The Rich Get Richer

"Hello, Tyler. It's Mommy. What are you up to tonight?"

Tyler tried not to let the irritation show in his voice but he really wished his mother would stop referring to herself as 'mommy.' It sounded positively sociopathic considering he was well past the milk and cookie stage. "Hello, Mother. How are you?"

"Very well, thank you. I'm going to meet Vlad for dinner tonight and I wondered if you and your little friend would like to join us--although be sure to tell Mandy to wear something appropriate. The Club prefers women to dress a little more...refined than Mandy usually chooses."

"Mindy is at work. Sorry. We won't be able to join you and your boyfriend."

It still seemed strange to Tyler to have his mother dating, although he'd way rather have her date her string of boy toys than bug him about his life.

"You could come by yourself."

"I'm meeting Mindy later."

"Why is she working on a Sunday?"

"I don't know. Her boss asked her to come in."

"Oh, really?"

"People do work overtime, Mother," Tyler said as he envisioned his mother's perfectly arched eyebrows shooting toward the ceiling. "Please don't make it sound like there's something else going on."

"Honestly, Tyler, ever since you started dating that journalist you've become so suspicious. It really isn't becoming."

No wonder his brother Brad had moved East and pretty much cut off contact with his family. At that moment  a move anywhere seemed like a pretty good idea. Still, Tyler wished Brad would come back. It would take some of the pressure of their mother's intense interest off of him. "I've got to go."

"Come to dinner tomorrow night," Mavis ordered. "Bring Mindy. I have a surprise for you."

"What?"

"If I tell you, it won't be a surprise, will it? Let's just say that your mommy is about to make you even wealthier. What did J.R. Ewing always say? 'The rich get richer and that's just the way we like it.' Too true, Tyler. Too true."

"All right," Tyler agreed. What the heck. Maybe his mother wasn't all bad...