that she could possibly give. Now that's how I like to be greeted by my best and only girl. "I'm good now that you're here," she said with a serious look. I'm not sure how I picked up on it, but something wasn't quite right. She was upset or worried about something and it wasn't about me. "Are you OK? What's wrong?" I asked. "Nothing ... nothing much," she said uncertainly. "Come on, Dana. I can tell when something's not right. Tell me about it. Please," I pleaded. "Vin, I ... we ... need to talk about ... us." She was stammering which was completely unlike her. I got a cold feeling that ran through my guts when she said that. The first thing that ran through my mind was "Is this a kiss off?" "OK," was my feeble reply. "I don't know where to start. I guess ... I guess I should just tell you what I'm feeling." She looked up at me but I couldn't tell whether this was good news or bad. I think I was holding my breath. "I think I've fallen in love with you, Vin." She said it in such a quiet voice that I wasn't even sure if I had heard her right. She looked up at me and I guess I was just standing there not saying or doing anything. I was in shock, but I still wasn't sure of what she had just said. I moved closer to her, put my hands on her shoulders and said: "Say that again." I was almost afraid I hadn't heard what I thought I heard. "I said I think I've fallen in love with you." She looked scared or worried or something and I was still in shock for a moment before I reacted. "Oh Dana ... I can't believe this. I can't believe it's really happening to me." I could actually feel tears starting to form in my eyes. She was looking at me with her eyes wide and then I could see that her face was changing into something a lot happier. "Does that mean it's OK with you, Vin?" she asked tentatively. "Dana ... Dana ... you're all I been thinking about ... all I've been dreaming about. I know I'm in love with you. I was scared that you didn't feel the same way about me. You know I wouldn't press you or push you into something you didn't want to do. I love you Dana." The tears were still there in my eyes and I could barely make out her face. I wasn't even sure what she was looking at, but it didn't matter. I'd heard the words I really wanted to hear. She loved me. I was dizzy with excitement. "Vin ... we need to talk." Dana was back to her serious voice and I wondered what this was about. She'd just told me she loved me and I'd just told her I loved her. What the hell else was there to say? "OK ... let's sit over here," I said, moving toward the sofa. Dana sat down and she was smiling but it wasn't that great "I'm really happy" smile. There was obviously something bugging her. Once again, I followed my own new best advice and just waited for her to start. "I saw my dad today. He just showed up at the door. I wouldn't let him in. He said he wanted to talk to me but I wouldn't let him. He said he'd be back." She had a very frightened look on her face. I was getting very angry. I wish I had been here when he'd come to the door. I'd have taken him apart at the seams. Any sonofabitch that would rape his own daughter didn't deserve to live. I guess Dana could read me and was quick to grab me. "No Vinnie ... you can't ... you can't hurt him. You'll be the one who's in trouble, not him. I don't know what he wants, but I'm pretty sure there's a restraining order still in place. We can get him on that. I need your help though. I need a lawyer." "Yah ... OK ... I'd sure love to go a few rounds with him though," I snarled. I tried to calm down and I put my arm around Dana and pulled her close. "Did you mean it?" I needed to be sure. I needed her to tell me again. "Yes ... you're my guy, Vin. You're everything I want in a man ... a husband," she smiled up at me. "A husband? Does that mean if I asked you to marry me ... you'd say yes?" "Uh huh," she grinned. "Surprised?" "Yah ... man ... who'd have thought it ... Vinnie gets the Princess!" I think I was almost laughing. I couldn't believe my good luck. But then I remembered Dana's worry about her dad. "Dana, Tom has a good lawyer. He was involved in that problem I had. Why don't I call Tom and let him know what's going on?" A look of panic crossed her face. "No! No! Please, Vinnie ... I don't want your family to know about my past. I'm afraid they won't want me around you if they find out." "Dana ... you have to have more faith in us than that. If they can live with my fuck ups, they can understand what you've been through. You need help and nothing is stronger than a pissed off Blanton. My folks don't need to know anything about your past except that your father abused you. They don't need to know anything at all about your high school days. But trust me Dana, you need this family on your side. They want you in our family. I know that for sure. They want you in our family." I guess I laid it on pretty heavy because I could see the shocked look on her face and then the tears forming in her eyes. I was just hoping I hadn't scared her. "Oh Vin ... I feel so good being with you. I've never had anything like it. Just Mom and me. I want you so much. But I'm scared, Vin. I'm scared. I don't know what my Dad might do. We have to keep him away from your family. We have to!" she pleaded. "Yah ... well ... you just let me take care of that. I promise you, there won't be any stupid stuff ... it will get looked after properly ... trust me." "I do, Vin. God, I'm so happy to have you. I never realized how much I needed you." "Dana ... if you only knew how ... nervous I was about us. I was so unsure about how you felt about me. If you hadn't said what you just did, I still wouldn't have a clue about us," I confessed. "Well ... now you know. I'm just so happy you feel that way too. I want to be more than just a bed partner," she said, sounding a bit more confident that a few minutes ago. The next morning I called Tom and without giving him any details, I asked him to give me the name of the lawyer that had helped him when I was up to my ass in alligators. Frank McCauley was his name and Tom gave me his phone number. "What's going on, Vinnie? Are you in trouble?" "No ... No ... nothing like that. I'm just trying to help Dana." I wasn't going to give Tom anything more than I had to. "You should know that Frank is a corporate lawyer and not a criminal lawyer, Vin." "Oh ... I hadn't thought of that. Can he recommend a criminal lawyer? "Yah ... I'm sure he can." There was a pause. "Vin ... what's going on? Do you need help?" I could tell he was worried I might have fallen into some old bad habits. "No, Tom. I'm fine. It's just something I have to help Dana with." "If you need a criminal lawyer, it has to be serious." My brother was too smart for me to try and B.S. him. "Look, Tom ... if I tell you something ... you have to swear you will never, ever tell anyone else. Can you do that?" "As long as it isn't illegal ... I guess I can keep a secret as well as anyone." "No, it's not illegal." I stopped for a minute and thought about whether I should break my word to Dana and tell Tom about what has been happening. I decided that I needed his help and I knew I could trust him. I had to tell him something. "Look Tom ... just remember ... you can't tell anyone ... not even Jenny ... understood?" "OK, OK ... I get the message." He was beginning to sound irritated. I began to relate the story of Dana's dysfunctional family and how her dad beat on his mother. Finally, I got around to the part where he abused Dana when she was twelve. I didn't give him all the details, but I'm pretty sure Tom got the picture. Then I told him that her dad had shown up at her apartment and she wanted to see if the restraining order had expired or if she could get another one. She was obviously frightened of him. "Holy mother! Vinnie! That poor girl. You're right ... we need to help her. Let me call Frank and I'll get some advice. I have a couple of ideas that might speed things up. We've got to get rid of that bastard as soon as we can. Leave it with me, Vin ... I'll get back to you pronto. And, Vin ... don't worry about me keeping this quiet. I understand completely. You can count on it." "Thanks, Tom. I guess I can also share another secret with you. She told me she loved me last night. How's that for your punk brother, huh? Don't go blabbing that around town either, brother. I want to be the one that tells Mom. She's going to be really surprised, I think." I was bursting with pride at Dana's telling me she loved me. I really wanted to tell the whole world and I was pretty sure Tom would tell Jenny, but I just had to be the one who told Mom. "Well I'll be damned! Congratulations, Vin. She's perfect for you. I'm really happy for you. I know Mom and Dad will be too. You just couldn't do better than Dana." I was smiling as Tom told me how happy he was for me. I really felt I was back as a part of the family again. I owed Tom a lot, and here he was again, sticking his oar in to give me a hand and not asking for anything in return. Tom called me back just before noon. Frank had recommended two things and he and Tom had already arranged them. Frank would do a search to see what had happened to the restraining order and Tom had called a private detective, Peter Dennison. Apparently, he had been the guy who had dug up the information on me and Marcia and Tremblay when I was involved with them. He was good at what he did and Tom said he would find out what was going on with Dana's dad. There was no need for me to tell Dana what was going on. Since we had no idea where her father was living, the P.I. was going to have a little more of a challenge to find him. Dana had told me his name and where he used to live years ago, but that's all we had to go on. I kept my fingers crossed that we could get rid of this asshole without him bothering or threatening Dana. We were sitting on the sofa; actually more like lying on it. We were talking about marriage and Christmas and kids and all that kind of stuff and I was really feeling terrific. It was like everything was settled and we were going to get married and have kids -- and life would be perfect. Sometime about nine, the phone rang and Dana slowly untangled herself from me and got up to answer it. The phone was in the kitchen, so I couldn't always hear what was being said. "No! ... no ... you can't. I'll call the police! You'll go to jail! I won't let you hurt me again. I'll kill myself first!" Dana was almost shouting into the phone and I was up off the sofa in a flash and headed for the kitchen. I stood in front of her. I was shocked at the look of terror on her face. I grabbed for the phone and virtually tore it from her hand. "Now you listen to me, you fuckin' creep. You stay away from Dana or I'll hang your balls on the lamp post in front of city hall ... do you hear me?" There was nothing on the other end of the line. He had hung up. I didn't know what he had heard from me, but he must have figured out it wasn't good. I slammed down the phone and turned to Dana, pulling her into my arms and holding her tight. I could feel her sobs as she let herself go. Later in bed, for the first time in a long time, we didn't make love. I held her close and I must have told her I loved her at least a hundred times. I think she got the message. We dropped off to sleep but it wasn't a pleasant comfortable sleep. I think we were both having bad dreams. The Maturation of Vinnie Pt. 04 Chapter 13: When I awoke the next morning, Dana was not in bed. I listened, but I couldn't hear the shower or any other sounds of her in the apartment. I jumped out of bed and went looking for her. I found her on the living room sofa, curled up in a ball, a small blanket covering her shoulders, her eyes closed in sleep. I had no idea when she had left the bed, but I knew this was a sign of her being upset. I needed to do something. In my restless sleep, an idea had come to me and I latched onto it. We would go to Hawaii now ... get away from here now ... let the pros Tom had hired look after her father. I needed to get her out of harm's way. I didn't think her father had the resources to get to Hawaii. She would be safe there. I must have stood gazing at my beautiful Dana for some minutes before I moved. I didn't want to wake her. She needed sleep and she needed safety. I went to the fridge and pulled out the apple juice carton and poured myself a glass. I found the coffee and set about making a fresh pot. I checked on Dana again and she was still asleep. I was hungry and downed a banana while I scrounged around looking for some cereal. I was halfway through my cereal when Dana appeared in the doorway. She looked like she had suffered a bad night. I stood and went to her. I held her for a few moments, not saying anything. She had her head on my shoulder and was quiet as well. I didn't detect any tears or sobs, so I guessed that she was just waking up. I felt her move and stepped back to look at her. "You OK?" I asked quietly. She nodded with the slightest of smiles. "I just needed some time to think. I'm OK now." "Good. Let me get you some breakfast." "Thanks, I didn't sleep very well. I haven't got a lot of go-power this morning." "The usual?" She nodded again and sat at the kitchen table. I poured her an apple juice, put two slices of whole wheat in the toaster, and took the margarine and preserves out of the fridge. "Coffee?" I asked. "Please ... black." I poured the coffee and sat down at the table with her. "I was thinking, Dana. I want to give you your Christmas gift early. I was planning to take you to Hawaii for ten days. I think we should go early. Your dad can't bother us there," I explained. She looked up in surprise. "Hawaii? You're serious? You were going to take me to Hawaii?" I saw a lovely big smile cross her face and knew that Jenny's suggestion had hit the target. "Yep. Just you and I and sun, sand, surf, and sex." "Oh, Vin. That sounds wonderful. "When?" "How about next week?" "But ... next week is Christmas. We can't go then. Your parents ... your family." She was obviously upset. She was putting my family ahead of her own safety. "Dana, your safety is more important to me than anything. It's a small thing to sacrifice a Christmas for that." "No Vinnie ... No! It's not a small thing. Not when it's family. That's more important. Don't you see?" she pleaded. I looked at her carefully and she didn't appear to be giving an inch. If it was that important to her, then I'd have to make sure she was safe until we could leave. I would have to talk to Tom and see what we could do to protect her. "OK, Dana, you're right. I owe my family a lot. Besides, I haven't told Mom and Dad about us and I think that's the next thing we should do." "Yes, and then ... after that ... well?" I knew I was supposed to be getting a message here, but it wasn't coming through loud and clear. Then, the light went on. "Oh ... yah ... a ring," I said sheepishly. "Yah ... right ... a ring." "So ... what do you say we play hooky for a couple hours and go see my parents and then go look for a ring?" She smiled. "I think you're finally catching on." I was both excited and nervous as we drove to my parents' home. They weren't expecting us, but I knew they would be home. I wasn't nervous about Dana simply because my family had made it plain they approved of her. I was uncertain because I didn't know quite what to say. At the same time, I had no intention of telling them about the danger to Dana from her father. Tom and I could handle that, but I'm not sure Mom or Dad could. I wasn't about to find out. I rang the door chime, and I could hear Mom coming across the slate floor at the entrance. She could see out the glass panel beside the door and probably recognized Dana and me before she opened the door. "Good morning, Dana ... Vincent. This is an odd time for you to visit." Mom gave me a quizzical look. "Come in, please." I saw Dad standing in the living room with a funny look on his face and I wondered what that was about. We walked to the kitchen and Mom offered us coffee. We both accepted -- anything to give me more time to think of what to say. Finally, I couldn't stall any longer. "Uhhhmmm ... Mom ... Dad ... I uh ... I wanted you to know ... I uh ... asked Dana to marry me and she said yes," I finally blurted out. The look on my mother's face was priceless. It was shock and joy and tears -- and surprisingly, wordless. She just walked to Dana and hugged her and whispered something to her and then came to me and hugged me and whispered congratulations. The look on my father's face was inscrutable. It was like he knew and it was old news. Had Tom told him? There are times when my Dad might not be the most aware guy, but in this case, I had my suspicions. Anyway, it was a time for happiness and I could see that Dana was relieved that she had been so completely accepted. I think she wanted this family to be hers as soon as possible. It was something she had done without for a very long time, and something she wanted very badly. We sat and talked about when the wedding might be. At that point, I knew Mom would take over, and she and Dana, and probably Jenny would start to plan everything. I assumed that I would just have to show up. We had just gotten to that stage when the door chimes rang again. It was Jenny, making her usual twice weekly visit. It took about ten seconds for Mom to spill the beans, followed by cries from Jenny of "What!" and "Really?" as she hurried into the kitchen. "Oh congratulations, you guys. This is great news. I'm so happy for you both," she gushed, wrapping her arms around Dana and then me. Pretty quickly, the conversation deteriorated into 'girl talk' and I headed for the living room with Dad. I was curious just what he knew and when. "So, Dad ... you don't seem surprised," I said. "I know youuu, Vih...nnee," he began laboriously. "Whannn youuu reeely wan sum...thing ... youuu doann quit." He said it with a smile. He had been watching my pursuit of Dana, and when we came to the door together today, in the middle of a work day, he figured it out right away. His stroke hadn't dulled his mind at all. "Immm veh...ree happ...eee for youuu boa...th," he said with his lopsided smile. I walked to him and embraced him. As much as I knew I had to please Mom, I was even happier that Dad thought I was doing the right thing. I didn't have to worry about Tom or Jenny because I already knew they approved. Now it was just a matter of finding out when I was getting married. I was sure either Dana or Mom would tell me. Mom wasn't in any rush to have us go, but when I explained that we had to go shopping for a ring, and that we were stealing time from our company, she reluctantly agreed after extracting a promise that we would come for dinner that night. It would be a family gathering with Tom and Jenny and the kids, and we would all celebrate welcoming Dana into the Blanton family. Dana had a smile as big as all outdoors, and it hadn't left her face the whole time we were in the house. I was informed that it was going to be a proper church wedding, and the reception would be at Mom and Dad's house. The ceremony would be in May, and I gathered that it would be in the same church where Tom and Jenny got married. Dana was just bubbling after we left my folks' place. She was on a high from my family's easy acceptance of her, and we were off to find a ring to make it all official. In the back of my mind, I wanted to talk to Tom about her father and what we might do to protect her from him. I would have to find some time to talk to him tonight, without arousing suspicion of either Dana, Jenny, or my folks. We found a ring we both liked very easily at the jewelry store. It was very elegant and simple and the matching wedding bands were nicely similar as well. I'm no expert on diamonds or jewelry, but I knew the store and I knew that they would make sure we were properly looked after. Dad had renovated the owner's house and the jeweler was still bragging about it over five years later. It's one of those nice little extras that comes with a job well done. Dana and I split up when we got back to her apartment. I took off in my truck to check the jobsites while Dana had some work to do on next week's plan, as well as on some updates for Tom. I left her with a big kiss and hug and told her I would be by to pick her up for dinner at my folks. After I drove away, I realized she was going to be alone in her apartment all afternoon. A sudden wave of fear went through me and I pulled over and thumbed in Tom's cell number. He answered on the third ring. "Tom, it's me, Vin. I just left Dana at her apartment and she's alone for the afternoon. I'm just afraid her old man might show up again. Did you get anything back from your contacts?" "Yah ... lots in fact. Hey ... congratulations. Jenny said you told Mom and Dad, and it's now official." I could hear the enthusiasm in his voice. "Yah. We even ordered the ring today," I said with some pride. "Well, don't worry about Dana," Tom sounded confident. "I've arranged for someone to watch her place periodically. We have a description and a recent picture of her father and we'll be keeping an eye out for him. We will also put a bug on her phone, so if he calls, try and get her to keep him on the line long enough that we can get a fix on him. I'll fill you in on the rest tonight, if we get a chance." I had a good feeling about this now. Tom had taken charge, and with his connections, I felt Dana was going to be all right. I picked Dana up just before six, after having gone home, showered, and changed. I was looking forward to tonight. It would be a very festive occasion and I wanted Dana to get every bit of joy from it that she could. Her insistence at being here for Christmas had made me understand just how important family was to her. She was going to become a Blanton and she looked forward to that with great anticipation. It would be a new family for someone who had none, or at least none that she wanted anything to do with. It wasn't really a party, it was a festival. My mother -- and I'm sure, my father -- had decided this was a cause for celebration and pulled out all the stops. I got the feeling that they thought I would never marry, and on top of that, wouldn't be producing legitimate children. Dana put an end to that thought. She wanted two children and I was expected to do my duty "for love and family." I really didn't have any reason to complain. I was going to marry the most beautiful woman in the world and I was totally and completely in love with her. Tom and I headed off to the basement after dinner to talk about what was going on with Dana's father. As I suspected, Tom had called in a couple of favors and an expert opinion, to get control of things. "Vin ... Donald McNabb is an alcoholic with a long track record with the police. He has been picked up more than a couple of times for driving while intoxicated, driving with a suspended license -- the usual stuff. Unfortunately, our beloved court system has decided he's no danger and keeps letting him go with little more than a slap on the wrist. He somehow comes up with the money to pay his fines, but even then, he drives around without a valid driver's license and no one picks him up on it." I nodded my head. It was an old familiar story. "As far as the restraining order goes, it lapsed quite a few years ago. There had been no activity that linked him to Dana for more than five years, so it was assumed he wasn't a risk. Therefore, it lapsed. In our expert's opinion, we could get a renewed order, but it would take some evidence of his actions and even then, it's a long, involved process without some proof of overt danger. What my contact suggested is to get him on anti-stalking legislation. It's a relatively new statute, and if convicted, he could get up to five years. We'll need some proof, but if he's as aggressive as you say, we should be able to catch him out." "What do we have to do?" "Nothing, really. Pete Dennison will set up the recording device on the apartment phone. McNabb doesn't have Dana's cell phone number and she should keep it secret. Pete is also keeping an eye on her apartment to see if he shows up in the next week. You may have scared him off the other night when you threatened him. On the other hand, if he does call, you stay off the line and have Dana stall him for as long as possible so that we can try and get a trace on him. If she can get him to talk and tell her what he wants, so much the better." I made a mental note to make sure no one gave out Dana's cell number to a stranger. "She went crazy when he called last time, Tom. I don't know if she can handle talking to him," I said. "Talk to her. Tell her what we are doing to try and stop him. She needs to know there is help for her. Just don't let her tell her father anything about it." "OK, I'll talk to her tomorrow morning. I don't want to spoil the mood tonight." "Good. Tomorrow is fine. There's one other thing we're thinking about," Tom said, turning toward the stairs and then stopping. "What's that?" "If we locate him, our lawyer suggested we write him a formal letter on legal stationery with a statement something along the lines that if he keeps bothering Dana, he'll be charged with stalking under section so and so and could be liable to five years in federal prison." "You said you were just thinking about that," I said with a questioning look. "Yah ... it would tip him off that we are watching him. The good news is that it might put a stop to his harassment and the bad news is that he might just be more careful about not getting caught. We still don't really know what he wants. We're guessing money, but we really don't know," Tom concluded. "OK. Well, I gotta thank you, Tom. You keep comin' through for me in the clutch. I would die if anything happened to Dana." "Yah ... I know how you feel. I felt the same when Jenny was in danger. I just couldn't let it happen," he said. "Come on ... we'd better get back upstairs before we're missed." We were met at the top of the stairs by Jenny. "Where have you two been?" she asked pointedly. "Aw ... just some guy talk," Tom said offhandedly. That seemed to put a lid on her curiosity, and we moved back into the living room to join the rest of the family. I took it pretty easy at the party and I was OK to drive Dana to her apartment. She was still buzzing from all the fun and the warm welcome she received from the family. She was holding my hand the whole way home and talking about how much she liked everyone. I just shut up and enjoyed the pleasure she was getting from all this. For a woman who had seemed to have no happiness at all, she sure turned out to be different from what I would ever have guessed. I was one lucky guy. When we made love that night, it was the best I had ever known. It was so intense and yet it was tender and happy and just more of the celebration we were sharing about our future. It's one thing to make love to a beautiful woman and it's another to make love to a woman that you know for certain that you would do anything for. I was certain I would never allow her to be hurt in any way, either physically or emotionally. I was going to be the best husband and lover any woman could ever want. It was a promise to Dana, and a promise to myself. I'd been given a gift and I was going to protect it at all costs. Chapter 14: I bought the tickets for Hawaii after I found a place to stay in Napili Bay, on the Island of Maui. Years ago, they used to call this the "Canadian Island" because of all the people from our part of the world that would go there during the winter months. Many owned condos year around in Kihei and Kaanapali. I knew about Napili because my folks had been there with some friends several times and it was a little off the beaten track in those days. It probably wasn't any more, but I didn't care. It was a place for the two of us to escape and enjoy each other for a few days. We were scheduled to leave on January third, and that gave us a few days to figure out how to schedule our crews to make sure things got done while we were away. The most important thing for us to decide was who would be the "boss" while we were away. We must have talked about it for hours before we came up with a compromise. We had two crews and we had two crew chiefs. If there was any dispute or problem they couldn't resolve, Tom would be the arbitrator. Dana and I agreed that whatever Tom decided, we would support. It would take the pressure off him, we hoped. All we had to do now was to get Tom to agree to the extra work. Once again, he stepped up to the plate. He wasn't as enthusiastic about it because he knew the kinds of things that could go wrong, but nevertheless, he agreed. He did extract a promise from us that we would do the same for him when he took Jenny and the kids to Hawaii. We could hardly refuse. Besides, he had Robbie Delgado and we both knew he could handle anything that came up. I did get a lecture from Tom on finding one of my guys who could be a leader and get him prepared to fill in for me. It was something Dana and I had been thinking about, and as usual, Tom was right. The time had come for some additional support in running our operation. The workload between Christmas and New Years was very light by design. Unless we had an urgent deadline, very few of our customers were anxious to have us pounding nails at this time of the year. Dana's skillful planning had thinned out the crews so that everyone had at least five working days off between Christmas Eve and New Years Day. The period that we would be away was a low volume time as well, so we were confident that things would be fine for the nearly two weeks we were gone. I thought about taking my cell phone with me, but Dana put a stop to that idea right away. I was getting the feeling that she was in charge of me. It was a good feeling. Dana suggested we have a small Christmas party for our crews, and I immediately agreed. We had a completely sheathed job that would give us cover if it rained, and a couple of space heaters to keep the place warm. We decided to hold the party at two o'clock on the 23rd, since we weren't at full crew on Christmas Eve day. I had arranged a mini-bus to take home any of the guys who had a couple too many beers, and we told the crews that if the wives or girlfriends wanted to come, they were welcome. The party turned out to be a great idea. I can't tell you how many times the various guys came up to Dana or me and told us how much they liked working for us. It was a great Christmas present all by itself. Everyone was congratulating us on our engagement too. The guys were all envious, and more than one or two of the girlfriends were relieved that Dana was out of the picture, I think. We had great fun. I had pizza, beer, pop, sandwiches and all kinds of snacks catered from one of the mobile kitchens that serviced the jobsites. They were happy to have the business, and I was happy to get prompt delivery. It didn't cost us a lot of money, but I think it earned us a lot of 'brownie points' from the guys and their gals. We promised ourselves to do it again next year. The Maturation of Vinnie Pt. 04 Both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were spent at Mom and Dad's house. It was tradition, and since Dana was the newest member of our family, she was expected to be there. It may not be official yet, but she was a Blanton as far as we were concerned. Usually, everyone opened one present on Christmas Eve, just to take the edge off, and then the main presents were opened on Christmas morning. Since Dana knew all about Hawaii, I decided that gift would be for Christmas Day. I wanted to surprise her on Christmas Eve and once more, Jenny came to the rescue. Jenny and I met at the jewelry store and I showed her the rings we had chosen. With her help, we found a pendant and chain that would look wonderful on Dana and then I really splurged again with Jenny's advice. I chose a pair of diamond earrings as a special gift. A year ago, I would never have guessed I could afford this, but for Dana I didn't think twice. Once again, the owner gave me a special discount to soften the blow. I think he figured out that I was going to be a regular customer over the coming years. He was a very smart man. I can remember a lot of happy Christmases in my youth. Our family was all together and it was a fun time. It had been a while since I had felt that way, probably because Tom and I had grown up, and I had drifted away from the family circle. This Christmas brought it all back again. With Dana beside me and my place in the family restored, I felt better than I had in a long time. I was surprised at how sentimental I had become about my family. I think that Dana had something to do with that when she made sure I understood how important family was to someone who didn't have one. Except for Mom and Dad, who were seated in their usual chairs, we were all sitting on the carpet near the tree, with Nikki bubbling away, anticipating when we would let her open her present. I had carefully put the earrings out of sight so that they wouldn't be spotted ahead of time. Only Jenny knew what I planned. The jeweler had wrapped them in a special paper he said he reserved for diamonds. It was a bright, metallic blue, and the tiny bow on the top of the diminutive package was an opalescent white. I was sure Dana would guess what was inside the moment she saw the package, so hiding it under some other presents was the only way to delay the inevitable. Not surprisingly, Nikki got to open her present first. It was a portable DVD player and she was delighted with it. Included in the package were a couple of DVD movies; apparently ones she really liked. Mom was next and Jenny had helped Dad pick out a beautiful cashmere sweater that she obviously approved of -- she wore it on Christmas Day. As the presents were passed out, Jenny skillfully kept the little blue package hidden until the last and when she passed it to me and I gave it to Dana, along with Merry Christmas and a big kiss. She looked shocked. I don't think she was expecting anything -- certainly not anything this elegant. I already had my most important Christmas present -- Dana. She opened the tiny package and when she saw the jewelry box, she gasped, and gasped again when she opened it. She had tears in her eyes when she turned to me to thank me and threw her arms around me and gave me another big kiss. "Euuwwww! Mushy stuff!" Nikki said. That prompted laughter among the adults. Then she crawled over to look at the earrings and was heard to offer a "Wow!" when she saw them. Naturally, Dana put them on right away, and Mom and Jenny came over to give them a close inspection. They sparkled in a kaleidoscope of colors from the tree lights. They matched her beauty perfectly and I could only marvel at my good luck to be marrying her. She was wrapped in my arms, leaning back on my shoulder and I couldn't have been happier than I was at that moment. Christmas Day was calmer than I remembered it. I guess because Tom and I were grown and the only youngster that could really appreciate the day was Nikki. Tom and Jenny spoiled her with presents, but I never got the sense that she didn't appreciate them. I think she thought of Tom as her real dad, even since the arrival of the twins. Nikki never gave any sign that she felt second best or ignored. She was a bright, happy-go-lucky kid who did well at school and had lots of friends. Tom was a natural father and I hoped that I could be as good as he was when my turn came along. The big meal was served and it was great. Mom wouldn't have it any other way and with Jenny and Dana to help, it was a lot less demanding on her than in the past. Mom and Jenny had formed a special bond that made Jenny feel more like a daughter than a daughter. I was hoping Dana could form that kind of bond too. Jenny had been an enormous help to Mom when Dad had his stroke and she was a regular visitor at the house, always willing to help Mom with anything she needed. Dana would have a job until we started having children, so it would be more difficult for her to help out, but I wasn't worried. Mom had already made it obvious that she welcomed Dana. After dinner, the ladies looked after the dishes and the guys just flopped down in the living room and tried to keep from falling asleep. Tom and I managed to survive, but Dad was out cold in ten minutes. With the women in the kitchen, we talked about Dana's father. "Any word from the detective about him showing up?" I asked. "Nothing yet. They haven't got a twenty-four seven on him, so they're doing random checks. I suggest we think about alternative places for Dana to work until we find him or we decide he isn't coming back." "Yah. We could have her operate from my place. We just have to move the computer and some files." "Well, let's give it some thought, Vinnie. He probably knows about you and so he can figure out that if she isn't at home, she might be at your place. We might want to move her somewhere he doesn't know about." Tom was thinking out loud, but I had to agree with his logic. "What do you have in mind?" "Well, I'll have to clear it with Jen first, but ... I think the safest place might be my house. Jen is usually home, so it would make it more difficult for someone to take them by surprise." "I dunno, Tom. It might put Jenny at risk too." I was worried we didn't make things worse. "Why don't you ask your detective friend what he thinks?" "Yah ... I suppose you're right. I'll call Pete and see what he thinks." When Dana and I got back to her place, we were both dog tired. I really wanted to make love with her, but she was starting her period and both of us needed some sleep. We held each other closely. Words weren't necessary any more. We both knew how we felt about each other. The day after Christmas was rainy and cold and we just lay around the apartment watching TV, reading and generally doing nothing. I got a bit restless and considered driving around to the jobsites to make sure everything was OK, but I decided against it. I was determined I wasn't going to leave Dana alone in her apartment for any length of time and she didn't want to go with me. I was hoping I would hear from Tom in the next day or so. Chapter 15: On Thursday, I got a call from one of my crew chiefs that all was not well with one of our renovation framing jobs. Apparently, the plans didn't correspond to the actual building. That wasn't uncommon, but what to do about it required either a revision from the owner or some creative thinking on our part. I preferred the latter before suffering the usual delays when we went back to the owner for a decision on a change. I told Dana not to let anyone she didn't know into the apartment and if her father called, keep him on the line as long as she could and then call me right away. I was uncomfortable leaving her on her own, but she was adamant that she could handle whatever came up, and she would call 911 if anything happened that might be dangerous. I wasn't completely convinced, but I need to resolve the problem on the jobsite. At least Dana knew that she had some backup with the detective service watching the apartment. I headed for the job and as I expected, it was more complicated than we could solve with a couple of changes. The building inspector would dump all over us if we didn't get it approved ahead of time, and that meant a change approved by the owner first, and then the building inspector. That just added a few days to the job, unless we could figure out a way to make the corrections simple and not cause major changes to the design. I huddled together with our guys; we went over the problem and looked for the simplest solution. In days gone by, I would be going off and acting out my anger and frustration at this problem. Somehow, that had all changed. I think Dana had a lot to do with it, but maybe I was maturing as well. Most of the time, my guys could contribute something toward solving the problems and I was hoping that was the case today. It took us several hours before we worked out a solution that would avoid having to move the plumbing and change the shape of an ensuite in the new section. One of the crew chiefs, Terry Dreyfus, came up with a suggestion that was simple and didn't alter the main look of the addition. It meant taking a few inches out of the huge walk-in closet and another few inches out of the large bedroom, but overall, it didn't really make a big difference to the living space and wouldn't add any cost. I slapped Terry on the back and congratulated him. "Well done, guys. You just saved us a lot of grief and delay. Nice work." I looked at my watch and saw that it was one thirty and none of us had eaten. "Terry, why don't you take the guys to lunch on me. When you're done, take the revisions to the owners and see if you can get an OK to submit them to city hall. Give me a call on the cell if you run into any problems you don't feel comfortable with. The guys can have the rest of the day off with pay. It's worth it to solve our problem this easily." I was smiling as we broke up. I thought I might have found my back-up man. I called Dana to let her know I was on my way back and she said everything was OK. I stopped off at my place to get some more of my clothes. I had been gradually moving my stuff into her apartment. We were living there, so it didn't make any sense to have two separate places. My lease was up for renewal at the end of January, so the timing was perfect. I had already notified the landlord that I would be leaving. When I walked into our apartment, I stopped immediately when I realized Dana wasn't alone. An older man was sitting on the sofa and Dana was in her usual chair. I didn't recognize him and I was about to say something when Dana stood up and came over to me. "Vin ... I want you to meet someone." She was calm and composed and I didn't sense any upset, but I was tense and wanted to know why she would let a stranger into our place. "Vin ... this is my father, Donald," she said in a steady voice. I was stunned. She had let this bastard into our apartment. I couldn't believe it. Why? I was so taken aback that I couldn't form any words. I just stood there and stared, wide-eyed at the both of them. Her father had stood up from the sofa and was looking at me warily, but with a steady gaze. I guess I must have shown some sort of anger or alarm, because Dana grabbed my arm and held it tightly. "No, Vinnie! No! I'm not in any danger. It wasn't what we thought. I'm OK with it." She said it calmly, and with obvious confidence. I let my breath out and tried to relax a bit. I was still in shock and finally I took my jacket off and hung it on the coat tree beside the door. I realized I hadn't said a word since I'd entered the room. "What's going on?" I finally managed. "Dad came to ... apologize, Vin. He's been trying to see me because he needed to apologize for ... what he had done." She said it quietly, but again, I was struck by how calm she was. I didn't understand it. It didn't make sense; especially after what he had done to her all those years ago. "It's a bit late, isn't it?" I snarled. "Yes, it is." He had finally spoken. "I can't make it right with just an apology, but it's all I have to offer. I can't change what I did, but I can't forget, either." His voice was even and he didn't really show any signs of fear. This was a very strange situation. "Vinnie, Dad has finally gotten some help. He's in A.A. and he's trying to turn his life around. He knows it won't change the past, but maybe he can be a better person in the future." "That won't be very difficult." I spat out the words. I wasn't feeling very charitable right then. "Vinnie, you're the best thing that's happened to Dana in a long time. I'm very happy that you two have found each other. I didn't come here to mess up your lives. I came here because it's part of my rehabilitation. I needed at least to acknowledge what I had done to Dana and how it had hurt her; not just then, but until you came along." Again, I was struck by how calm he was. He must have known how angry I was at what he had done to her, and yet I didn't seem to frighten him. "How long?" I asked. "How long have I been sober? Three months and eleven days." he answered promptly. "You're just getting started." I said, calming down a bit. "Yes ... and the road never ends." He was looking a bit sad at that point. "Vin, I have forgiven him." Dana said it so completely out of the blue, that I was shocked into silence once more. "I couldn't go on hating him forever. I have a new life with you and I couldn't keep that anger and hate bottled up inside me." I couldn't believe her generosity. She was forgiving the man who raped her. The man who had beaten her mother. I was having trouble making sense of it. I just shook my head in disbelief. "Vin ... Dad has a job. It's up north in the gas fields. He's trying to straighten his life out. He came to apologize and ask for my forgiveness. He also came to say goodbye." "A job?" was all I could manage. "Believe it or not, I'm still a pretty good diesel mechanic. My skill is in short supply. That's why they were willing to take a chance on me. My sponsor is from there as well. He'll be there to help me over the rough spots." There was the faintest hint of a smile on his face. My anger had disappeared somewhere along the way. I wasn't ready to forgive him, but for Dana's sake, I could at least acknowledge that he was trying to turn his life around. "OK," I sighed in resignation. "You have a special daughter, Mr. McNabb. She's a lot more forgiving than I would ever be." "Yes. You're lucky to be getting her. But, I think you already know that." Now I was sure I saw a smile. "Yah. You've got that right." He turned to Dana and held out his hand. She ignored it and moved to embrace him. I was still in shock as I saw something I never imagined I'd see. "Goodbye, Dad." Dana wasn't in tears, but she was close. Her father turned to me hand held out his hand. I looked at it for a moment and wondered if I could accept it. I decided, for Dana's sake, that if she could forgive, I could at least acknowledge him. I took his hand for a brief, single shake. Dana walked with him to the door and handed him his coat. He slipped it on, turned to us, smiled, and walked out the door. I think it was at that point, I let my breath out. I was still dizzy with confusion about what had just happened and I was almost angry at how he had worked his way into the apartment. It was time to get some answers from Dana. Dana pre-empted me. "Before you start ... I can explain." I said nothing and stood looking at her. I'm sure she could see the questions in my eyes. "He wrote me a letter and put it in the mailbox. He told me about his new life and he asked for a chance to apologize to me. I didn't want to tell you about the letter because I was afraid of what you might do. I had to make this decision myself and I have no regrets, Vinnie." "How long have you had the letter?" I was verging on anger again. "Yesterday. I thought about it long and hard, Vin. My father was a ghost who haunted me for a many years. My psychiatrist told me that one day I would have to confront that ghost. I decided it had to be now, before he was gone and I couldn't do anything about it." "And the ghost is gone now?" "Yes ... I'm sure it is. I know I feel better. He knows what he did and how wrong it was. He said he's had nightmares ever since that day and it was part of why he continued to drink. He tried to kill the memory and he couldn't." She was still showing that calm state that I couldn't understand. I was sure this would have been a horrible experience for her and it was just the opposite. My anger was beginning to subside. "You took a big risk, Dana. I'm upset that you did. Something horrible could have happened to you. How did you know you could trust him?" I was trying not to sound angry. I think I was coming down from being frightened at what might have happened, and the relief that it didn't. "I'm not sure. The letter I guess. It didn't look phony or artificial. I just decided I had to quit running away. If we were going to have any kind of life together, I had to be at peace with myself and with what had happened in my past. That's why I agreed to see him." I didn't know what to say. I began to realize just how much of her past she had been carrying around with her. That shell she had built around herself when I had first met her was part of it, and perhaps I'd just been lucky to get through it and find the real Dana. Maybe I was lucky, but if her meeting today was a way to make sure we were going to be fine in the future, then who was I to object. I moved to her, wrapped my arms around her, and held her wordlessly. I slipped Dana's engagement ring on her finger just as the clock struck midnight on New Years Eve. We kissed and celebrated with our family and friends and I looked forward to a wonderful future. Just a little more than a year ago I was getting back on my feet and recovering from a nasty beating. It was amazing that I had only met Dana ten months ago. I was even more amazed at all the good things that had happened to me this past year after all the bad things that I had allowed to happen. I was one lucky guy.