Page 56 of Room Service

22

Trent

I was back home, but I wasn’t in the mood for work. So I stuck around at home, lazing around.

It was something new to me. I’d worked hard because I knew it was the way out for me. I’d rarely taken days off, and when I did, it was to go out hiking. Never to stay at home and do nothing, it wasn’t in my fucking genes. Work, work, work that was all us men ever did in our family. Maybe that was the fucking problem, the reason that we were so dysfunctional as a family.

On my third day back, I woke up and checked my phone. It was mid-morning, and the nit-picky side of my personality was scandalized. Usually, I was up at the break of dawn. I normally went for a run around the neighborhood before heading back in for a shower, then got dressed and ready for work.

Instead, I got out of bed in an old pair of sweats and a t-shirt, scratching my head as I yawned. I’d stayed up late contemplating some useless shit I couldn’t even remember, but at least it kept my mind off my problems for the time being.

I wasn’t going anywhere, but I headed for the shower anyway. One thing I was refusing to fudge on was showering when I woke up. I brushed my teeth as the shower warmed up, and as I blinked the sleep from my eyes, I caught a glance at my reflection.

Well, damn, I thought. I looked like shit.

I hadn't shaved for the past few days, and I had a nice little beard growing in, a pale blond one that wouldn’t be too noticeable to others but it was enough to get me to frown. I had bed hair too, and I ran my hands through it, feeling a few knots in the growing locks.

“I need a haircut,” I decided. I’d have to get it before I went back in to work or people would stare and start more rumors.

I finished brushing my teeth and jumped into the shower. I took my time, letting the hot water pour over my skin, trying not to think of the two times I’d woken up after Jessi left me alone to wash away the evidence of what had happened between us. I couldn’t help it though, and I thought back to those two nights as well.

“Fuck,” I growled to myself, looking down at my rising cock.

I ended up getting myself off before I got out of the shower. I stood in front of my bathroom mirror to blow dry my hair and shave off the growing beard. Once I was satisfied with my look, I left the bathroom.

Back in the bedroom, I moved to the closet to try and decide what to wear. Most of my wardrobe consisted of formal wear or hiking gear and my work out clothes.

Maybe I could go out today. My fridge was getting a bit empty. Besides, I was going to have to get back into the outside world at some point, might as well start small.

I picked a shirt, a pair of slacks, and a belt, then put them on. I thought about putting on socks, but decided against them, picking out a pair of loafers. Dressed, I went to my living room and turned the TV on for background noise, picking up the tablet I’d left on my coffee table to check out the news.

An hour later, my doorbell rang.

I frowned to myself because I almost never got visitors. The few people who did visit me at home were family. Usually, it was just Mason. Kevin didn’t visit me, and Dad only dropped by at the office. I wasn’t sure who it was, but I got up to check my security monitor.

“Really?” I muttered, scowling at the man on the monitor.

I was suddenly glad I’d decided not to dress and walk around my home like a slob for the day. Dad had come for a visit.

With reluctance, I went to open the door. Dad had his back to me as he looked up and down the street, turning when he realized I was right behind him.

He looked just as I’d last seen him. We both had the same physique and were at the same height. He had the same blond hair and grey eyes as me. Plenty of people commented on how much we looked like each other, way too many in fact, like Dad was exactly what I would look like in twenty or so years. He was dressed in a polo-shirt and slacks with loafers, not so different from how I was dressed. My eyebrows shot up because it was rare to see Dad out of a suit, but I was more surprised to see him at my doorstep at all.

“Nice place you have here,” he said, looking around again before meeting my gaze. “Are you going to let me in, or are we going to do this at the door?”

I was so tempted to just have it out with him right there, but I didn’t need my neighbors looking on at any spectacle. Dad would be leaving soon but I still had to live here. No need to make things harder for myself. Still, it was with reluctance that I stepped aside for him to walk in.

“What are you doing here, Dad?” I asked, instead of a real greeting, just like he’d done. “Don’t you have a hotel to look after?”

He turned to give me a wry smile. He walked to the other side of my living room, where the glass gave the perfect view outside. Not as good as from my balcony, because there I could at least breathe in the mountain air along with the view, but I would hardly be taking Dad to my room.

“I wondered how long I should wait to see you,” he said. “Before and after you found out the truth.”

“You can say it bluntly,” I said, voice thick with sarcasm. “You mean after I found out that you used Emily to lie about you having a heart attack, just to get me home.”

He had his back to me, hands in his pockets so I couldn’t figure out what he was thinking, and exactly what he’d come to me for. After a minute of silence, I let out an explosive sigh.

“Seriously, Dad. What did you come here for? If its business, it can wait until I get back to my office. I’m taking the whole week off.”