Seth's Master Plan - Chapter 5
Special thanks to fredsmith518 for her assistance in finding an ending for this. She helped me to find a way out, and gets all the credit.
Dedicated to chazper for her sentence, and to mel39 for the challenge.
Chapter 5 - The Day of
Taylor woke first the next morning immediately anxious. She knew that even though Ryan was relaxed and content after last night’s adventures, he was still likely to freak out when he saw the costumes. So she snuck into the bathroom with her phone and texted Seth a warning that they would be there soon, and he should be prepared for the wrath of Ryan.
She showered quickly and dressed, then Ryan stirred.
“Hey,” he said. “Where you going in such a hurry?”
He reached for her arm to pull her back to bed.
“The Cohens. We’re spending the day there.”
Ryan moaned his displeasure.
“When we could spend the day here? In bed?”
“Yes, my dear, I’m sorry,” Taylor said. “I too would prefer the pleasures of the flesh to a bagel breakfast. But we’re already committed, and they are expecting us.”
She leaned down for a kiss, and wriggled quickly out of his grasp.
“Come on. I promise a reward later,” she said seductively.
“Well, if you put it that way,” he acquiesced, rising and heading for a quick shower.
“Give me fifteen minutes and I’ll be ready,” he yelled from the shower.
They headed over to the Cohens. Taylor was uncharacteristically silent, which only made Ryan’s concern worse.
“Taylor, why can’t you tell me about the costume?” Ryan asked.
“Because…if you’re going to be angry, I’d rather you do it when everyone else is there. You’re less likely to punch something, or worse, drive off the road.”
“Oh, great. I’ve been roped into something. I should have known when Seth told me it was his idea.”
“But it’s a great idea!” Taylor gushed. “It really is.”
“We’ll see,” Ryan said sternly. “I may have to rethink my cooperation.”
They pulled up at the house and walked inside, Taylor taking Ryan’s hand to try and control the situation. But when they encountered Seth upon entering, Ryan started in immediately.
“Ok, BRO, what didn’t you tell me?”
Seth threw Taylor a look, one that said ‘you were supposed to make it better, not worse,’ and she sent back a shrug.
“Come on, I’ll show you,” Seth said, leading the way into the den.
Hanging on the racks were costumes. Full reindeer costumes. Brown furry outfits - white balls for noses, except for Sophie’s red one - and the aforementioned antlers.
There was silence in the room as Ryan took in what would be expected of him. Then he broke the silence; softly and firmly:
“I don’t care if it’s Chrismukkah. I am NOT wearing that outfit.”
“But Ryan….,” Seth said, his voice pleading.
“No buts, Seth. I should have known. It could never be that easy, not with you at the helm. You played me, and I don’t like it.”
Seth sat and pouted while Taylor took up the cause.
“Ryan?”
“Yeah?
“I did promise you a reward, remember?”
“Yeah, I remember,” Ryan said. “But as good as an incentive as that is, it’s not enough to get me to wear that.”
“Well, then, what about Sophie?”
“What about her?”
“This is all for her. She’s so excited - she’s telling everyone that her family will have the best costumes. She’ll remember this forever.”
He didn’t want to even consider it, but Taylor was hitting him where he lived. He loved Sophie madly, and wouldn’t want to disappoint her. He knew what it was like to be disappointed by your family. You never really got over it. He was stuck…again.
“Okay,” he said reluctantly. “You win. I’ll do it.”
Seth and Taylor both jumped up and down with glee, then they both tag team hugged him, which he wriggled out of immediately.
“But…”
“Anything, Ryan, anything, “ Seth promised.
“Yes, anything,” Taylor answered with a knowing glance.
“If I do this, I know there’ll be pictures…and Sophie will want to share them with her play group, and of course the Nana. That’s unavoidable. But if I EVER see any of them anywhere else but within the confines of this house, there will be hell to pay,” Ryan warned them. “You need to swear on your lives, because I can promise you, that would be what you’d be risking.”
Taylor and Seth simultaneously held up their hands.
“We swear,” they said in unison.
That evening, the party went off without a hitch. Seth was bursting with pride, and told anyone who would listen that it was his idea. The Cohens’ extended family costumes won first place - a trophy for the mantle. It was glass and had etchings of a Christmas tree AND a menorah to cover Jesus and Moses (Seth’s words). It even noted the year and the title of Best Group Holiday Costumes. Diana had outdone herself, and Sophie was thrilled.
“We wonned!” cried Sophie, her face wreathed in smile, the Rudolph nose jauntily off to one side. She grabbed it with unseemly haste, earning a ‘Sophie Rose!' from their mom.
Sophie thought quickly and said, ‘tank ou’, so sweetly that the room erupted in spontaneous applause, causing Sophie to break into a toddler joy dance, which led to more laughter.
Seth snuck a look at Ryan. He was smiling as broadly and happily as anyone else there. Seth couldn’t seem to help himself as his camera phone captured the moment for posterity.
Not long afterwards, Sophie crashed, slumping in a tiny brown heap on Ryan’s feet. He scooped her up, trophy and all and carried her out to the car.
On the ride home, Seth ran down his plan check list.
Family all present and correct? Check.
Happy? Check.
All down to awesome Seth organization? Double check.
Life was good.
Dedicated to chazper for her sentence, and to mel39 for the challenge.
Chapter 5 - The Day of
Taylor woke first the next morning immediately anxious. She knew that even though Ryan was relaxed and content after last night’s adventures, he was still likely to freak out when he saw the costumes. So she snuck into the bathroom with her phone and texted Seth a warning that they would be there soon, and he should be prepared for the wrath of Ryan.
She showered quickly and dressed, then Ryan stirred.
“Hey,” he said. “Where you going in such a hurry?”
He reached for her arm to pull her back to bed.
“The Cohens. We’re spending the day there.”
Ryan moaned his displeasure.
“When we could spend the day here? In bed?”
“Yes, my dear, I’m sorry,” Taylor said. “I too would prefer the pleasures of the flesh to a bagel breakfast. But we’re already committed, and they are expecting us.”
She leaned down for a kiss, and wriggled quickly out of his grasp.
“Come on. I promise a reward later,” she said seductively.
“Well, if you put it that way,” he acquiesced, rising and heading for a quick shower.
“Give me fifteen minutes and I’ll be ready,” he yelled from the shower.
They headed over to the Cohens. Taylor was uncharacteristically silent, which only made Ryan’s concern worse.
“Taylor, why can’t you tell me about the costume?” Ryan asked.
“Because…if you’re going to be angry, I’d rather you do it when everyone else is there. You’re less likely to punch something, or worse, drive off the road.”
“Oh, great. I’ve been roped into something. I should have known when Seth told me it was his idea.”
“But it’s a great idea!” Taylor gushed. “It really is.”
“We’ll see,” Ryan said sternly. “I may have to rethink my cooperation.”
They pulled up at the house and walked inside, Taylor taking Ryan’s hand to try and control the situation. But when they encountered Seth upon entering, Ryan started in immediately.
“Ok, BRO, what didn’t you tell me?”
Seth threw Taylor a look, one that said ‘you were supposed to make it better, not worse,’ and she sent back a shrug.
“Come on, I’ll show you,” Seth said, leading the way into the den.
Hanging on the racks were costumes. Full reindeer costumes. Brown furry outfits - white balls for noses, except for Sophie’s red one - and the aforementioned antlers.
There was silence in the room as Ryan took in what would be expected of him. Then he broke the silence; softly and firmly:
“I don’t care if it’s Chrismukkah. I am NOT wearing that outfit.”
“But Ryan….,” Seth said, his voice pleading.
“No buts, Seth. I should have known. It could never be that easy, not with you at the helm. You played me, and I don’t like it.”
Seth sat and pouted while Taylor took up the cause.
“Ryan?”
“Yeah?
“I did promise you a reward, remember?”
“Yeah, I remember,” Ryan said. “But as good as an incentive as that is, it’s not enough to get me to wear that.”
“Well, then, what about Sophie?”
“What about her?”
“This is all for her. She’s so excited - she’s telling everyone that her family will have the best costumes. She’ll remember this forever.”
He didn’t want to even consider it, but Taylor was hitting him where he lived. He loved Sophie madly, and wouldn’t want to disappoint her. He knew what it was like to be disappointed by your family. You never really got over it. He was stuck…again.
“Okay,” he said reluctantly. “You win. I’ll do it.”
Seth and Taylor both jumped up and down with glee, then they both tag team hugged him, which he wriggled out of immediately.
“But…”
“Anything, Ryan, anything, “ Seth promised.
“Yes, anything,” Taylor answered with a knowing glance.
“If I do this, I know there’ll be pictures…and Sophie will want to share them with her play group, and of course the Nana. That’s unavoidable. But if I EVER see any of them anywhere else but within the confines of this house, there will be hell to pay,” Ryan warned them. “You need to swear on your lives, because I can promise you, that would be what you’d be risking.”
Taylor and Seth simultaneously held up their hands.
“We swear,” they said in unison.
That evening, the party went off without a hitch. Seth was bursting with pride, and told anyone who would listen that it was his idea. The Cohens’ extended family costumes won first place - a trophy for the mantle. It was glass and had etchings of a Christmas tree AND a menorah to cover Jesus and Moses (Seth’s words). It even noted the year and the title of Best Group Holiday Costumes. Diana had outdone herself, and Sophie was thrilled.
“We wonned!” cried Sophie, her face wreathed in smile, the Rudolph nose jauntily off to one side. She grabbed it with unseemly haste, earning a ‘Sophie Rose!' from their mom.
Sophie thought quickly and said, ‘tank ou’, so sweetly that the room erupted in spontaneous applause, causing Sophie to break into a toddler joy dance, which led to more laughter.
Seth snuck a look at Ryan. He was smiling as broadly and happily as anyone else there. Seth couldn’t seem to help himself as his camera phone captured the moment for posterity.
Not long afterwards, Sophie crashed, slumping in a tiny brown heap on Ryan’s feet. He scooped her up, trophy and all and carried her out to the car.
On the ride home, Seth ran down his plan check list.
Family all present and correct? Check.
Happy? Check.
All down to awesome Seth organization? Double check.
Life was good.