Just as the curtain was about to rise, the door to the box opened, and Ivan entered with a sulking Annette on his arm.
Aaron looked at his mother coldly, she looked very uncomfortable and out of place, sitting next to Ivan in his best tuxedo. Her shimmering black cocktail dress while beautiful, was marred by the protruding lines caused by her cotton underwear and the tufts of body hair she had failed to shave off in her haste and unfamiliarity with the pocket shaver.
The curtain rose and the play began. It was a symphonic power metal adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera with a Norwegian symphonic power metal band collaborating with a Broadway orchestra and theater group.
Aaron watched the play with rapt attention, the symphonic power metal music and the deep, gravelly voice of the actor playing the Phantom resonating deep within him. He now knew what kind of image and voice he wanted to project.
During the intermission, Kate and Mei Ling quickly took charge of Annette, hauling her reluctant, partially shaved form off to the ladies' room.
Aaron, sensing that Father Abel wanted to speak to Ivan privately, excused himself as well, exiting the box to buy a soda.
As soon as they were alone, Father Abel turned to speak with Ivan.
"You and Aaron seem to be getting along quite well. I heard you even let him drive?" he asked Ivan.
"Well, I'm doing what I think I can to help him socialize" said Ivan cautiously. He felt that these new experiences were a net positive for Aaron, but still felt a little doubtful, and was grateful that he had run into Father Abel.
"It appears to have some positive effects. Aaron seems to be opening up and has gained more confidence in his interactions with women" observed Father Abel. "However, I feel it is coming at a cost to Annette. You are pushing her well past her comfort zone" he cautioned.
Ivan nodded. "I know Father, but she is a little too rigid with Aaron. She has started to view his preferences and choices as odd, and potentially problematic. While I find them unusual myself, it does seem to work for him" sighed Ivan.
"I would also venture that Annette holds different views from Kate and Mei Ling. She believes that they are a bad influence on Aaron" said Father Abel.
"That's complete nonsense! Mei Ling is a beautiful and intelligent woman and so is Kate! I'm sure your cousin and your friend from college would never be a bad influence" said Ivan.
"You and I know that Ivan, but Annette feels that they are encouraging Aaron to adopt a more dominant persona around women and that is not something she wants Aaron to cultivate" said Father Abel seriously.
"So you're saying she feels Kate and Mei Ling's encouraging Aaron to be more assertive is harmful" sighed Ivan.
Father Abel shook his head. "I'm afraid it is more complicated than that. Assertiveness is essential to prevent you from being taken advantage of. However, Aaron also has a strong desire for controlling his environment. Right now, he is practicing control over himself. Before you arrived, both Mei Ling and Kate attempted to tease him and get him to choose which of them he found more attractive, his ability to control his adolescent impulses was almost inhuman. When he reached the limit of his patience, he stood up and commanded them to stop, and they meekly obeyed. His command seemed to have a profound effect on at least Kate. I couldn't ask Mei's thoughts" he said worriedly.
Ivan scowled at Father Abel. "What are you trying to tell me? That Aaron is not attracted to women but just wants to control them?" he demanded.
Father Abel sighed. "Aaron is definitely attracted to both of them. However, he refused to get caught up in their teasing game. Which means that he values control in a relationship. In moderation, this can be a good thing, but it can be dangerous and harmful to both Aaron and whoever he is with if it goes too far" he explained, as Aaron returned to the box with a tray of sodas.
Ivan mulled over Father Abel's discussion with him as he sipped his soda. Annette's disapproval of Kate and Mei Ling was bewildering. They were both attractive and intelligent young women. Ivan was at a loss over why Annette didn't like them.Annette, Kate and Mei Ling returned just before the warning bell that signaled the end of the intermission rang. Annette's bare arms and legs were now hairless, and she looked much more presentable, albeit still uncomfortable in the sexy, shimmering black cocktail dress. She sat down in a huff next to Ivan, shooting venomous glances at Kate and Mei Ling as they took their seats flanking Aaron.
Ivan observed Kate, Mei Ling and Aaron as the play resumed. Kate and Mei Ling tried to engage Aaron in conversation, but he firmly commanded them to keep quiet and enjoy the play. Despite his firm and somewhat authoritative response to them, they seemed happy to hang on his arms and rest their heads on his shoulders. Ivan smiled at the warm affection Aaron was receiving from them and refocused on the excellent performance of the play, glad that Aaron was enjoying the pure and powerful fusion of sounds brought about by mixing powerful electric guitars with classic organ and orchestral accompaniments.
Annette was not having a good day. First, Ivan let Aaron drive despite him being only 13, and allowed him to accelerate on the highway no less.
Second, the muscle-bound security guard at the theater door ordered her to either wear a dress or scram. What kind of theater was this that enforced such sexist and archaic practices as dress codes?
Third, Ivan seemed to have carefully planned this without consulting her or considering her feelings. He knew that she hated dress codes and skimpy dresses!
Fourth, Mei Ling and Kate, had simply grabbed her, hauled her to the ladies' room and proceeded to 'fix' her appearance! Her pleas and protests were ignored by the two younger women who were determined to make her 'presentable'!
Finally, this play seemed more like a cacophony of noise with the male lead actor very fond of slipping into a horrible gravelly growl that was barely intelligible. The way that Kate and Mei Ling clung to Aaron, made her even more furious. They made Aaron look even more villainous and misogynistic with them hanging like trophies on him. Why would two fully grown women put themselves in such positions?!
With a firm sulk, Annette waited with folded arms for this ordeal to end.
Mei Ling shot Annette's sulking form a look of pure disdain.
Contrary to the stereotype peddled by Hollywood, men's involvement in women's fashion was not the domain of effeminate, homosexual cross-dressing men.
In fact, the choices Ivan had made: Shimmering black cocktail dress, sleek black strapless bra, lacy black panties, sheer black pantyhose and strappy flat sandals. Spoke volumes on both his knowledge of feminine clothing, and his precision in picking sizes. The ensemble was not just sexy and occasion-appropriate, but also sized perfectly for Annette, maximizing both style and comfort.
In a world where men were increasingly ignorant and hands-off on women's clothing - save perhaps for cross-dressing - Ivan's choices were a breath of fresh air, and men like Ivan were an increasingly dying breed. Something Annette seemed oblivious to, in her rigid and narrow views on feminism and femininity.
With an internal sigh at Annette's sulk, Mei Ling refocused on the play. The symphonic power metal adaptation of Phantom of the Opera was a masterpiece of sound and fury, and she was glad to be able to enjoy it with Aaron and Kate.
Father Abel kept an eye on Aaron as the play reached its climax.
He was relieved to see that the power of the music and songs had broken through Aaron's Stoic mask, and that he had an expression of genuine excitement and pure pleasure as the action and music ramped up.
The play ended with a standing ovation and Aaron stood up and politely applauded, his iron-willed discipline at work again, adjusting his happy and excited expression back to one of Stoic neutrality.