Home Is Where the Heart Is

The Jitters

            “Good morning, Michael,” Debbie said while setting a pile pancakes in front of him.

            “Good morning to you, too,” he mumbled as he rubbed his eyes. He quickly started to devour the food in front of him.

            “So, dear, Mr. Peters will be waiting at his office for you in two hours to watch him go sign two athletes. You can use my car, today.”

            “Thank, mom,” he said as he stood up and put his plate into the sink.

            “Okay, get ready baby!” she called after her son who jogged down the basement steps. Michael began to get ready for the day and then drove off to meet Mr. Peters.

            “Mr. Peters,” Michael said as he shook his hand before sitting down on one of  the patterned chairs. Lorcan Peter’s office was a complete window back, with his dark oak desk right in front of it. It was a medium sized office, but it didn’t look like he had spent much time there.

            “Mr. Phelps, what a pleasure to see you again,” Mr. Peters smiled as he returned the hand gesture.

            “How are you?” Michael asked as his giant legs moved around to find a comfortable position.

            “Good, good. Today we are signing two players… A basketball player from Purdue and…” he said while looking at his list.

            “A baseball player who is going to the Phillies. Sound good?”

            “Perfect,” Michael grinned while throwing his hands in the air. Five hours after meeting, chatting, and signing both athletes, both Michael and Mr. Peters arrived back at Mr. Peters office.

            “So, Michael, how did you like it? Enough to work for me?” Mr. Peters asked.

            “I really liked it,” Michael agreed.

            “Great! I’ll give you the rest of the week to rest, but you’ll start at 8 AM sharp on Monday morning, okay? You’ll be taking the basketball and baseball player,” he said.

            “Wow, thank you so much! I promise I won’t disappoint,” Michael said while getting up.

            “You seem to never do,” Mr. Peters said as Michael exited from his office.

            When Michael returned home, his mother was sitting on the front porch with the neighbor girl again.

            “Michael, darling! How did you like it?” Debbie asked while she invited him to sit down next to Aly.

            “It was good,” he said. “I start on Monday.”

            “Wonderful, wonderful!” Debbie replied cheerfully.

            “It’s uh… nice to see you again, Aly,” Michael said sheepishly.

            “Same,” she replied with a smile on her face.

            “You know what, guys? I forgot I had cookies in the oven! I’ll be right back!” Debbie excused herself and hurried inside.

            “Sorry about her,” Michael smiled apologetically.

            “What, your mom? I like her. She’s nice,” Aly smiled genuinely. Michael just blushed as he ran his fingers through his hair.

            “So you got a job, that’s good. That means you’ll be here for a while then?” Alyson asked shyly.

            “Yeah, I hope so,” he smiled while he looked down on her. They sat in an awkward moment of silence waiting for each other to talk.

            “Hey… I have a question for you…”

            “Can I ask you something?” The two of them said at the same time. They laughed for a bit and then settled down.

            “Okay, you first,” Michael gestured.

            “No, you,” she smiled shyly.

            “Okay, fine,” Michael said as he drew a deep breath in, “Would you possibly like to go out on a date? Like on a double date with my sister and her boyfriend?”

            “Yes! I mean yeah… I mean sure,” she giggled as he laughed along too.

            “So, I’ll pick you up at like 8 tonight?” he asked.

            “Yeah, yeah. I’ll see you then, Michael,” she smiled before getting off the bench and leaving. Michael stood up and watched her leaving.

            He walked inside to see his mother standing by the front door.

            “Mom?”

            “Oh, uh, sorry dear. I was just… uh… picking stuff up off the floor,” she said as she quickly walked away. Michael rolled his eyes and sat down at his kitchen table to call Whitney.

            “Whitty, hey,” Michael said into the phone.

            “Hey, baby bro. How may I assist you today? Is mom driving you nuts? Do you need an escape plan?” she asked as he heard Lorelei crying from the other room.

            “I, uh, wanted to know if you and Adam wanted to go on a double date with me and Alyson?” he asked.

            “Oh my God, I would love too, but Lorelei is sick and I really don’t want mom to know, because she’ll freak and I don’t trust her with Hill,” Whitney explained.

            “No, I understand,” he sighed.

            “Okay, I hope you figure out what you’re going to do! Call me when it’s done!” Whitney said into the receiver before he hung up.

            Michael dialed another phone number in his phone before putting it up to his ear.

            “Hey, Mikey! What’s up doll?” Hillary asked.

            “Hey, Hill, I was wondering… if uh you and Josh wanted to go a double date with me and Alyson at Monterey’s at 8:30?” he asked.

            “Oh my God! Yes! We’ll be there!” She said.          

            “And please don’t be embarrassing,” he sighed into the receiver. This night he knew would either make or break his stay here, and my God, he was hoping it would make it.