Idioms...sayings understood by native speakers part thirty nine

Lynn got up at the crack of dawn to the sound of Charlie's cowbell. She went into the kitchen and grabbed the coffee to make it, smiling at Rick's drunken confession last night. Shaking her head, she just could not stop. As Charlie emerged from the bathroom, he noticed the two men sleeping on the hideaway in the living room. He walked to Lynn in the kitchen.

"Li Li, is that Wick and Uncle Carl?"

"Yes, Charlie."

"Goody. They stayed here last night?"

"Yup."

"Can I wake them up?"

"Um, Charlie, they went to sleep really late. Let's give them a little more sleep time. Kay?"

"Ahhhhh."

"No, honey, we really need to let them rest. But what do you want for breakfast?"

"Pamcakes."

"And would that be blueberry ones?"

"Yes. Oh, yes."

"Fine." Lynn paused, still smiling at last night. "Um, Charlie, I have a secret to tell you."

"Really?"

"Uh huh... Charlie has a job. You are going to work for Carl."

"A job?" Charlie smoothed his pajamas a little and then said, "What kind of job?"

"Oh, you are going to play with toys and tell them whether you like them or not. If you don't like them, you must tell the truth about why you don't like them. Can you do that?"

"Like when Carl took me to work?"

"Yes. Exactly."

"Okay." He jumped up and down. Then stopped quickly, as Lynn held up her finger to her lips and said, "Quiet. Okay? They need to sleep."

"Can Charlie just sit here then?" The man sat cross legged beside the sleeper couch, staring at Rick.

"Okay, but don't say a word."

Charlie stared at the sleeping skunk man. He was very quiet. The smell of blueberry pancakes started to waft into the living room along with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Jenny emerged and headed for the bathroom and then, seeing Charlie in his vigil, smiled quietly walking into the kitchen to help Lynn.

"Pancakes?" Jenny giggled. "You think those two will be able to face this kind of heavy breakfast?"

"Well, that is what the toast is for." Lynn stated in her nonsense lack of sleep tone, with a smile.

"I see." noting a smile at the end of that sentence. "Girl, you have got it bad."

"What?"

"You are smiling at six am in the morning. You are thinking about what Rick said to you in front of us, aren't you?"

"Jenny... I can't help it."

"You had better because even without make up, without a shower, without your hair brushed, you are beautiful."

"Stop it."

"No. I mean it. Anyone looking at you would stop and stare."

"I bet. I probably look like a ghost."

"I wouldn't say that."

Rick opened one eye. By that time, Charlie had started to lean in towards the sleeping skunk man. Rick then opened the other eye and blinked. Then he blinked and focused as he came up to a sitting position trying to remember what happened last night, and the grinning face of Charlie was all he could see, as Charlie bounced up from the floor and was sitting beside Rick on the bed.

"Wick had a sleepover last night?"

"Er." Rick took his hands and rubbed his face. He noticed a sleeve and then looked down, wondering why he had sponge bob pajamas on.

"Wick borrowed my red sponge bob jammies." Charlie looked over at Carl. "And Uncle Carl got the orange ones. See, I have my blue ones."

Carl emerged in the stated bright orange pajamas, stretching and yawning. "Do I smell coffee?"

"Coffeeeeee..." Charlie squealed. "Uncle Carl, I have a secret."

"You do?"

"Yup."

"What is it?"

"I have a job."

"I know."

"How did you know?"

"I am the one who hired you, silly."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Cool."

Rick, bleary eyed, asked quietly, "Charlie, please don't yell. I don't feel very good."

"Oh, Okay." whispered Charlie. "Wick, I have a secret. I bet you can't guess it."

"You have a job working for Carl."

"Oh... you guessed it. You are smart, Wick."

"That I am, bud. But I bet you can guess what we are going to have for breakfast."

"Yep, Blueberry pamcakes." He jumped off the bed. "Do you guys know where the bathroom is? You stink."

"I bet we do."

---

Lynn entered the living room with two cups of coffee. Seeing Charlie telling these guys they stink worked perfectly for her.

"Charlie, go eat with Jenny while I get these guys some towels for their showers."

"Pamcakes!!!!!" yelled Charlie as he headed towards the table.

Both men groaned as they reached for this goddess holding the elixir of the Gods, coffee.

Jenny chuckled at their expressions.

"What? No sympathy?" Rick asked.

She gave him a radiant smile and he blinked. What the hell happened last night?

"Drink up. I will get you guys some of Charlie's clothes to wear. Jenny can take you to your cars and you can go home and change."

"That's fine, but no Sponge Bob.. okay?"

"Beggars can't be choosers." she teased.

"Really, Rick is right. Please, no Sponge Bob."

"Ah, well if you insist. I think I might be able to find some thing with Bart Simpson."

"You are enjoying this way too much, aren't you, Miss Johnson."

"Yup." She dodged a pillow tossed by Rick, giggling all the way to Charlie's bedroom.

Carl sighed drinking his coffee. "I don't remember, my Miss Johnson, having this much energy."

Rick looked at him. "Since when is she your Miss Johnson?  Oh, no, I did not do anything stupid last night, did I?"

"Ah, well, if you call telling a girl you love her to the point you don't want to lose her ever... something stupid. Yeah, cuz, you did."

"What was I thinking? I can't let her get involved with all of this crap."

Lynn entered the living room. "All of what crap? Is there something more? More than your dad?"

Rick blinked hard. His head was pounding, and now Lynn was staring at him like he was from outer space.

Carl spoke up. "No, Lynn. There is nothing more. Rick just doesn't drink that much. His memory of last night is really fuzzy. I was just trying to help him remember."

Lynn narrowed her eyes. Her boss was lying, that was obvious. She smiled a little. "Here. Go grab you shower really quick and come to the kitchen. Tylenol is in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. Okay?" Turning she fled to go be with Jenny and Charlie, trying not to be too angry over being left out. Obviously these two were trying to protect her... yet... she wanted to be able to help them.

---

Carl showered first, since Rick wanted to take some Tylenol before anything else. He sat on the closed couch, nibbling on some buttered toast. Carl came out smiling donned in khaki pants and a blue polo shirt. Rick grimaced at his happy face. He pulled himself into an upright position and headed to the bathroom. As he turned on the shower, a howl could be heard.

"Carl, you didn't use all the hot water, did you?" Jenny asked grinning.

"Guilty."

"Oh, no." Lynn exclaimed.

"It is okay. It will help him wake up." Carl paused, then added, "Really." As he grabbed a couple of pancakes, pouring syrup over them, he dug in.

Rick dressed in blue jeans and a red polo shirt came out of the bathroom, still shivering from his cold shower. He was greeted with another cup of hot coffee, and a sorrowful Lynn.

"Are you all right?" she asked, anxiously.

"Yeah. Fine, never better." He muttered as he stared daggers into Carl, who was grinning and conversing like nothing had happened.

"Look, sit down here." She took his hand and led him to the couch. "Try to get some more of this toast down. It will make you feel better." She then came around the back of the couch and started to rub Rick's temples. "There is nothing like a hangover." She whispered.

"You sound like an expert."

"Well, I have had one every year for  eight years running."

"Ah. About that."

"Rick, it is okay."

"Lynn, you know, I would give you a stellar recommendation if you ever want to try some where else."  Rick stated as gently as he could.

He felt her fingers tighten over his temples.  "I think I told you, Mr. Richardson, I am not leaving here.  This is my home."  She pulled her hands away and stormed into the bathroom to grab her shower.  Another shriek was heard.

to be continued.