Idioms..sayings understood by native speakers part ten

Rick stood outside the tiny house in a bad neighborhood. Things here have gone downhill in the last four years he thought. He sighed. What in the world is my dad thinking? Then he paused, his heart skipped a beat. Is that old man thinking about Grandchildren? Rick lowered his hand and stepped back.  No, grandchildren?  Not from me... what can that old man be up to?

"I would have never took you for a coward, Rick." Came a familiar voice behind him. Carl reached in front and knocked.

The door opened to a smiling beautiful blond. Carl held up a sack. "Mission accomplished, Ma'am."

Jenny laughed, "Come on in. We are going to have a load of fun tonight." Then she added, "Ah, Mr. Fox. Come in."

"The name is Matthews, Rick Matthews..." the man muttered to no one as the two had already headed to the kitchen of the tiny house.

Clearing his throat, Rick asked, "Miss Johnson?"

"Oh, she will be out in a minute. Charlie, why don't you show this guy around."

Charlie peaked around Jenny's shoulder at the strange looking man with black and white hair. "Don't want to."

"Why?"

"Because he looks funny... like a skunk. A skunk with a fat lip."

Rick laughed. "Ah, Charlie, I was born this way."

"With a fat lip?"

"Ah, no. Not exactly."

Carl spoke up. "Charlie, Rick walked into a door. A very big door."

"Oh."

Rick stiffened a little. "Not that big of a door. How is your gut, Carl? I heard a two by four hit you there." Then realizing what he said, he recovered, or at least tried to.

Rick held out his hand. "My name is Rick. Your sister works for me."

Charlie doubtfully shook this man's hand. "Li Li works for Carl."

"And Carl works for me soooo your sister also works for me."

"Oh." Confused, Charlie sat down.

Lynn emerged from her room, her hair pulled up in a bun with tendrils of hair floating to soften the look. Her blue sweater offset the yellow dress to a tee. Carl grinned.

"That dress I got you really sets off your eyes, Lynn."

Blushing, she turned to face her escort and boss, who looked rather sour.

 "Ready?" was all he got out.

Noting his lip, Lynn's eyes flew open. "What happened to you?"

Charlie spoke up. "A big door hit him. Li Li, do doors hit people?"

Lynn turned to Charlie and smiled. "Charlie, doors don't hit on purpose, people run into them."

Rick opened the door for Lynn. Charlie sprung up and held onto Lynn. "Be careful."

"Of what, silly?"

"That door."

Lynn just shook her head and gave Charlie a big hug. Then gave him the mother's list of dos and don'ts.

"Don't give anyone trouble. Do what you are told. Jenny and Carl have my number if there is a problem. Little Engine is all ready when you go to sleep. Okay?"

Lynn then walked in front of her boss. So solemn was her face, Rick stated. "Hey, cheer up. You are not going to your execution."

Lynn sighed, "Easy for you to say, Mr. Matthews. I will be on your home turf."

Rick narrowed his eyes a little at that, as he held the door open to his sedan.

Driving quietly towards town, he felt like a teenager on a blind date. Why would she wear the dress that Carl bought her? The more he thought about it, the more it just plain irritated him.

Turning left he parked in front of a fancy department store that Lynn had only window shopped at.

"Come on." He held the door open.

"What?"

"I don't like that dress. It is not your style."

"As if you know my style...."  but Lynn swallowed the rest of her words as  Rick grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her inside the store. Walking straight back to the women's section, he took  a soft flowing dark navy dress. "Here. Try this on."

"Don't want to."

"You know, having dinner with the Chairman will help your career, right?"

Lynn took in a sharp breath. "Fine."

The dress, demure and simple, fit Lynn to a tee.

Rick leaned against the counter as Lynn emerged. Her sweater looked like it was made for the dress. Rick smiled, the color brought out the highlights of her hair, and made her eyes appear darker than before.giving the woman in front of him a more mysterious look than the flower theme she had on before.

"Perfect. We will take this. She will wear it." Handing over his credit card, Lynn gasped as the register rang up $200.00.

"Er, Mr. Matthews.... this is too much."

"Tell you what, for the rest of evening just call me Rick, and then we will call it even."

The two headed out in silence.... Rick thought back. Eight years he watched this woman. The first four years he had turned her down for promotions because she needed seasoning, or at least that was what he told himself. Then when he found out that she had lost her mother, he found himself at the funeral home that night to pay his respects and there was her brother rocking in a corner surrounded by Lynn and Jenny. He left. That was the night he realized she could never be able to put in managerial hours. He even found one of Allan's old nannies to become Lynn's babysitter when he saw her ad to be kept on the QT. so that she could return to her job. The proposal that she had kept offering was placed into the research department, and the rest had brought them to this point. Now he was blowing it. Really blowing it.

"Um..er.. Rick. I am really nervous."

Not as nervous as I am. "Just be yourself, Lynn. You have never disappointed me before."

"Well, if that is the case, why haven't I gotten that promotion?"

"It certainly took you long enough to ask." He sighed. God help me. I am starting to break a sweat. He then added, "Lynn, do you know what kind of hours managers are expected to put in?" Rick hit his turn signal. "Sometimes seventy, eighty hours a week. Do you have that kind of time to be away from your brother?"

"Oh. So I am beating a dead horse." Her face fell. Then she asked, "Rick, how do you know about my brother?"

Rick sat at the light that had long since turned green. Honking horns brought him out of his trance. "I saw him. with you."

"Where?"

"At the funeral home."

"You came to my mom's funeral?"

"Don't make it all that, I left when I saw you were so busy with him."

"So all those failed promotions?"

"Lynn, you have the ability to be a manager. You just seemed to be content to do your job and take care of your brother. I did not want to mess that up." he paused. "You are very critical to your department, you know."

"Oh."

"And by the way, how much do you think a manager earns his first year out?"

"I don't know."

"Forty thousand dollars." As he turned up the narrow road, then, hit a button as  two metal gates  opened slowly.

"Only forty?"

"And how much are you making?"

"Um, So I make more than my boss?"

"Yup. And worth every penny of it." He pulled up in front of a mansion. Dad was all about show, just as his brother AJ was always about being right. Grandfather was a mystery to all of them. 'here we are."'

---

Charlie was giggling as he squashed the dough with his fingers.

"Okay, Charlie, now we need to add the chips."

"No."

"why not?"

"It is like whitey."

"Okay. We will do this." Jenny grabbed another bowl and split the dough. "Charlie's cookies and our cookies. Okay?"

Carl leaned against the sink watching the repartee between the two.

"Charlie, how long have you known Jenny?"

"Don't know."

"Do you like Jenny?"

"Jenny is my friend."

"That's right, Charlie. I have known you since Lynn and I were in middle school together."

"Okay, Carl. Hand over those cookie sheets you were washing down."

---

Rick got out of the car and opened the door. Lynn carefully got out. He closed the door, but did not move.

"What?"

"Turn around."

"What?"

"Do what your boss asks."

Lynn with a look a confusion across her face turned her back to him. She felt something very light lay across her neck as she felt the rough fingers of her boss fumbling with the clasp and muttering curses under his breath.

Lynn turned. Rick looked at the necklace. "Good." he offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

The door opened by a butler who led the couple to a spacious entry. Lynn glanced around the room. Portraits, wall hangings, Chandeliers... Her mouth dropped. "Rick, did you grow up here?"

"No." came the surprise answer.

"So...where did..."

"Hellooooo. Welcome to my humble home." The Chairman strode proudly into the room. "Come in... Come in. Rick keeps things to himself.... and you, " as the older man, with more salt than pepper in his hair and finely trimmed beard, took Lynn by the hand and placing it in his arm."are the best kept secret at the company."

"Father.... what is this about?"

"I just wanted to have a chat with this young lady." He brazenly winked at his son. "You can run along now." As he started to drag Lynn away, she tripped a little. What was this guy up to?

"Um, Dad, about those secrets you accuse me of having?"

The man turned with a raised eyebrow, Lynn in tow. The look of terror in her eyes made Rick act.

"I would appreciate you taking your hands off of my girlfriend." Rick grabbed the surprised woman's hand and pulled her towards him into a hug and kissed her soundly. Lynn's eyes looked like a deer caught in headlights, as Rick, shut his tight against the pain. Damn. That hurt, remembering his fat lip a little too late.

to be continued.