Page 79 of Rigid

“That’s a bad idea, Richard.”

Sandy, who had spent the entire time listening, but acting like she wasn’t, lowered her book and began to outwardly pay attention.

Richard did little to hide his disappointment. “Why uhhm. Why is it a bad idea?”

“The movie isn’t a good place to get to know someone. Might be good for a third date, but not the first. Hell, you sit for two hours and stare at the screen, and then when it’s over, you don’t know one single thing about what she likes, doesn’t like, or what her taste in music is. If it were me, I’d take her for a cup of coffee, get to know her, and then take her out to the pier to watch the sunset.”

He nodded. “Sounds like fun.”

Sandy grinned, tilted her book toward her face, and appeared to begin reading again.

I locked eyes with my daughter’s potential date. “Let me explain something to you, Richard.”

He sat up straight and held my gaze. “Yes, Sir?”

“I’ve raised that girl since the day she was born. She’s a good girl, and by the grace of God, she’s never been hurt. No broken limbs, no fractures, no operations, nothing. She’s never been hurt by a boy for that matter, either. Until now, her only concern has been her schoolwork. I’m protective of her, Richard.”

I leaned forward and rested my forearms on my thighs. “Very protective. If I let you take her out, you and I must reach an agreement first.”

He swallowed hard. “Okay.”

“Whatever you do to her, with her, or for her, I want you to stop and think about it before you do it. Ask yourself this: If Mr. Wallace found out exactly what I did, would he be a happy man, or would he be an angry man. If the answer is angry, I want you to reconsider doing it. If the answer is happy, proceed, but with caution. Is that understood?”

He sighed. “Yes, Sir.”

“Don’t make me angry, Richard. No one here wants that, especially you.”

“I won’t, Sir.”

“You’re aware she’s taken 12 years of Taekwondo, aren’t you?”

“I’m aware. Yes, Sir.”

“You don’t want to make her mad either,” I said.

“I won’t disappoint either of you.”

I stood and extended my hand.

He stood, grinned, and shook my hand. “Thank you, Sir.”

“That’s it?” P-Nut asked.

I turned up my palms. “That’s it.”

“Bullshit,” P-Nut said.

Before I could object, he came around the corner of the loveseat and shot Richard a laser sharp glare. “Sit down!”

Richard fell into the seat as if he’d been shot.

P-Nut folded his arms across his chest, lowered his chin, and looked down his nose at the kid. “I’m her fucking uncle,” he said through his teeth. “Wanna guess what they call me?”

Richard’s Adam’s apple rose, and then fell. An inaudible what puffed from his lips.

“P-Nut. The ‘P’ is for Percy, and the ‘Nut’ is because I’m fucking nuts. You so much as touch that girl inappropriately, and I hear about it? If you even kiss her on the porch, you’re fucked, son. You don’t want to piss me off, cause if you do…” He tilted his head toward me. “He’ll be the least of your worries. Catch my drift?”

Richard nodded. “Yes, Sir.”