Lee wearily walked up the driveway of 4247 Maplewood. It was eleven-thirty at night and he was just getting home from a surveillance shift with Fred Fielder. The late hour, the non-productive stake-out and the less than inspiring company had put him in a foul mood. All he wanted to do was to get inside, take a shower and fall into bed, preferably with Amanda. He was too tired for sex but some cuddling seemed eminently appealing at the moment.
The house was dark. Amanda must be in bed already. Dotty was away for the weekend. Jamie was at a sleepover and Phillip...well he was almost eighteen and kept pretty busy with his friends, school work, football and a part time job at Marvin's. Lee briefly tried to recall the boy's schedule but quickly gave up. Even Amanda, with her amazing organizational skills was starting to lose track of the comings and goings of their eldest son. He'd be off to college in the fall. Lee shook his head wondering where the time had gone.
As he rounded the corner, a noise caught his attention coming from the garage. The door was open and Lee immediately wondered if someone had broken in. The ‘vette was in there and the thought of someone messing around with his ‘toy' quickly had adrenaline pumping through his system. Cautiously he stood beside the open door, his back pressed to the wall. His hand reached for his gun while he listened carefully, trying to ascertain how many people might be inside.
The sound of heavy breathing met his ears and he briefly wondered if the thieves were trying to move something large but then his brain made the proper connection. The heavy breathing was because someone was having sex in the garage, in his car! For but a moment he wondered if the participants were finding it any more comfortable than he and Amanda had ... His hand withdrew from his gun and he looked inside the garage. The ‘vette was rocking and in the dim light he could just make out the silhouette of two heads, one of which looked surprisingly like Phillip's.
His jaw clenched and he closed his eyes searching for some self-control. Phillip was seventeen, for heaven's sake! Then a voice in his head reminded him that the boy was almost eighteen and going away to college in a few months. He'd likely be having sex once he was there and it wasn't as if Lee hadn't sown more than his own fair share of wild oats, starting a lot sooner than Phillip but still...
Lee flicked on the garage lights and banged on the back of the ‘vette. Inside the car, the two heads jerked and froze. "Phillip! I'm stepping out of the garage and I'll be waiting for you in the gazebo. You and your friend make yourselves decent and meet me there in three minutes or there'll be hell to pay."
Walking into the backyard, Lee rapidly ran through possible scenarios for the upcoming conversation. Briefly he wished Amanda was with him and even considered getting her but quickly abandoned the idea. This wasn't going to be a comfortable situation and having Amanda there would probably make it even more difficult. Ruefully he began to appreciate his uncle and all the man had put up with while raising him. Lee readily acknowledged he'd been wild and unruly, purposefully going out of his way to push his uncle's buttons.
This was almost a case of déjà vu except that Lee had been sixteen and his uncle had caught him in the motor pool with the General's daughter. Lee recalled how embarrassed he'd felt and how he'd hid that feeling with a surly attitude. His uncle had lectured him on women, condoms, respect...It had seemed to go on for hours and after the first five minutes he'd basically tuned out.
Leaning against the gazebo, Lee knew he didn't want Phillip to tune him out. He'd have to make this short and sweet but how? He wanted the boy to think responsibly, to use a condom and make sure the girl was on birth-control. More than that, he hoped he could convey to the boy that while sex was great it could also become a trap that led you from one shallow meaningless relationship to the next, always looking for the next thrill, the next girl you could use to get it off...
The sound of approaching footsteps had Lee standing up straighter. He rubbed the back of his neck, took a deep breath and turned to face his son.