The Maturation of Vinnie Pt. 01

"Sorry ... I'll see you next week." she smiled vaguely and then turned toward her car.

I stood there disappointed and I wondered what it would take to break through that hard shell she wore. I wondered as well what had caused her to build it in the first place. It watched her drive away and I finally turned and headed for my truck.

Chapter Three:

I'm not used to rejection from women and so I looked at Dana McNabb as a personal challenge. I wasn't even sure if I liked her, but the challenge was so obvious that I couldn't resist. I had to be careful though. I didn't want to upset her to the point that she'd quit or sink further back into her protective armor. It was a problem that I had no experience solving and I needed some advice. The problem was, I couldn't think of who would be qualified to give me advice. Certainly not Tom. You could count the number of women he dated on one hand and I couldn't be sure he wasn't a virgin when he got married. Probably not, but I couldn't be sure.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the most likely source of good advice would be another woman. Now Tom's wife Jenny might be a possibility. She certainly brought him out of his shell and I got the impression she was a bit of a hidden hottie. You wouldn't know it to meet her, but sometimes ... well ... you never can tell. So, with that in mind, I thought I would approach Jenny about my problem with Dana.

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Jenny would give me some tips on how to get through to Dana and I'd be grateful. Simple, right? Well, maybe not. Jenny, as it turns out, wasn't thrilled with the idea and wasn't sure she could help even if she wanted to. I guess my reputation from the old days put me in a bad light and even though I was past that now (which I wanted people to believe), she was skeptical about my motives. After a bit of straight talk, she admitted she wasn't really the right person to give me advice. She was never part of the regular singles scene and she couldn't relate to Dana because she hadn't met her. She suggested I look for someone who knows her better.

Stymied, I thought. I needed a contact from her past; someone who could tell me about her. When I thought about it, I had to admit I was becoming a bit obsessed by her. That had never happened before. In the past, any serious rejection was a reason to move on to someone else and not waste a lot of my valuable time. Dana was different. I had the feeling she was worth the effort. I also had the feeling it was time I started to get serious about my relationships with women. Maybe one led to the other, but whatever the reason, if I was going to get serious about one particular woman, it had better be worth it. Dana McNabb, as far as I could tell, was worth it.

I happened to mention my interest to Tom in a casual sort of way and he suggested I talk to some of the people she worked with. After all, if you were checking references, you wouldn't think twice about calling previous employers or associates, so why be shy about check up on her personal information with the same people. After all, what was the worst that could happen? I found out.

"Would you please explain to me what the hell you were doing asking questions about me with Brad Collins?" Dana demanded in a loud and obviously irritated voice.

Oh shit! Busted! Collins had told her about my call. Maybe I wasn't subtle enough and it made him nervous. Whatever ... I was up shit creek without a paddle.

"Ah ... just doing a background check." It was almost a question to see if she'd believe it.

"After I'd already been hired and working here for almost two months?" she demanded.

"Uh ... well ... I just thought I'd get some more ... uh ... background." I still must have sounded pretty weak.

"Bullshit!" she spat. "What is it you want to know?" She had one of those commanding voices that didn't allow for any mushy answers.

Now, I've got to tell you that I'm not used to being intimidated by women. It hadn't happened until Dana came along and to tell the truth, I didn't know how to handle it. I guess we all react differently to unexpected events and I certainly reacted differently.

"Look, Dana. I'm tired of beating around the bush. I'm interested in you. I don't give a damn about your "no dating" policy. I have no idea what your problem with personal relationships is and I was trying to find out. There was nothing underhanded or illegal or immoral about it. I just wanted to know. Understood?"

I guess I put myself across pretty forcefully because she had a bit of a startled look on her face. She stared at me for a bit and then looked away.

"Why do you need to know?" she finally asked in a quiet voice.

"Curiosity." I had begun to calm down a bit and realized I was really interested in her answer. "I find you an interesting woman and I want to know more about you. You're smart, good looking and very self confident. What red-blooded heterosexual male wouldn't be interested in you?" I suggested.

She looked at me carefully with her gray-green eyes and finally said: "I'm entitled to my privacy. I don't feel like I have to tell you or anyone else about myself unless it affects the job and as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't affect the job." The statement was even and without any hint of anger or pain. It was just a statement.

"OK ... I'm out of order ... I know. I won't bother you again about it." I said just as evenly. "But it doesn't mean I'm not curious." I finished with a smile.

She looked back at me without expression for a moment and then I saw the faintest hint of a smile.

"You aren't what I expected, Mr. Blanton. You're not what I was led to believe." Again, that even, controlled voice.

"Ah ... I see ... my reputation ... I should have guessed." I grinned. "Well ... people change." I said and left it at that. "Oh, by the way, my name is Vincent, but my friends call me Vinnie. I'll leave it up to you to decide which you prefer." With that I turned and headed for my truck.

Chapter Four:

I'm not the kind of guy that gives up easily. If I'm interested in something, I usually stick with it until I'm satisfied I've got as far as I can go. With Dana, it was different. First of all, she was occupying my thoughts far more than I expected. I kept thinking about how I could find out more about her. What was her secret? The most obvious conclusion was that she'd been burned by some guy and she was just protecting herself from getting hurt again. That was the most obvious conclusion. I had a hard time coming up with other reasons.

I told you early on that I just scraped by in High School and never went any further with my education. That doesn't mean I wasn't smart enough. It means I just didn't care. When I look back now, I wish I had cared. Anyway, my point is that I'm not dumb. My reasoning skills were tested years ago and they were in the "fourth quartile", whatever that means. I could read plans and do calculations and estimates for my jobs with no problem because it was important to me. I guess that comes under the heading of motivation.

Having convinced myself that I have at least reasonable intelligence, I continued to wonder and try and think of ways I could get to the bottom of Dana McNabb. Well, to be truthful, I wanted to get to the bottom, the top and all the parts in between. I mean, I may be partly reformed, but not yet completely reformed. She was a stone cold fox and smart to boot; the perfect ingredients for the "New Vinnie" as I liked to think of myself.

I gotta tell you about my Mom. Ever since Tom got married, she's been nagging me about finding "someone" and getting married. Now, she makes it sound like any old girl will do, but I know better. She thinks the sun shines out of Jenny's ass; especially since she and Tom have produced twins. Jenny has a daughter Nikki from her first marriage and she's going to be a real beauty. She'll be a teenager in a couple of years and I can already see the worried look on Tom's face. He thinks he knows what's coming. Hah!

If it sounds like I'm a bit jealous of Tom and Jenny now and then, it's true. I never met two people who were so perfect for each other. The way they talk, I think they figured that out about thirty seconds after they met. It's like they were almost brother and sister without the fighting. I guess the jealous part is they have what I want; that perfect match.

Anyway, I know any girl I get serious with is going to have to pass the "Mom Test" and so I have to think about that as well as making sure I'm happy too. The worst thing that could possibly happen in our family would be a failed marriage. I don't have to worry about Dad; if it's OK with Mom, it's OK with him. He may have had a stroke and have trouble talking and getting around, but there's nothing wrong with his mind. Now there's another perfect couple!

It never dawned on me to talk to Mom about Dana until one night I was thinking about all the changes in our family since Tom got married. It's like we turned the place upside down. Dad was only sixty when he had his stoke and he can live a long time if he sticks to his diet and gets some exercise. As long as Mom's around, he'll be on the straight and narrow, that's for sure. Anyway, Mom's always been a good thinker and she been very supportive of me; particularly when I was going through those bad times. The more I thought about it, more I figured I had nothing to lose.

"Mom ... I need some advice." I began one Sunday evening after dinner and I was helping her with the dishes. Tom and Jenny, Dad and the kids were in the Family Room so we were alone. She looked over at me and had a funny look on her face.

"What?" I asked.

"I don't ever remember you asking me for advice Vincent." She always called me Vincent when she was serious.

"Well ... there's always a first time. I need some advice about a girl ... a woman I mean." I started hesitantly.

"Hah! I knew it!" she said with a triumphant look on her face. "So what kind of trouble are you in?" she asked quietly.

"No Ma ... those days are gone. This is different. This is someone I'm ... interested in ... you know ... I want to get to know her." I continued in my uncertain way.

"You, Vinnie? You don't know what to do? This must be different." She was giving me her undivided attention now.

"Well there's this girl ... woman ... and she's really hard to get to know. I mean, she won't talk about herself and she won't give me a chance to get to know her. She's got some kind of secret or past that makes her really careful or even afraid of getting involved with any guy."

"How old is she?" Mom asked. She had her 'Mom radar' locked on.

"I dunno ... about my age, maybe a year or two younger."

Mom didn't say anything for a minute or so as we continued to dry the dishes.

"Maybe she's not right for you." she offered.

"Maybe ... but I'd sure like to get the chance to find out."

"So, what makes her special?"

"Well, she's very good looking, but she's also smart and she's very ... I dunno ... self confident I guess."

"Is this the girl ... I mean the woman ... you hired to do your books?" Mom asked.

"Yah ... she was the best candidate by far and so far she's been doing a great job." I stated.

"Tom told me about her. He was impressed with her too. He said he thought you'd be interested in her." she laughed.

"Well, I haven't gotten very far. She just isn't interested and I'm trying to figure out if it's me or if she just doesn't like or trust guys."

We continued to finish up the dinner dishes and I hadn't heard any encouraging ideas from Mom to this point. Maybe she was as baffled as I was. Or, then again, maybe not.

"Our annual barbeque is coming up in a couple of weeks. Your people will be invited and I'll make sure she's invited too. The invitation won't come from you ... it'll come from me." She had that way of ending all debate.

I looked at my Mom and I could almost hear the wheels turning. She had a plan and it looked like she was going to step into to see what she could do. I had to smile. I might have known. She couldn't resist. There was only one thing to say.

"Thanks, Mom.

She looked at me kind of sideways and smiled and said: "You're welcome."

Chapter Five:

Mom and Dad always had a Spring Barbeque; or at least as long as I could remember. When the company was small, it was only a few people, but now with three crews on Tom's side and my guys, we had almost fifty people invited to the party. I wish I could tell you about all the conversations that were going on, but I can't. I know Tom talked to Dana for a while and then I saw Jenny and Mom talking to her and they all seemed to be having a good time. I was really happy about that and I figured maybe at last she would loosen up a bit. A couple of my guys had a few more beers than they should have, but we made sure they got home without doing anything stupid like trying to drive.

It was a nice sunny day in May and everyone was having a good time. After a while, the crowd kind of thinned out and I could see that Dana was still there, talking to my Dad of all people. I was beginning to get a good feeling about her, but I decided I'd keep my distance until I got the official report from Mom. I'd said Hi to her when I first saw her and thanked her for coming and that was about it. I didn't want her to feel I was crowding her again and besides, I knew Mom had some sort of plan.

I was sitting on the edge of a brick planter wall, sipping on a beer when Dana sidled up to me.

"You've been avoiding me." she said right out of the blue.

She did it again. Caught me with something I was not expecting.

"No ... no ... not really. Just giving you some space." At least I didn't sound like an idiot.

"Your mother isn't shy, is she?" she smiled.

"No ... Mom's never been accused of that." I answered with a grin. "What makes you say that?" I said, hoping she would tell me.

"I was getting the third degree. I gather she's your scout for a prospective wife." she laughed.

I started to choke on my last gulp of beer. I must have turned red and I nearly snorted the beer out my nose. Shit ... this woman was causing me all kinds of problems with my self control. She could have me scrambling without even trying.

"Uh ... that's Mom for you. She has a mission in life ... and I'm it." I scrambled.

"Yah ... I thought so. Mom's are like that." She was still smiling and she looked like she was actually having fun making me squirm.

"That smile looks good on you." I offered as I began to feel a tiny bit more confident.

"I'm not always in work-mode, you know." she shot back.

"Is it just work-mode that makes you so serious?" I said with genuine curiosity.

That seemed to stop her for a moment and she had a thoughtful look on her face.

"Is that what you see ...that I'm always serious?" she asked lightly.

"Well ... I do remember you having a good laugh at my expense a while ago." I laughed.

"Yah ... Mount St. Helens ... I remember." she laughed again. "How's the anger management coming along?"

"Don't ask me ... ask the guys." I was smiling again. We were having a pleasant and fun conversation despite some of the awkward moments.

"You can't be that bad ... they seem to like working for you." she said with a sly grin.

"That's good to know. I hate trying to be someone I'm not." I said seriously.

"You're not who I thought you were." she said in an unguarded moment.

I looked at her carefully. I wasn't sure, but we had made some progress in our relationship; if that's what you could call it.

"Can I take that as a mild compliment?"

"If you like. I just wanted you to know I enjoyed today and I like working for you. After an awkward start, you've been a perfect gentleman." She was smiling again and it was beginning to get to me ... but not in a good way. It was like she had some secret or some special knowledge and she was laughing at me because I didn't know what was going on. I decide to continue to be the "perfect gentleman".

"Thanks. I'm glad you're happy with your job. You're a big help to me and I appreciate it." I meant what I said, but it wasn't what I really wanted to say.

"Your parents have a lovely home." she said conversationally.

"Yah ... Dad found it. It was in bad shape and he made it into this. It was how he got started in the renovation business." I said.

"Your Dad is a really nice guy. So is your brother Tom. You're lucky to have a close family like you have." she said sincerely.

"Yah ... yah ... lucky." I was becoming a bit curious about this line of conversation. I seemed like it might be leading somewhere, but I had no idea where "somewhere" was. I'm usually quick to fire back one liners and stay in a conversation, but for some reason I thought it might be smart if I just shut up and see where this was all going. Every once in a while, I get smart.

"It's something I haven't had ... at least not for a long while." she said absently.

It took all the willpower I had to just nod and not say anything.

"My parents divorced when I was twelve. My Mom raised me. We became almost like sisters ... sort of." She wasn't looking at me. She was speaking to the shrub beside her and she seemed to be lost in her thoughts. I continued to pay close attention but said nothing.

She turned and looked straight at me ... straight into my eyes. I had never seen that look in a woman before. There was a searching going on. She was looking for something ... or maybe ... someone. It was spooky. I didn't know what to do or say ... so I said and did nothing. I just locked onto those eyes and stayed with them.

"You surprise me Vinnie. You're a good listener."

"It's a new thing for me."

"When did it start?"

"Five minutes ago."

She laughed and her hand touched my arm and it was like an electric current passing between us. That was another new thing for me.

"You keep surprising me Vinnie."

"Oh ... how's that?"

"I didn't take you seriously at first. I thought you were some spoiled kid with a business that was just given to you. I've been watching you. You work hard. You're good at what you do. It's a good business." She said it all as if it was just a statement of fact. No emotion and yet there was some admiration as well. I decided to take a chance.

"I didn't ever think I'd get your approval."

"You just had to earn it." she popped back almost before I'd finished.

"So ... does the no dating rule still apply?" I gambled.

"I don't know. We'll see. Don't be too anxious. I need to ... never mind. Just be patient."

She had been on the brink of telling me something and then she held back. I took a deep breath.

"OK ... I'll be patient." We had come a long way in an afternoon. I began to wonder what Mom or Dad or Jenny had found out about her. Just the same ... we had come a long way.

Sometime after everyone had left and I was helping Mom, Jenny and Tom clean up the Patio and put away the leftovers, I got a chance to talk about the party.

"That was another great barbeque Mom and Dad. Everyone had a great time." Not the most original start, but at least it got Mom's attention.

"She's a nice lady, Vincent. I like her. You could do worse." she said almost absently.

"I could do worse? That doesn't exactly sound like the good housekeeping seal of approval." I said with some disappointment.

"It's just an expression. I liked her. She's very ... mature. She would be good for you."

"Bran Flakes and fresh fruit are good for me. You don't sound very enthusiastic." Now I was downright uncomfortable.

"She has a secret. One she can't let go of. This isn't going to be easy, Vincent. You may not like what you discover ... that is ... if you discover it."

"You're going to have to be patient and just let her come to you." It was Jenny. She had walked into the kitchen as we stacked the dishes and glasses in the dishwasher.