Light and Shadow, Part 4

Dean Reynolds salvages his date with Jeannie Dub-Dub by means of spindly furniture and an apple tart. More backstory of Mal's parents.

To entertain you while I keep working on the next story in my continuing series...because, yes, it is coming along, thank you very much for asking. I'm working on revisions based on comments from my beta readers.

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That was the low point, the absolute nadir—date didn’t get no worse than wishing the earth would split open and swallow you whole while the girl you wanted to impress laughed at you ’til her eyes streamed. He managed to get himself and his guest into the house without saying anything stupider than what he’d already said (mainly by virtue of keeping silent—that, and, he’d already said the stupidest things imaginable); and she managed to get a-hold of herself and rein it in to smiles and snickers by the time they reached the parlor.

Praise be to God, and thank Heaven for Mrs MacEachern, he thought, as they entered the room. He promised himself right then and there that he would get down on his knees and thank the Lord properly for sending Mrs MacEachern his way, soon as—well, soon as gettin’ down on his knee wouldn’t just get him into more trouble with his visitor. For Mrs MacEachern, clearly catching on to her employer’s anxiety to do right by his guest, had outdone herself. The parlor was spotless, shiny, and most of all civilized. Coffeepot and teapot stood at the ready, and plates of the finest delicacies Shadow had to offer, were all laid out on that spindly little parlor table that had been his ma’s pride and joy. He’d never before comprehended the why of that ridiculous piece of furniture, but like a revelation it suddenly struck him that its purpose was to give women-folk an impression of civility, propriety, and high-breedin’. Mrs MacEachern had understood what it was for, and placed it front and center.

Seemed to work on Miss Jeannie Dub-Dub. “Oh my, Dean!