"Now that the unpleasantness is over," for now, silently added Tachibana no Akane, leader of the Skulk; "I invite you all to share the hospitality of dinner with me, before I see to your transportation home, because I'm sure you would all like to sleep within your own beds tonight."
"That's mighty kind of you Mrs. Tachibana," said Harry's father, while holding his wife's hand.
"I'm just sorry that everyone keeps getting dragged into my troubles," said Jenny, while leaning against her fiance for moral support. "If there was just something I could do..."
Then her voice trailed off as a thought crossed her mind.
"Say, what if we take the offensive?" Jenny asked Akane.
"Depending upon the situation, a desirable position, but how?" inquired the Skulk leader.
"I could call Alabama," began Jenny, not noticing that she no longer referred to it as home. "It would be best to pick a time when I was sure to speak only to my mother, but I could tell her that Dieter's plans failed and that his flunky is in custody. She would tell my dad, and that could start driving a wedge between him and Wilhelm."
"An admirable idea," agreed Akane, thinking it over, "but there is more than just the Skulk involved in regards to protecting everyone involved with your wedding and Moon Lake itself Miss Harper. I will have to run your suggestion past the police department and probably the Mayor's office too before a final decision can be made upon it, but let us not let our enemy spoil the rest of our evening. Come everyone, dinner awaits," announced Akane, opening the door they originally entered the den through before escorting Jenny and the Jenkins to the dining room.
MEANWHILE...
"Here we are," said Ben Twist, while holding the door open for his date, Kenya Adaeze.
After helping his girlfriend close up the flower shop for the night, something her aunt and uncle said was unnecessary but he insisted upon anyway to be polite, they had gone straight to the local diner for their romantic dinner together.
As the couple sat down in a romantic side booth for two, Ben thought nothing at seeing Melissa Stovall and her daughter Julie sitting at another table, but smiled when he saw Eric Anderson come out of the alcove that led to the restrooms.
His friend and next door neighbor kissed Julie on the cheek before sitting down next to her, as the waitress brought them three chicken fried steak dinners.
"Is something wrong?" wondered Kenya, noticing Ben staring off toward the rear of the diner.
"No. Just noticed some friends of mine," said her boyfriend, turning back around to face Kenya again. Ben thought the two of them looked happy together and that the youngest Anderson would be joining were society someday to be with Julie, unaware that Eric already was a were-merman.
The waitress brought them menus and took their initial drink orders (two unsweetened ice teas) before giving Ben and Kenya a few minutes to contemplate their meals.
As Kenya studied her dinner options she asked, "Would whatever I have now affect whatever you have planned for later?"
"No," replied Ben. "Other than dinner, the rest of tonight and all of tomorrow are wide open."
Kenya looked at him with a sly smile and whispered, "You presume much my werewolf."
"I don't presume, I hope," he said in return.
After the waitress returned and took their order (two Salisbury steak dinners with all the fixings) Kenya commented about how happy Ben seemed today.
"I got a chance to talk to my mom Frances this afternoon and found out some things about my past as we discussed my future."
"Oh?"
"Elizabeth Franklin, because professionally she decided to keep her maiden name, was beginning to develop quite a body of work before she was killed by that drunk driver with my father," revealed Ben.
"That is a shame, but Samantha and Frances have done well by you, and in turn you honor them as well," replied Kenya.
"But nobody knows what happened to her art. Besides the two pieces the college has, my moms have a painting she did for them as a wedding present, but nobody knows where the rest is."
"That is a mystery."
"I figured she sold it all over time to support help support herself and her family, so it's all in private hands now with no way of knowing who has what," surmised Ben. "Meanwhile, it will help to live at home during my continued education, but my college expenses are covered. Turns out my biological parents started a college fund for me before I was born and moms continued it when they became mine."
"That is good," replied Kenya. While she was fully prepared to dip into her own portfolio to help her boyfriend out and succeed in life if necessary, Kenya was glad she didn't have to now and explain where the money came from before she was ready to reveal that secret to the man she hoped to marry someday. "And we can still be together and see each other as time permits," Kenya said with a big smile, as she reached out to hold Ben's hand in hers.
"That's the best part," agreed Ben, before raising her hand long enough to kiss it. Then he hesitated a moment before adding, "I'm hoping that, provided you don't have other plans, that you will be within my life for a mighty long time to come."
Kenya smiled as she leaned forward across the table to be closer to him. "My heart has no other plans or desires to be with anyone else but you, my darling Benjamin."
Then the couple kissed, and only (reluctantly) stopped when the waitress arrived with their dinners.