You know ... string him along a bit."Ya' know," I said, "that crack you just made about my not buying anything on time wasn't appreciated. At my age, ...hey won't let me buy anything on time anyway. So ... I pay cash for everything." After all these years, you still haven't learned to be modest," he said, sadly. "And to think, I used to have such high hopes for you." Sorry to disappoint," I said, attempting to console him. "If it's any consolation, I don't have much --," Much? Much of what... ?. Practicing. What was worse, practicing in front of the family, where everyone could see him fail. But that was an essential part of the plan. They had to believe it he was serious. And what better way than to open himself up to even more ridicule than usual?And now, it was time. Now was the start of things he'd been looking forward to for so long. He smiled to himself as he felt his cock rise a bit in his slacks just at the thought.It was a weekday, so his dad was at the shoe store, sticking. Verdi wrote "Di Provenza" in a kind of oomp-bah-bah metronomic style that as a young man I'd found boring and into which I'd interpolated a good bit of syncopation and flourishes. When I started in the way I'd done it yea so many years back she stopped me almost immediately."What are you doing, Nick?" she demanded."Well, putting in a little variation," I told her weakly.She gave me what was almost a pitying look. "Darling, this isn't a nightclub where you do 'interpretations.' Sing it the way. I think my car istotaled. Just what I need right now. Come on in, let me get you guyssomething to drink. Jeff, I'm home."Jeffrey knew he was caught; he had no chance of getting from the familyroom to the bathroom or his room without being seen. Sure enough, hismother came into the family room a moment later. The scene that followedthat was not one he wanted to remember.Tim of course told everyone at school, and it was pretty bad for a while. Than his Mom's grandmother had passed away, and.