Tuesday, July 26

7:10 pm
Terrace

I love this city.  Beautiful, laid-back, and vibrant all at the same time.  The art, the culture, the food, the wine... all wonderful.

Can't wait to share it with Cate.  Two more sleeps then she's here.  Then there won't be much sleeping at all, heh heh.

Had one of those great, relaxing, lazy days today.  Went out for a run, came back and hung by the pool for awhile, read, talked to my Kids.  I was basically a Bum, Ha ha.  Didn't even bother to shave.

Spent a lot of time on the phone with Jess.  He was chatty today, in a good mood.  He's got a date tonight.  With MY Girl.  WTF is up with that?  Old Man goes away for work and the Kid moves in on my Wife, ha ha.

Naw, I think it's awesome what Jess and Cate are doing tonight.  She told me about it Sunday when we talked, that Jesse asked her to teach him how to make a special dish so he could cook up a romantic dinner for Bridget before she has to go off to college.

That's my Renaissance Man -- football camp by day, cooking lessons by night,  ha ha.

Cate's taking off work a little early and she and Jess are going to the Italian market, then she's gonna teach him how to make her Chicken Saltimbocca recipe.  My favorite, with the fresh angel hair pasta and arugula salad.  Yum.  And here I sit in Spain, drooling over Italian food.  Ha ha.

When Jess asked me what I thought Bridget would think about him doing something "kinda girly" for her, I didn't know quite what he meant.  But when I heard his plan, I actually almost patted myself on the back.  My Son is a GENIUS when it comes to romance, ha ha.  I was nowhere near that savvy when it came to Girls back in The Day.  I basically showed off on stage, bought 'em wine coolers, then begged and whined and sweet-talked until they let me in their pants.

But Jess... the Kid is good.  And the best thing is that he's sincere.  He wants to do something romantic for his Girl because he's head over heels for her, and he wants to treat her like a Lady.  That's what really makes me proud, though I gotta admit I can't take much of the credit.  Dorothea has really raised Jess to be a young Gentleman.

When he's not being a bonehead, anyway.

So my chat with Jess today was also the first chance I've had to get the details on the Big Date; when I called Sunday he was over at Bridget's place for dinner.  He got to officially meet the parents, ha ha.  Not like he didn't already know who they are from Steph's and Bridget's school activities.

Still, it's a Big Deal being invited to have dinner with your Girl's family.  Hope he passed the Shotgun Test, ha ha.  Knowing Jess he was suave and charming.  Probably had Bridget's Mom eating out of the palm of his hand.  The Kid's got my genes, after all.  Ha ha.  I was always able to charm the Mamas.  They always thought I was a nice Catholic boy, even with my long hair and my tight pants.  I was a good actor, even back then.

Jesse said the whole weekend was great, he had a nice time at Bridget's house.  But he didn't want to talk much about that.  He was obviously over the moon, but not because he got to Meet the Parents.

The Birthday Date was perfect.  The show was fantastic, the dinner was wonderful.  And Bridget loved the ring.  She cried.  Because she was happy, not because Jess did something stupid, ha ha.

I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying what I was really thinking when Jess told me Bridget cried.  Oh Shit.  You didn't say "I Love You"  did you?  I mean, I'm all for love.  It's the most powerful emotion on Earth.  But when a 16-year-old guy tells an 18-year-old girl he loves her, or vice versa, that's pretty much the pinnacle of the relationship.  Things usually go downhill from there.

Well, I didn't ask and Jess didn't offer.  But I get the feeling there were no declarations of undying devotion, no Romeo and Juliet pacts.  Just a whole lot of kissin' and squeezin' and feelin' up, Ha ha.

And then Jess told me something that shocked the Hell out of me.  He and Bridget still haven't had sex... and she's a virgin.

How can that be?  She's 18, heading off to college, and she's never.....

Wait, she's the same age as Steph.  And I'm positive my Princess' virtue is still intact.  At least that's what I choose to believe.  I refuse to consider other options, even with Brendan the full-time boyfriend in the picture.

I like Bridget a lot, but watching that girl operate I would never have thought she was anything but... Experienced, I guess is the word.  She's so self-confident and together and calm for a teenager.  She carries herself with such composure, but with this kinda worldly self-assuredness.  The girl just oozes sex appeal.

I feel like a Dirty Old Man writing that.  But she does.  Bridget is sexier than girls in their 20's.  Hell, than women twice her age.  It's because she's got all the B's --  Brains, Balls, and Beauty.  It's easy to see why Jess is totally under her spell.  Hell, if I was younger I would be too.  I think I am now, a little.  Ha ha.

I guess it's not hard to see why I like her.  Bridget reminds me of how Dorothea was back when we were kids.  And of how I imagine Cate must have been.  I've always been a sucker for strong women, and I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

There's something a little Oedipal about that, ain't there?  Ha ha.

So this Girl, who has kept her chastity through 13 years of school and Lord  knows how many suitors and boyfriends, has eyes only for my Son.  He took her on a romantic birthday date, he met her parents.  She's wearing his ring.  She's heading off to Princeton in less than a month.  Jesse's asked his Stepmama to teach him to make Bridget a special dish.

It don't take a Rocket Scientist to see where this is going.

And I feel like I need to help Jess along.  Despite my earlier decree, and despite the fact that I know Dorothea will probably chew my ass if she finds out about this.  But I did it anyway.

I asked Jess when he was planning to cook for Miss Bridget.  He kinda hemmed and hawed around, then said maybe this weekend or next.  He wasn't sure where he was going to do it, now that Dorothea's changed her plans with Ted. (Which was news to me since D hasn't bothered to call me and tell me that yet).

Apparently Jess was hoping when the Chuckles were out in the Hamptons with me and his Mama was out of town he'd have the house to himself for an evening.  But now that plans have changed, he may have to play Emeril for Bridget at her folks' place.  He was a little nervous about that, which I get.

After all, it ain't easy being romantic when Daddy's in the next room, ha ha.

I felt bad for the Kid.  So I caved.  I told him I'd have to check with Cate first to be sure she's okay with it, and that he couldn't dime me out to his Mother, but it was okay with me if he wanted to have his romantic date at my place, since it will be empty the next couple weeks.  I could hear the relief in his voice when he thanked me and called me Awesome.

I am Awesome, ha ha.  But that's not why I told Jess he could use the apartment, to be a Cool Dad.  It's because I understand how hard it is when you're about to be apart from the Girl that is the center of your whole world.  You want to make every moment special, to hang on to it all.  And you want to share it in that intense, intimate way that only two kids in love can.

And you can't do that when you constantly have people around.  I don't just mean sexually, though I have a feeling that's what's gonna happen with Jess and Bridget.  I just mean privately.

And if they decide Jess is gonna be Bridget's first, I don't want them to have to fumble around in a backseat or under a pier somewhere, where it's uncomfortable and rushed and not-so-romantic and maybe not even safe.  Don't get me wrong -- I have great memories from under the boardwalk and in the backseat of my old beat-up ride.  But those are from  a different time.

I guess it's me really being The Dad when I realize I want Jess -- both of those kids -- to be safe first and foremost.  And if that means looking the other way from my previous edict that there would be more no Gettin' It On under my roof... well, I'm okay with that.

I told Jess to be smart, be discrete, and that I expect him to respect our home.  No parties, no other guests.  Only Bridget.  And I'm pretty sure he got the subliminal message in my Dad-lecture tone that my and Cate's bedroom is off-limits, ha ha.  At least I hope so.

I know Cate will understand and agree with me when I tell her about my deal with Jess, especially about me wanting them to be safe.  She may not be a biological parent yet, but she gets my Kids.  She and Jess seem to have a special bond, one that's a little different from what she shares with Steph or the Little Guys.  I know that's why Jess asked her to teach him to cook instead of Dorothea.

Well, that and Cate's a much better cook than Dorothea ever was or will be, ha ha.

So, tonight during our Skype date I'll bring Cate up to speed on my conversation with Jess, and she can tell me how the cooking lesson went.  Then we'll have a little dessert together of our own.