My date with Daddy was amazing! First off, the weather couldn’t have been any more perfect. It was a bright sunny day, not too hot out and with the slightest hint of a breeze. A few light fluffy clouds broke up the beautiful blue sky adding a lovely contrast.
Daddy took me to this new clothing shop where they had the most wonderful clothes! Clothes that made me feel so grown up and even sexy and Daddy let me pick whatever I wanted. He would tell me how he felt about them, but as a man, not as my father.
It was wonderful–he acted more like a boyfriend than a father and would tell me what he liked to see on a woman. Which made me feel so special… Daddy was looking at me as a woman finally, not as his “little girl”.
Don’t get me wrong, I love being Daddy’s little girl and I never want to outgrow that. But to have him looking at me through a man’s eyes and not a father’s was huge for me. I was about to enter high school and, like any young girl, I was self-conscious about my sexuality and desirability.
Being an only child and with Mom gone now, I had no one really to talk to about this sort of thing. And I hadn’t started dating yet, so I had no boyfriend to ask (besides boyfriends aren’t always the most reliable source of information anyway!).
After I got all the school clothes I could possibly need, we decided it was a good time to grab a bite to eat. So we left the clothes store and Daddy drove to this very fancy five-star Italian restaurant. I walked into the restaurant awestruck… Daddy had never taken me to anything this nice before.
My normal Italian food consisted of pizza or spaghetti or maybe ravioli (the Chef Boyardee kind!), so this was a real treat. And Daddy really played the part too, he took care of the maitre’ d, when we were shown to our table he pulled out my chair and seated me, he asked me what I wanted and then ordered for me, and he even set up with the restaurant to have a special bottle of grape juice set aside so we could have some “wine” with our meal!
It was all very sweet and made me feel so grown up and ladylike! We ate our lunch and enjoyed our “wine” just as any other man and woman would. Daddy talked to me about school and what classes I would be taking, what I wanted to do in school, and what I wanted to do after I graduated.
I told him I wanted to be a marine biologist and so I would be taking a lot of courses headed in that direction. I also wanted to try out for the cheerleading squad, just because a girl needs to have some fun and it’s a great way to meet boys!
“Well we might be on a date right now, but I am still going to want to talk to any boy that wants to go out with you. After all, I want to know who my competition is!” he said, winking at me and smiling.
“Don’t worry, Daddy… no boy can ever take your place,” I assured him.
“That’s good to know,” he said, smiling at me. I loved my Daddy’s smile… I hadn’t seen enough of it lately.
Once we had finished eating, it was off to the final part of the date with Daddy. He took me to a very nice beauty salon and after he explained to the receptionist there what was going on, the girls took me back into the back to do their magic. Daddy sat very patiently out front while I got a manicure, a pedicure, a facial, and got my hair done.
The girls were wonderful–they took me on like I was their pet project! Knowing that this was my first trip to a beauty salon and I was starting high school, they fussed over me, giggling and laughing, it was a wonderful time.
One of the girls worked on my toes while another worked on my fingers. Then the girls washed my hair and styled it. Finally, they gave me a facial and I was done. One of the girls who was working on me went out to get my dad.
As I stood behind the partition she announced me. “Mr. Tinkerton, may I present your daughter Tina,” she said. Then the two girls walked me out in front of Daddy. He was stunned… I saw him look me up and down and then I saw something else. I saw his eyes start getting wet and a tear run down his cheek. He took my hands in his as he spoke.
“Tina, my beautiful girl, you look simply breathtaking. I have never been more proud to be your father than I am right now, and I am so happy to see what a magnificent young woman you have become. I love you, sweetheart,” he said, looking down at me.
Now it was my turn to cry, and as the tears ran down my cheeks, I wrapped my arms around my father’s neck. “Thank you, Daddy, Thank you for today, and thank you for everything. But most of all, thank you for being you. I love you too, Daddy.” As we hugged, I looked over at the girls to mouth them a silent “thank you”, but both of them were crying too!
My high school “career” began easily enough and despite the daunting task before me, I was able to get through the orientation and find all my classes on time. The first couple of weeks went by pretty quickly, and one Friday afternoon an announcement came over the school’s public address system.
“Attention students. Don’t forget that next week is Teacher-Parent week. I would like to invite all your parents to come to school and meet the teachers here and see what you are doing in school. Your homeroom class will have the schedules for you. Be sure to tell your parents.”
I went home and told Dad about the Teacher-Parent Week and what day my class was scheduled. He had been to a couple of them before, but mostly it had been Mom going to them. Work always seemed to get in the way when they scheduled these Teacher-Parent Weeks before.
“I’ll be there at your school on that day. I will let the department know I need the day off. I know Mom used to do these things, but now I will be doing them. And I don’t want to miss this one,” he said.
“Thank you, Daddy,” I said. I knew this was a big deal and meant a lot to him. It meant a lot to me too–knowing that he put me ahead of his work was very special.
That following Tuesday was the day of my Parent-Teacher conference, and Daddy showed up just as he promised. He met my homeroom teacher and talked to him about the school and what today was all about. Then he talked a bit about how I was doing in high school for my first year, and what my plans for high school were.
When they were finished talking, I took him to my next class which was biology. I showed him where my class was and introduced him to my teacher.
“Dad, this is Miss Parkinson, my biology teacher. Miss Parkinson, this is my father,” I said.
I have to hand it to my Daddy… he really tried to maintain his cool! He reached out his hand “Nice to meet you, Miss Parkinson,” he said.
“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Tinkerton,” she said, “Tina here tells me you are a firefighter?”
“Please call me Dave. And yes, I work for the Phoenix Fire Department,” he said.
“That must be an exciting job… Dave. How long have you been a firefighter?” she asked.
“I’ve been with the department for about fourteen years now. And before that, I was a firefighter while going to college at the University Fire Department,” Daddy told Miss Parkinson.
I could tell Daddy liked Miss Parkinson, and from the way she talked with him, I was pretty sure the feelings were mutual. But we were here for a reason, and so the two of them began discussing me and my grades.
Luckily for me, I was a good student and “a pleasure to have in class” according to Miss Parkinson. That made Daddy happy as he told her a bit about our recent past and how hard the divorce was on us.
“Oh, so you are divorced?” she asked “I’m so sorry. But you both seem to be handling it remarkably well.”
“Well, it would have been a lot harder if it wasn’t for this one,” Daddy said, “She is the reason I am doing so well. She’s been amazing through all of this and I have come to depend on her as much as she depends on me.” Daddy playfully tousled my hair as he talked about me.
“She is a pleasure to have in my class and she is doing just fine with her schoolwork. You should be proud of her,” Miss Parkinson said, smiling broadly.
Then it was time to move on and Daddy and I went on to my other classes and met my other teachers. When we were finished taking the grand tour and talking with all the teachers, we left the school and headed home.
“Your biology teacher is quite attractive. Miss Parkinson isn’t it?” Daddy asked.
“Yes, Miss Parkinson. You think she’s pretty, do you?” I said, grinning like a Cheshire cat. I thought I had spotted a little something going on between them!
“Yeah, she is nice on the eyes. And she seems sweet,” he said.
“You going to ask her out?” I asked, clapping gleefully.
“Now hold on there pumpkin… no one said anything about dating! I just said she seems nice!”
“Yeah, but you like her don’t you?” I asked.
“Well, I don’t dis-like her.”
“Then you should ask her out! At least take her for coffee or lunch or something!” I exclaimed.
“We’ll see, honey,” he said. That was Daddy’s way of ending a discussion without declaring a winner or arguing some more. Daddy may have been finished with the discussion, but I wasn’t!
“Daddy, it’s been a year and a half since Mom left and I know that you and her weren’t close for a while before that. You need to find you someone who makes you happy. Someone you can be close to and who you can care for and who cares about you,” I said.
“But I’ve already got that,” he said, pulling me closer, “I have you to take care of and be close to. And you do make me happy, princess.”
“You know what I mean!” I said impatiently, “I mean you need someone closer to your age that you can be with. Someone you can talk to as an adult and someone you can… you know.”
“And just what do you know about ‘you know’, young lady?” he said, mocking sternness.
“Daddy, I’m in high school now. I know about sex!” I said, giggling.
“Okay, now I have to ask… are you still…” he hesitated, as if afraid to say the word.
“Yes, Daddy, I am still a virgin,” I told him. I could see the relief come over him as he heard that.
“Oh, thank goodness!” he said.
“Well, anyway, we were talking about you. You need to find yourself someone. I don’t like you being so lonely,” I told him.
“I’m okay, honey,” he said. But I didn’t believe him. And I was determined to do something to help him.
I let the conversation go for now as we were just about home.
It was a couple of days before I had a chance to further my ambitions in finding Daddy a girlfriend. I had a “woman’s intuition” that Miss Parkinson would be an ideal partner for my Daddy, and she was the one I wanted to look at more closely.
Miss Parkinson was very attractive, about five years younger than Dad with long blonde hair and green eyes. She had a good figure and dressed very nicely. And I may just be a “silly little girl” like Daddy says sometimes, but I could see a definite chemistry between them.
So that day I made sure I was the last one out of class, taking my time putting away my books and discretely loitering in her class until everyone had left but the two of us.
“Miss Parkinson, can I talk to you a minute?” I said as I walked up to her desk.
“Of course, Tina what is it?” she said, “Are you having trouble with the assignment?”
“No, it’s nothing like that. This is more of a personal matter,” I told her.
“Oh?”
“Yeah. I was just wondering… um what you thought of my father,” I said, looking up into her eyes.
“Well, I think he is a nice man trying to raise a nice daughter, why do you ask?”
“That’s not exactly what I meant,” I said.
“What do you mean, Tina? What is this all about?” she said, more than a little confused.
“Miss Parkinson, I happen to know he likes you, and I was just wondering how you felt about him. You see, my Dad has been pretty lonely since Mom left and it would be nice to see him find someone he can talk to and be friends with–someone more his age,” I said.
“Tina this isn’t exactly appropriate talk to have in this setting or between a student and a teacher…” she said, glancing over at the classroom door.
“I know Miss Parkinson, and I don’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable, but I really hate how lonely my father is since the divorce. He just goes to work and comes home to take care of me. He never goes out, and we hardly ever have company over. If it wasn’t for his work at the fire department, he wouldn’t see any adults.
"I try to keep him company, but I’m not what he needs. When he came to school the other day, I saw how he looked at you. I know he likes you and he hasn’t been on a date in a long time. He’s also kinda shy, so that’s why I am trying to help him,” I told her.
“Well, I think it’s sweet that you are trying to fix your father up with a date, and I do think your father is a nice man. And while my own dating world is pretty small–practically non-existent, actually–I would have to get to know him a little better before I decided to go out with him,” she said.
“So you don’t have a boyfriend?” I asked her. This was getting better than I could have hoped for!
“Unfortunately, no. I just haven’t found anyone lately that interests me. Plus a girl has to be careful these days, you know!” she said, winking at me.
I smiled and then turned to leave. I had found out more about Miss Parkinson, and what I found out was going to be most helpful.
That afternoon when I got home from school, I made another push for Daddy and Miss Parkinson to give things a chance.
“Daddy, what are you doing this weekend?” I asked as I looked at the calendar on the refrigerator. I could see that he wouldn’t be working this weekend, so this was a good time to put my plan into action.
“I don’t know, probably just staying here at home. I might cut the grass this weekend… it’s getting a little long,” Daddy said.
“I’ll make a deal with you Daddy; I’ll take care of the lawn if you will go on a date with Miss Parkinson,” I said.
“Are you still on that idea?” he asked.
“Yes, Daddy. I told you that I hate that you always stay at home and never have any fun. I mean, you go off to work and when you come home, you just hang around the house. You never go out with anyone, and you never get a chance to have a good time!” I said.
“I have plenty of fun with you, sweetheart. And I kinda like staying home,” he said.
“Daddy… that’s NOT what I meant! You are a very handsome man and you are still very sexy. You need to find someone who you can be with–someone who you can love. A girlfriend, not just a daughter,” I said, getting frustrated at this exchange.
“And you think that Miss Parkinson is the girl for me? Do you think that she and I will somehow fall magically in love? Sweetie, you have been reading too many of those romance novels of yours!” he said.
“Well, you never know! At least you can go out on a date and see if you are compatible. You are always telling me I have to try new things. You say ‘how do you know you won’t like it if you never try it’. That’s your favorite phrase I think.” I told him, putting my hands on my hips and glaring at him as I argued my point.
He grinned at me, trying to hold back a chuckle. “You are so much like your mother when you get riled up!” he said, “Okay, I will tell you what. I will ask your Miss Parkinson out. If she agrees, we will go out and see how we are together. I’m not making any promises, but we will give it a try. Now, if she turns me down, or if things don’t feel right between us, I don’t want to hear any more about her and I, understand?”
“Yes, Daddy. But I’m sure you two will hit it off just wonderfully, I just know it!” I said, clapping my hands with glee.
“We’ll see. Meantime, you have a lawn to mow, young lady!” he said. We both had a good laugh at that and I went in to get dinner ready.
Saturday rolled around and Dad got ready for his date. I think I was more excited than he was! He got dressed and came down to let me have a look. He was so handsome… I just knew the night was going to go well! Daddy left for his date with Miss Parkinson and I turned on the TV and curled up on the couch.
I must have fallen asleep watching TV because when I woke up the next morning, I was still there. Dad hadn’t come home apparently (or he would have put me to bed) and I grinned happily as the realization hit me.
I got up and went into the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day. After I finished showering and putting my makeup on, I went in and began making breakfast. I was right in the middle of eating when Daddy walked in. And he wasn’t alone!
“Morning Daddy!” I said as he walked in the door. Then right afterward Miss Parkinson followed. “Hi, Miss Parkinson!” I said smiling. Miss Parkinson was a bit embarrassed about coming in so early with my Dad, but neither he or I made any fuss over it so she didn’t mind either. I was just thrilled that things went so well with them!
“Beverly and I were thinking about going to the beach and we were wondering if you’d like to go too,” he said.
“Well as much as I love the beach, I think I will pass on this trip and let the two of you go by yourselves. Besides, I still need to cut the grass–remember our deal?” I said happily.
[img]https://images.lushstories.com/5137371c55e28a24f0ce6bc1/three-astericks.jpg[/img]
It’s been almost a year now since Dad and Miss Parkinson had their first date that day. Things have gone so amazingly well–Daddy is happier than I can ever remember him being. Dad and Miss Parkinson have a wonderful relationship that has grown into more. Dad asked her to move in with us about a month ago and she accepted right off.
Now the three of us all live in our house and while she says she doesn’t want to try to replace my mother, to me she already has. She and I have grown in our relationship too–I feel I can come to her with any problem I have and it is so nice to have a woman’s opinion again.
She helps me with my “girl issues” and other things that Daddy (bless his big heart) just can’t understand.
She is still my teacher and while we are at school we have to keep that straight, but at home, she is my Mom for all practical and emotional purposes. Dad loves her and so I love her and we are all very happy together.
Daddy and Miss Parkinson are out on a dinner date right now and he told me before they left that he has something very important to talk to her about. I think he is going to propose to her!
Oh, I hope she says yes!
