Joe's Announcement

Samantha was surprised at how much she had missed her mother's cooking. Back in London, Georgie had hired a chef that prepared meals that were simply divine, but no matter how fancy a meal was, it could never compare to the taste of home. The roast, the potatoes, the soup, Samantha had no idea how her mother did it.

The company, too, was wonderful. It had been far too long since she sat next to her brother and broke bread. He seemed excited, eager to spring whatever this surprise news he had on their parents. That was all she could get out of him after their father had wandered away from them at the front door, no matter how hard she had pried. Joe had always been like that. If he had a secret he wanted to keep, he was a steel trap. Not that it mattered. Samantha would learn soon enough.

Their father was another issue. Sitting across from Samantha, book-ended by their mother on his right and Tina, the young woman they had taken in on his left, sat Samantha's father. Maybe work was especially stressful right now. Since they had sat down at the table, the man had barely looked up from his plate, not engaging in the conversation, barely present. Tina was trying her best to snap him out of it, her right hand tucked into his pants, gently massaging his penis. Samantha's mother was encouraging the young woman, her hand resting on the lump Tina's hand formed in her husband's pants, trying to be a supportive wife.

"Mom, everything was delicious," Joe said, snapping Samantha from her thoughts, "As usual."

"Oh stop," their mother blushed, "It was nothing special."

"Nonsense," Joe laughed, "You should write a cook book one day!"

The older woman giggled, then took a sip of her red wine. Their mother always loved compliments like these. Her ambitions had never been big, but if you mentioned something to do with her cooking, or her cleaning, something domestic, and she gushed. She was living her dream life, being the housewife of Samantha's father, and Samantha didn't begrudge her one bit.

"I asked if I could come over tonight, though, not to talk about the food. I have news," Joe said, beaming, "and before it becomes public, I want you to hear it first."

"What is it, honey?" their mother asked. Their father even perked up, looking up from his plate.

"I've been approached by the democratic committee from my district, and they think I can win. I'm going to be running for the Senate."

"What? Aren't you a bit young for that?" their mother asked, shocked.

"I thought the same thing. The incumbent is retiring, and they think that I'm exactly what the voters are looking for. They want change," Joe answered, excitement in his voice, "My polling numbers, and more importantly, my fundraising numbers are through the roof."

"Oh honey!" gushed their mother, "I'm so proud of you!"

"Uh, yeah," their father piped in, "I'm really proud of you, Joe."

Tina, took the re-engagement of Samantha's father as a sign that she was doing a good job, and increased the speed of her massage, causing him to lose focus and knock his wine glass over.

"Oh shit," he said, standing up from the table, the young woman's hand still in his pants, "I'll get a cloth."

"No sir," Joe jumped up, "I'll take care of it. You relax."

Samantha watched Joe scurry toward the kitchen in his high heels, as always in awe at how quickly he could move in the shoes. He would make a great senator, and if he didn't, with that sway, maybe he could be a fashion model. She smiled. Yes, there was nothing quite like coming home.