AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Well, it’s with the understanding that, at the end of August, you’ll be coming home. And since you know how she is, you understand why it’s me calling you.”
Oh, yes, my mom wouldn’t want to appear accommodating in the slightest or say she’d actually changed her mind. This was only being communicated as a slight reprieve with strings the size of heavy rope attached.
“Thanks, Dad. Um, I guess I’ll probably send her an email or text telling her thanks.”
“Enjoy your weekend, and let me know how your first day goes with the internship.”
“Okay, will do.” We finished up the call.
A short time later, Colby returned with two cold beers in hand. When he offered one to me, I took it gratefully.
“How did the call from your dad go?”
“Awesome, actually. My mom agreed to let me do my summer internship.”
“That’s great news.”
“It was after having lunch with your mother today. I wonder how the subject came up?”
His grin was sheepish. “Does it matter?”
My eyes widened. “This was your doing, wasn’t it?”
“That depends if you’re angry…”
“Are you kidding. I’m forever grateful. How did you do it?”
He sighed. “Well, like a real man, I enlisted the help of my mommy and told her that you beat out thousands for an internship with an amazing businessman, which is all truthful, without focusing on the music aspect. Then I mentioned how Max is a man who could really open up doors after you complete business school, planting the seed for the amazing opportunity you’d scored.”
I burst out laughing. If ever there was a person whose approval my mother sought, it was Mrs. Singer, her neighbor for thirty-five years. “Holy shit, you’re a genius. I don’t know what to say except thank you.” I swore I wasn’t going to read anything into him helping me to stay another few months in LA.
“Believe me when I say it was all my mom’s doing. She’s pretty good about reading between the lines and knew this was something you wanted, and all your mom needed a little push. Plus my mom’s always adored you, so she was happy to do it. I wish it could’ve been about school, too, but with the timing, that might’ve been too obvious.”
I nodded, agreeing fully. The question that was nagging me, however, was why my mother was suddenly dead set about me moving home in the first place. I’d been away four years, and not once had she hinted that after graduation my time would be up or that she believed graduate school needed to be back East. Besides, it wasn’t as if she seemed to miss me. We’d never had that type of relationship, frankly, where we were hanging out together or sharing girl talk.
Looking over, I saw him lighting up a big fat cigar. Guess it was a good thing the phone call had distracted me from thinking about a hot tub lip lock with him.
“Hope you don’t mind. It’s kind of a Vegas thing.”
The wind was blowing the smoke away from me and, considering that I’d just been allowed a summer internship with his help, how could I possibly complain? “Nah, I don’t mind. Thanks for this, by the way. Not only have you engineered my summer reprieve, which gives me my internship, but I’ve also had a really great time. Oh, and, my Vegas education has been interesting.”
He laughed, meeting my eyes. “Yeah, you learned how to spin around a stripper pole.”
“Mm, yes, not to mention what DP means, how to shave with lotion for smooth skin—it really works by the way.” I made a show of rubbing my hands down my legs and watched him follow with his eyes.
“So, what are your plans tomorrow while I’m working?”
“Probably workout in the morning, then maybe lie by the pool. What time do we leave tomorrow?”
“Four-thirty. We can eat dinner on the plane. Can you do something for me?”
Men without their shirts, showing off delicious abs in a hot tub, should not be able to ask that question unless it was sexual in nature. “Sure.”
“Will you consider letting me pay for your music school? It’s what you want to do, plus it would keep you in Southern California.”
I closed my eyes briefly and sighed, trying not to let the fact that he wouldn’t mind me staying give me false hope. “I love music, but unless I can perform it without having to do tequila shooters ahead of time, I won’t accomplish anything.”
“So what’s the plan beyond the summer?”
