New Year's Romance

Spencer flicked through the channels dispassionately, amazed by how little there was worth watching among an abundance of channels. Each seemed less interesting than the last, doing nothing to secure his attention for more than a few seconds before he clicked the remote again. Even the news seemed to struggle with conjuring up any stories worth paying attention to, focusing mainly on tedious local interest stories that Spencer was certain had been regurgitated many times before.

The weekends in Spencer's hometown always arrived without any real fanfare, providing nothing that could get an eighteen year old excited. It would have been an understatement to claim that his Midwestern town was a rather uninteresting place, projecting a wholesome, neighbourly demeanour that felt like a throwback to a bygone era. His neighbours were as polite as could be, always going out of their way to make the neighbourhood a pleasant place to live, greeting him whenever he was out and about. Even his high school had developed a reputation for being one of the best performing in the country, something that came at the expense of any students looking for interesting experiences before graduation.

Ordinarily, Spencer could tolerate the boredom that came with the weekend whenever his friends weren't about, but it was a much more difficult task than usual when it happened to be New Year's. Being met with wall-to-wall coverage of the festivities taking place around the country when he flicked through the national news channels only served to contrast how dull his own New Year's was. Fittingly, he was surrounded by a variety of sugar-laden treats and cans of soda, with a few colourful streamers dangling from the ceiling in preparation for midnight, but it was hardly his idea of welcoming the New Year with a bang. Switching his gaze to the clock hanging on the wall to his right, he groaned when he realisied that it had only just gone past seven, leaving him with another five hours of abject boredom.

It was the first New Year's he would celebrate alone, a fact that only added to his overall lack of enthusiasm for the occasion. His father had walked out on him before he turned ten, leaving Spencer's mother as the sole parent raising him. It was a task that his mother, Evelyn, had taken on without hesitation, balancing her life between work and being there for Spencer during all the necessary events in his life. Spencer never took her for granted, cognizant of just how much she had to sacrifice to both be there for him and keep a roof over their heads.

Evelyn had effectively given up her twenties and early thirties in the pursuit of establishing a good life for them both, having little to no time for herself between her twelve hour shifts at the hospital and the time spent helping Spencer with his homework and school projects. It meant that her life beyond work and parenting was virtually non-existent, limiting her social life and opportunities to date. Though he never showed it, Spencer always felt a sense of guilt about his mom's lack of dating experience following his father's sudden disappearance and divorce filing. He always tried to be independent, hoping that staying out with friends and his part time job would give his mother some much-needed alone time.

But the pair were as thick as thieves, always able to confide in one another, rarely ever keeping secrets from each other. His mom often joked that they were like an old married couple, making sure to share the various chores and household responsibilities within their Prairie-style home. Spencer always took the jokes as the light-hearted barbs they were intended to be, but he couldn't help but occasionally imagine what it would be like to be with someone as beautiful and intelligent as his mom. Of course, he had gone out with a few of the girls at his school over the years, even managing to get hot and heavy with a couple. However, they all paled in comparison to the most significant woman in his life, never quite coming close to the traits that made his mother so enthralling.

Turning down the volume of the TV, he could pick up the sound of hurried footsteps above, originating from his mom's bedroom. A small smile appeared on Spencer's face as he listened, knowing that his mom was frantically rushing around to get herself ready for a date with one of the new doctors from the hospital she worked at. It was her first date in a while, one Spencer knew she had been looking forward to during the weeks leading up to the special day.

He was heartened by her enthusiasm for the date, having spent a week driving her to boutiques and hair stylists to get herself prepared. With college on the horizon, Spencer was hopeful that his mom would find someone to spend her time with once he was away, not wanting her to be left on her own in the spacious home they had both spent so much time working on. But peculiarly, he also felt a small tremor of jealousy at the thought of another man taking his place, filling in the space he would leave behind. For so long, it had just been the two of them against the world, together making it through the struggles they had endured when he was younger. He kept his jealous thoughts bottled up, considering them to be an innocent response to the idea of someone drawing away his mother's affections. Or so he believed.

A creaking at the top of the stairs made Spencer pause the television and roll his eyes when he stopped on a frame of a generic romantic comedy, featuring two lovers locked in a warm embrace, both lacking any real chemistry. Spencer stood and walked over to the doorway, quite unprepared for the sight that met him when he found his mother waiting for him at the foot of the staircase.

Evelyn had purchased a metallic gold bandage-style dress, one that left her shoulders and arms entirely bare, displaying her flawless skin wonderfully. The skirt was of a modest height, but Spencer felt his heart race painfully in his chest when he caught a glimpse of floral stocking-tops, connected by a silk garter strap. The stockings themselves were far from the cheap store-bought pantyhose she usually opted for, with the sheen of the material making it obvious that they had come from one of the higher-end boutiques she had visited during the week. They drew Spencer's focus down to the pair of black Louboutin Lady Peep heels adorning her feet, one of the most prized items in her wardrobe and rarely ever removed from their box except on the most special of occasions.

He lifted his eyes back up to admire the up-do her voluminous raven hair had undergone, swept across one shoulder to send it cascading along her arm and breast. The style allowed for one of the diamond droplet earrings dangling from her ears to twinkle in the light from the hall, accompanied by a thin gold necklace skimming across her chest and stopping just above her cleavage. Evelyn had decided against wearing too much make-up, instead using carefully applied layers of blush and eyeshadow to enhance her natural beauty, choosing a glossy pink lipstick that completeda look that exuded elegance.

Evelyn was a woman who could take any man's breath away. And in that moment, for a split second, Spencer didn't see his mother standing in front of him. He only saw a woman of devastating beauty, a woman he desired with every fibre of his being.

"If you keep your jaw open like that your tongue will fall out," Evelyn giggled, resting a hand on her hip as she watched her son shake himself from his daze. "I'm going to take the look on your face as a sign that you approve?"

"Approve? Talk about an understatement,," Spencer suddenly found his voice, grinning like a madman as he stared into his mom's warm green eyes. "You look hot."

"Really?" Evelyn beamed, twisting on the spot to give Spencer a greater view of her. "I guess I do. But don't you think 'hot' is a little inappropriate to use when talking about your old mother? I'm turning forty this year."

"Firstly, you're far from old, most of the girls at school wish they could look half as good as you. And secondly, it doesn't matter whether you're my mom or not, because you are hot, it's an unavoidable fact," Spencer responded with an impish smile, glad to see the twinkle in his mom's eyes.

"Careful, or else I might start to think you have your own designs on me. I wouldn't want to make my date jealous," Evelyn smiled, staring at Spencer with a slightly nervous expression. "Do you think he'll like it?"

"He'd have to be crazy if he didn't," Spencer said confidently, leaning against the door frame. "You're one of the most beautiful women I know, and if he can't see that then he doesn't deserve a second of your time."

"Thank you, sweetheart. Sorry if I've been too jittery this past week, I haven't been this nervous about a date since I was back in high school," Evelyn was startled by the sudden sounding of a car horn from just outside. "Sounds like that's him."

"Good luck," Spencer strode over to his mom and brought her into a tight hug, breathing in the intoxicating perfume she had selected. He swooned at the sensation of her wet lips touching his cheek, coming far too close to his own lips before she moved away, slinging the strap of her purse over her shoulder. "If he doesn't give you the night you deserve, then I might have to instead."

"Careful, I'll hold you to that, mister," Evelyn swept her thumb over Spencer's cheek, creating a pink smudge with the print of her lipstick. "Don't eat too much candy, you'll be coming off a sugar high before midnight."

"Don't worry, I know my limit," he said, grinning as they wandered over to the door. "And I want you back before ten."

"Not if I'm lucky," Evelyn purred.

Spencer moved towards the front door and opened it for her, incapable of stopping his gaze from falling to her swaying hips as she stepped out onto the porch, skipping down the wooden steps and along the pathway splitting through the painstakingly maintained front yard. He scrutinised the upmarket BMW parked parallel to the curb, finding a well-dressed man sitting patiently in the front seat, leaning across to open the door for Evelyn. She lifted her toned legs and swept onto the leather passenger's seat, blowing a kiss back at Spencer as the car took off, disappearing around the corner at some speed.

~•~•~•~•~•~

An hour passed by without much fanfare, only worsening the state of boredom Spencer found himself slipping into, scouring the TV for anything to keep him distracted until the clock finally reached midnight, appalled by the lack of any films worth watching. Again, he found himself stuck watching the news, subjected to repeat after repeat of the firework displays of the countries that had already welcomed in the new year in explosive fashion.

Regularly, his eyes darted towards his phone, praying that the screen would illuminate to inform him that someone had put together a celebratory bash at the last minute. But with his friends all at home with their families, sharing a similarly tedious fate as him, Spencer was certain that nothing would spare him from the hours that dragged by at an unnervingly slow speed. Letting out a sigh that could only be conjured by sheer boredom, he dropped his head against the backrest of the couch and attempted to fall into an early slumber to get the night over with sooner.

However, the blinding flash of headlight beams passing across the living room window robbed him of any chance of sleeping through the hours ahead. Rubbing his eyes, Spencer rose to his feet and shuffled up to the window, holding his hand in front of his face to block out the glare of the LED beams. Squinting, Spencer discovered a familiar BMW parked outside the house, though it didn't stay for long. He spotted his mom stepping out, slamming the door without so much as a glance back at the driver, storming back along the path as the expensive car sped off. Spencer immediately made a dash for the door, wrenching it open just as his mom claimed the steps, forcing a smile when she looked up at him.

"Mom? What are you doing back this early? It hasn't even been an hour yet," Spencer exclaimed, glaring at the rear lights of the BMW as they vanished. "He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

"No, nothing like that," Evelyn sighed, hanging her purse on one if the nearby clothes pegs. "It's more what he didn't do."

"Which was?"

"Inform me that he was married," Evelyn tapped her ring finger. "I had to catch him when he accidentally let the truth slip out."

"That asshole!" Spencer seethed, feeling almost obligated as a son to get in his car and chase down the creep.

"Yep, married. With two kids and another on the way," Evelyn rubbed her neck, feeling unbearably drained as she entered the living room. "It wasn't easy to get the truth out of the weasel, but I got him to confess."

"How?" Spencer asked, curious when he spotted a ghost of a smirk manifest on his mom's lips.

"He was in the middle of devouring a spring salad before he felt the heel of my shoe pressing into his groin," Evelyn let a melodious laugh trickle from her crimson lips when Spencer broke out into a fit of giggles, bracing himself against the door as he imagined the scene playing out in his head. "Let's just say that he suddenly became very open about his private affairs."

"I bet he did," Spencer wiped a tear from his eye. "It's still less than the bastard deserves."

"You're not wrong. His wife is eight months pregnant and he wanted to get himself something on the side, something he's been doing with some of the other nurses. I assume he thought that being single meant that I was easy prey for him," Evelyn shook her head, feeling ever so foolish for being blind to the true nature of the handsome doctor. "I should've known that something was wrong about him, I knew he seemed too good to be true."

"It's not your fault, guys like that don't get where they are by being honest with people. Hell, maybe the close encounter with your heel might be the wake-up call he needs to stop stepping out on his wife," Spencer suggested, quickly shaking his head in unison with his mom. "Yeah, probably not. So, what now?"

"I'll go upstairs and get changed into something dull, I can sit down with you and watch the celebrations from the comfort of the couch," Evelyn turned and prepared to make the shameful journey back upstairs, not feeling as embarrassed as she had been since the unexpected divorce from her ex-husband. "Such a shame, I was genuinely looking forward to tonight."

"And you still can," Spencer blurted out, checking his watch as an idea started to form. "It's only just turned eight, plenty of time to enjoy what's left of the night."

"Spencer, unless you have another date for me hidden in the closet, I think this night might be a bust," Evelyn replied, intrigued by the look of excitement that her son exhibited. "I've seen that look before, it usually appears when you've got something up your sleeve. What is it?"

"Me, keeping a promise," Spencer said, pulling his mom away from the stairs, holding her soft hands in his. "I told you, if that bastard didn't give you the night you deserved then I would. So, this is me offering to make up for it."

"That's a wonderful gesture, it really is," Evelyn tried to share in Spencer's excitement, but couldn't allow herself to be set up for another disappointment. "But it's New Year's Eve, we're never going to find anywhere to go this late in the night."

"Maybe not around here, but a quick trip to the city might be exactly what we're looking for," Spencer said, refusing to back down. "They've got big displays going on all across the country, everyone will be heading off to secure their places before it becomes too packed out. Most of the restaurants in the city are likely going to be just under capacity, as will the hotels. Hopefully at least."

"But still... " Evelyn tried to remain rational, but the infectious smile that blossomed on Spencer's face started to bring her round to the idea.

"No buts. I'll book us a table at Láschell's," Spencer held a hand up to prevent his mom from voicing her disagreement. "I know it's expensive, but I've got more than enough saved up. It'll be my treat for a woman who deserves to be spoiled. Come on, it'll be better than hanging around here for the next few hours, believe me. What do you say?"

"Go and get changed, I'll be waiting," Evelyn grinned, leaning in to place her wet lips onto Spencer's, keeping them there for less than a second, but the impact on the recipient of the kiss was immediate. "Thank you, Spencer. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Don't mention it," Spencer blushed, squeezing by to get to the stairs.

Racing upstairs, Spencer dashed into his bedroom and pulled out his phone as he kicked open his wardrobe door open. Simultaneously, Spencer went to the homepage for Láschells's and made the booking, taking their one and only opening, doing so while scouring his closet for anything suitable for a high-end restaurant. He shoved his casual clothes to the side, digging into the deepest recesses of the closet to locate the sorts of outfits that were relegated to formal occasions only. Finally, Spencer looked down and found a vacuum-sealed bag resting on a pile of stacked boxes, containing a suit he hadn't worn in almost a year.

Lifting the bag out, he broke the seal and withdrew the suit, relieved to find it just as clean as it had been when it was tucked away. Limited on time, Spencer changed into the suit, happy to discover that it still fit him, albeit with a slight snugness around his arms and legs. A flash on his phone screen confirmed his booking with the restaurant, acquiring one of the last available tables of the night. Suddenly feeling like the luckiest man on earth, Spencer left his room and jogged back down to the first floor, discovering his mom waiting dutifully for him by the door.

"Oh my, who are you and what have you done with my son?" Evelyn smiled, retrieving her purse from the hook.

"Very funny," Spencer stared at his mom, feeling his breath being taken away by her sheer beauty. Her overall look didn't look any different to how it did when she had departed the hour before, but it was changed completely when he became the one who would take her out instead of another man. "And you still look incredible."

"Mmm, I think I remember the word 'hot' being thrown around not too long ago," Evelyn said with lopsided grin, successfully making Spencer's cheeks turn a deep shade of red.

"Yeah, I guess it was," Spencer winced, grabbing his car keys from a side cabinet. "Sorry, I've just never seen you dressed like this before, I got a little carried away."

"No, you were being honest, which is more than I can say than a certain stethoscope-wearing creep," Evelyn held her arm out, which Spencer immediately linked with his. "Now, would you care to take your lady to her carriage?"

"Gladly, though I wouldn't quite call it a carriage," Spencer closed the door and led the way to his second-hand Toyota, making sure to open the passenger side door for his mom, which required a certain amount of effort when the loose handle jiggled around. "Allow me."

"Thank you, sweetheart," Evelyn kissed his cheek and slid into the seat, chuckling when Spencer ran around to climb in beside her. "Eager to get the night started?"

"With you? Absolutely," Spencer slotted the key into the barrel and turned it, hearing the engine stuttering before it eventually turned over.

With only a few hours remaining before the big moment, Spencer rolled his dilapidated car onto the road and pushed it harder than he ordinarily would, unaware of the metamorphosis his relationship with his mom would undergo before the clock struck twelve.

~•~•~•~•~•~

With the promise of a New Year's spectacle too much to resist, most of those who decided against staying home for the evening converged on the main city square, clogging up the main roads leading into the city.