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“How is your new roommate…Sadie?”
“Great.” I reached across the table and stole a cookie from the plate. “We get along well.”
My mother wiped her hand across the wood seat then sat, her bottom right at the edge. “She’s a little old to be living with young people, isn’t she?”
“She’s only twenty-eight, and I don’t blame her. It’s much cheaper to split rent than to do it all on your own.”
And Grace had vouched for her. That was all the endorsement I’d needed.
“And what would you know about that, dear?” My father pulled an envelope out of his pocket and placed it on the island. “Here is your allowance.”
I got an allowance every month. I hated taking it, but considering my parents wanted me to focus on school and not have a part-time job, an allowance was the best solution. But the low blow wasn’t appreciated. I barely spent it. I had saved up a substantial chunk of change since I’d started law school. Living like a hermit didn’t take much money.
“You didn’t just come here to visit.” I folded the envelope and stuck it in the back pocket of my jeans. “Or drop off money. So tell me why you’re really here.”
“How are your studies coming along?” my mother asked casually.
Of course. They were here to check up on the fact that I was studying. Making sure that all I did was study. Never mind having a life. Never mind having fun. Never mind trying to figure out what the hell I wanted to do with my life.
But you already know what you want to do with your life. You’re going to be a lawyer.
“Only a couple of weeks until your exams. Are you prepared?”
Hell, no, I wasn’t prepared. Not anymore. I’d been too busy having multiple orgasms to worry about contract law.
But before I had the chance to answer…
“Hey, Evs, are there any more cook—” Max stopped short in the entrance to the kitchen, “—ies?”
A rush of embarrassment spread through my body. Shit. Shit. Shit.
He stood there in his boxer briefs. And nothing else. My eyes lowered to his crotch. Thank goodness for small favors. At least he didn’t have a hard-on.
“Everly, dear…” My mother’s voice was shrill. “Who is this?”
“Mom, Dad…” I gestured to my guest. “This is my friend Max Levin. Max is helping me train for a two-kilometer run in a few weeks.”
Exasperated, my mother blurted, “You don’t have time for running, Everly. You should be spending every spare minute with your nose in a book. Daddy and I didn’t work this hard so that you could slack off.”
My mother wanted nothing more than for me to follow in her footsteps. My father, too, but he wasn’t as vocal about it.
“It’s exercise, and it’s good for my concentration. I can’t spend twenty-four hours a day cooped up inside.”
“Well…” My mother didn’t have a response for that. Shocking.
The four of us stood there in silence. Max stared at me with his eyes wide, no doubt unable to make eye contact with my parents. I couldn’t blame him. I probably should have warned him not to come down, but they never failed to tune me up and I’d totally forgotten he was here.
My parents were having a silent exchange. I recognized the signs. My father had made his way to the kitchen table and stood to my right, nodding his head for no particular reason. My mother rubbed at the side of her neck as she glared at him. It was the same routine every time I had disappointed them.
Max let his hands fall and clasped them together in front of his body. When he cleared his throat, my mother was the one to finally break the ice.
“I expect Mr. Levin has some clothes…somewhere in the house,” my mother said with an upturn of her nose. “We should go to dinner and get to know one another.”
Like hell!
“No, Mother, you were right.” I straightened in my seat. “I need to study.”
There was no way I was subjecting Max to my judgmental and pretentious pare
