AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Could be. You lost him when you were just a teenager. Maybe you haven’t dealt with that loss and you’re compensating by needing a man around.”
My dad had always been there for me while my mother went on her many jaunts. We liked the same movies. He would cook me steaks. He came to my school plays. My mother missed my graduation, and my dad was dead by that stage.
“You know, I still miss him,” I said, a lump in my throat.
“Yeah. I miss my dad too.”
We shared a melancholic smile.
I walked past Absinthe, peered in, and caught Chase talking to a blond woman. My night came crashing down. Instead of going in for a drink, I hurried away, hoping he hadn’t seen me.
When I got home, Mitch and Jack were there discussing a project. Mitch was drinking some murky-colored juice that resembled swamp water, and Jack was lounging with a beer. He glanced up and nodded.
Feeling like I was interrupting, I poured myself a glass of wine and plonked down on the sofa. My spirits had sagged after I’d seen Chase with that attractive woman at the bar.
“Where’s Mom?” I asked, turning to Mitch.
“She’s at her businesswomen’s group get-together.”
“Oh.” I nodded. My mother and her groups. She loved them. A real networker. I could learn a thing or two from her kick-ass attitude, coupled with that inexhaustible drive of hers. My mother had enough energy to run a town. I took after my procrastinating father, easily distracted by the finer pleasures of life.
“So, this development will run on renewables?” Mitch asked.
“That’s right. Sky High.”
“That sounds like a party drug.” I chuckled.
Jack gave me a side-glance then dismissed my comment by returning his attention to Mitch.
What happened to a good sense of fucking humor?
I rose. “I’m off to destroy some brain cells on some mindless romance on TV.”
After I’d settled into my room and slumped back on a chair, I turned on the television and watched Ryan Gosling gazing enigmatically into his girl’s eyes.
My phone buzzed, and seeing Chase’s devil’s head, I stared at it indecisively.
I ended up taking the call, if only to listen to his dreamy voice.
“You picked up,” he sang, sounding like he’d just had a win.
That felt nice after the cool reception I’d received from a man I’d just started dating.
“I thought you were someone else,” I lied.
“Oh, my devil’s head didn’t come up on your screen?”
“You’ve seen that?” I sat up, hating to be caught.
“You showed me.”
“I thought you’d be on a date,” I said.
“No. The girl of my dreams has left me, and I’m all alone.”
I had to smile at that. “Maybe you shouldn’t be such a bullshitting douche.”
“I know it was wrong of me to propose. I’m sorry. But I really miss you.”
