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“Alyssa! Hi honey, how are you? You look great.”
“Hi, Dad. Sorry we’re late,” I say while giving him a hug.
He waves me off. “Don’t worry about it, sweetie. Your old dad is always happy to wait.”
Then Cyrus shakes hands with Liam, clapping his back in one of those bro-hug things.
“How’s it going, Mr. North?” Liam asks.
My dad chuckles. “Tired, but amazing. By the way, please call me Cyrus. Mr. North is way too formal, and makes me feel like an old man.”
I titter.
“That’s because you are one! Where’s Josie, by the way?” I ask. Josie is my ex-stepsister as well as my new stepmother. It’s a convoluted story, but basically, Cyrus used to be married to Josie’s mother Marilyn. In a twisted turn of events, he and Josie took up years after he and Marilyn divorced, and now my best friend and my dad are married with a baby.
But Cyrus is in his late forties, so he’s old to be dealing with a newborn. He smiles wearily and scrubs his face with one hand.
“Josie’s at home with Annabella and the two are resting at the moment. The baby was up half the night teething, so it’s been rough to say the least and now they’re just catching up on their zzz’s.”
I nod sympathetically, my heart going out to my friend.
“Poor thing. I’ll have to come visit soon then. I miss my old roomie!”
I admit it’s a little weird that my bestie is now married to my dad, and even now, I cringe thinking about their sex life. But hey, they’re both happy, and that’s what matters most to me.
I look at my menu, suddenly starving. Did I even eat at the party last night? I know I had some snacks, but that clearly didn’t cut it. My stomach rumbles, begging for nutrients, and right on time, the waitress scampers forward.
“What can I get for you guys?” she asks brightly, her blonde ponytail swinging.
Trellis has a great brunch menu, so I order the eggs Benedict, along with a double helping of fries and no salad. Meanwhile, my dad goes for a huge breakfast spread with pancakes, eggs, toast, bacon, home fries, and a side of French toast to top it all off. Wow, that’s a lot. I definitely get my big appetite from my dad, but I’m nowhere near his level.
But that’s what I love about my boyfriend and my father. Both of them approve of my enormous appetite and after the waitress bounces away, I take a sip of my orange juice.
“So how are you young folks?” my dad asks while sipping at his own juice. “Anything new to report?”
I nod. “Everything is good,” I remark cheerily. “Nothing on the horizon at all.” With that, I shoot a meaningful look at Liam to make sure he doesn’t say anything about last night. Of course, my boyfriend would never be indiscreet like that, but just making sure. Meanwhile, Cyrus is totally unaware.
“And school is going well?”
I nod enthusiastically. “Yeah, it’s good. The classes are tough, but then again, this is a graduate program so it should be challenging.”
Cyrus nods with approval.
“I’m proud of you for going for a master’s degree, honey,” he says. “In romance languages too! I can hardly even speak English.” Then, my father turns to Liam. “How about you, son? How’s the business going?”
I sit back, knowing that the two men are going to talk for a long time because Liam owns his own company called Stillman Carpentry. My guy is a master woodworker, and is in demand all over the Tri-State area. He even gets custom orders from Japan and Europe for his furniture and cabinetry. In fact, Liam’s seriously toying with the idea of hiring additional employees, and I’m really proud of his success. Plus, carpentry is how Liam and Bart know each other because actually, Bart is also a master carpenter with his own company called Payne Works. I’m not sure exactly how they met actually, but I’m certain it’s through some industry event.
Meanwhile, I yawn as I glance around the restaurant. Business talk has always bored me, and I wish Josie were here, even if Annabella’s being fussy. Come to think of it, I love my little half-sister and she’s the cutest thing. Annabella looks more like my friend than my dad, but that’s okay. I can’t even imagine my dad’s dark features on a chubby baby face.
Then, I tune back into the conversation between Liam and my father, and sure enough, they’re talking about something so dull that my ears buzz.
“Lumber prices are on the rise,” Dad says seriously. “Have you accounted for that?”
“Yes, of course. I’ll be honest, we did lose a few jobs over it, but we’ve been able to bounce back with other contracts. I’m actually in the works to sign an agreement with guaranteed work for five whole years, if you can believe it.”
