Stepmom

Chapter 1

The past couple of years my dad has been stuck inside his blue-grey mind since the day my mom filed for divorce.

Today was different though, he came in with some excitement as he tossed me a pair of car keys. The little remote with the key had four overlapping rings, kinda like the Olympics emblem.

"Merry-early-Christmas, Leo." My dad says with a sharp smile.

Christmas isn't even close. He guides me outside by the shoulder to show me a new grey Audi.

Let's get something straight, I didn't stay with my dad because he's loaded or anything, but the Audi R8 is worth it. The car is easily recognizable, like seeing a Ferrari out at Walmart. You just can't miss it. But other than exotics, I know nothing about cars.

The door to the R8 opens, and out steps a woman with a red summer dress, short and almost transparent. "Hi, Leo. I'm Rosie." She has light blue eyes with specks of gold, or perhaps that's that sun reflecting off her large eyes. She pretty, but what's all this. Obviously it was planned.

"Hi." I say simply.

"Rosie will be staying with us from now on. I'm sure you won't mind, the truck with her stuff should be here tomorrow." My dad says.

I don't know if the car heightened my spirits or if seeing my father smile is the reason I feel excited. My dad's finally happy. But there is something odd about looking at them together. I can't point it out right now because the car is taking my mind for a ride. Hell with it. Whatever it is, she can stay as long as my dad remains in a good mood. "Well... welcome to the family Rosie." I give her a quick, one-armed hug and hop in the car, looking for the start button on this thing.

Vrrroooom!,Vrrr,Vrrrrroooooooom! With each gentle touch of the pedal the sound blasts from the back.

As I'm exploring the interior, my dad says, "I need to go back to the office and take care of a few things; I'll bring some take out on the way back." And then he adds, "You can show Rosie around the house." He kisses Rosie, pats my shoulder one good time, hops in his car, and reverses out the steep parking lot, heading on to his job.

"Guess I'll show round the house."

She smiles at me and behind that smile there is something that I feel for this lady. She's older than me, but not by much.

And that's when I figure it out— what's wrong with the whole scene. She older than me, but way-way younger than my dad.

|BREAK|  NEW SCENE  |BREAK|

We traveled the house on full circle until eventually we landed in the living room again.

"So how'd you and my dad meet?"

"I saw your dad, or should I say, met him in Starbucks. I've seen him there many times before. He was working on his laptop, so concentrated on his work. His handsome face always crimples up when he thinks hard. We started talking after I approached him; I figured he would never look at me with his laptop always taking his attention. I think we talked for hours before he asked me for my number. That's basically it." She adjusts her short dress and sets one hand over the other.

"Yeah, my dad likes to take work to Starbucks. He says it's peaceful and the smell of coffee is a bonus. But if you don't mind me asking, how old are you?" She looks very young, older than me, but way younger than pops. And that's all I can think about because she's really attractive.

"Curious aren't you?" she smiles.

"Sorry, you're just really good-looking and I don't see why you would date my dad; not that he doesn't deserve it or anything." She raises her eyebrows in surprise as she coughs and taps her chest gently.

"I'm twenty-nine, Leo." She says deadpan.

"You know my dad is forty one years old right?"

"Yes, Leo. I know. Do you want to know something that you don't know?... I'm only dating your father because of the money. Do you know how much I hate fucking working? I. Fucking. Hate. It. So listen Leo, you're not going to speak about this with your father. Have you seen how happy he's been lately. Guess who's making that happiness happen?," she thumbs back to herself, "Now, if you keep it a secret between us; I will do anything you want me to. And I do mean anything at all." She parts some of her hair and waves it behind her head.

I don't want to disappoint my dad by telling him that the pretty lady sitting in front of me is a gold-digger, a hot one at that, and I definitely don't want him to go back to his gloomy-self again. How is it that this innocent looking woman can be a devil in disguise?

I know my dad is too smart to let her take all his money, but this lady is smart too. I can confirm her intelligence because when I showed her my room, she solved the Rubik's cube in under 45 seconds. Sure, you can use the algorithm or the little booklet that comes with the toy, but to reach a 45 second solve takes more than just remembering some moves. It takes remembering several algorithms not just the basic one. And 45 seconds is just a guess. It was more of a flash of fingers and then done.

I want to keep the car. I also want to keep a smiling dad around. But what do I do when he's been dealing with a lot of hurt lately? What the hell do I do?

"Leo, sweetheart, do we have an understanding?"

In my deep thoughts I had not noticed her stand up. She brushes my hair gently. "Leo, do you understand?"

"I guess." I say awkwardly. I don't know whatjust happened, but there might be something I want from this lady. Somethingthat I've been wanting to feel for a long time now and experience.