“Oh come on. Boo hoo.” Jean was not falling for the martyr cloak being thrown over her head. “You’ll take movies, and we’ll all watch them later on TV and laugh. Mom knows she doesn’t want to pop Quinn out on the gym floor in front of a bunch of preteens, some who will be laughing while others are throwing up.”
Rachel shrugged. “She’s right, Nick. Take movies. It would be just my luck to have exactly what she described happen. Then not only would I become the subject of ridicule, but I’d have to listen to her chanting ‘told you so’ until Quinn graduates from high school. Every time she’d get mad at him, Jean would be saying ‘yeah, well at least I wasn’t born on the gym floor next to the dirty tennis shoes’.”
“After listening to your acceptance speech of possible retribution, I’m beginning to understand where she gets those dark thoughts,” Nick replied.
“Guilty,” Rachel admitted. “She’s like a clone of the way I was. I’m glad we were so involved in staying alive while visiting down South with my Mom that Jean didn’t get to hear about all my adventures torturing her Grandma Mona while growing up. Okay, I’m tiring a bit, so this is last call. Finish your drinks, and let’s hit the road you lushes. Jean and I have our bags packed in the Ford already. We’ll leave John all alone again, and sleep in our own beds tonight. Put on your coat and beret, soldier. The Momster wants to have a military escort tonight.
“Hey… kid here,” Jean objected. “That’s enough of the X-rated promos.”
Jean didn’t move fast enough to avoid the Momster ear hold. “Oh sure, now you’re a kid. Being in on murder and mayhem is old hat, but suddenly your precious sense of decency is in danger over the mere mention of adults loving one another, huh?”
Jean yelped as the Momster shook her ear a bit. “I…I need that ear for the dance, Momster! G.I. Joe! A little help here!”
Dan stood, while motioning to Gus, as negotiations went on between Momster and the Daughter of Darkness. “C’mon Payaso, throw the rest of your drink down. You’ll need it with the Momster driving your new Ford home.”
“God help me,” Gus said. “John, get my blindfold.”
That was enough for the Momster to switch targets with Nick enjoying the whole show while never moving from his spot. “Oh… you did not just insult my driving skills, Geezer! I haven’t had a ticket in decades!”
“The police can’t be everywhere,” Dan replied. “Let’s go, Nick, before the Momster makes a play for my ear next.”
“Keep talkin’, and you’ll be riding on the end of a chain at the back of the Ford into Pacific Grove,” Rachel warned. “What are you laughin’ at, soldier boy? Get that coat and beret on.”
“We better do as she says,” Nick stated, putting a guiding arm around Jean’s shoulders. “It’s been a long day. I’d like to go on our balcony deck, and have a beer with my buddy, Deke.”
“We’ll see about that,” Momster said.
*
Gus’s smirks as they walked Jean to school finally provoked an accounting from Nick. “Okay, what has your mouth twisted in that annoying way of yours this morning.”
“Seeing you, natural as can be, on the usual morning walk after Rachel’s very humorous explosion last night. Did you finally get her talking coherently?”
“She was fine. The Momster and Daughter of Darkness have to fry each other’s bacon two or three times a week. I usually miss a couple episodes. Rach has been confrontational. I believe it’s her hormones and pregnancy. I think she’s funny. I play along if I’m not in danger of getting a fry pan to the back of my head.”
“That sounds like a dangerous game. Speaking of dangerous games are you going in to see Dickerson this morning?”
“I called Justin last night. He says I’m square with the police, and the DA’s office has the real Homeland Security/FBI guys breathing down their necks for letting the Rashidis go in the first place. They’re taking over the investigation into those three shooters with fake FBI ID’s too. That one is solved with the death of Collister. Once they go into his place, and do the usual scouring for data a National Security Advisor’s death would warrant, there may be a quiet storm in DC. I like our chances of moving on to Washington by next week. I plan on ignoring Salvatore. He’ll have a hard time getting any job in DC with Collister gone.”
“Sounds like yet another reason for him to be bitter,” Gus pointed out. “I didn’t think you’d care much for a guy watching you like he’s doing.”
“I didn’t say I wanted to be his BFF. If I ignore him, what the hell harm can he cause? He won’t have anyone to report to anyway. Jean and I like his kid.” Nick paused as Gus began chuckling. “Yeah, I know, I’m getting careless again just when we’ve taken care of some bad problems. Is John meeting us at the beach today? I guess he can pounce on me too.”
“He’ll be there, but he agrees with you. I don’t have any answers for Salvatore. Do I wish he wasn’t in our backyard? Yep. I don’t want to rain all over Jean’s new squeeze, but I think she’ll get over it by the time she’s ten.”
“I heard that,” Jean had drifted within earshot while Gus and Nick were talking.