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An image flashed in my brain—Nick hovering over me, his cock filling me, his muscles contracting. My skin felt warm. My cheeks flushed. Was it hot in there?
“Are you okay?” Gia asked after she’d ushered the couple out of the office. Thankfully, it was our last appointment of the day.
“Sorry, I didn’t sleep well last night.” Something about seeing Nick again brought everything back in Technicolor. I’d woken up in the middle of the most delicious dream, and I could still feel Nick’s fingers on my body.
Gia looked at me with concern. “I hope you’re not coming down with anything. Even without that couple, our schedule is full.”
Our calendars were slowly filling up with weddings and engagement parties.
“You need to take care of yourself,” Lily said as she approached us.
“Let us know if you need any help,” Sophie added, her face filled with concern.
“I will.” They couldn’t help me with my business, and I had family to watch Hunter. There wasn’t anything they could do other than be my friends.
I understood their concern. I didn’t have a backup or an assistant if I got sick. I’d resisted hiring anyone. It felt weird paying someone to do a job I could technically do myself. But Gia kept reminding me that as our businesses grew, we’d need to hire more help. It would help our businesses expand. Though it was difficult for me to wrap my mind around spending money to make money.
Hunter only had me and my income. His father visited sporadically, and he was usually in between jobs, unable or unwilling to offer financial assistance. I knew my parents would step in if I asked, but I didn’t want to be reliant on them. I was an adult who could take care of herself. I needed the business to be successful.
“Let’s go over our schedule for the next few weeks while you’re here,” Gia said, and we moved into her office and shifted our chairs around her desk.
For a few minutes, I cleared my brain from anything related to Nick. Then my phone vibrated with a message. Thinking it could be a client, I opened it. It was Nick saying he’d picked the team and we needed to schedule a parents’ meeting. I let out a breath, positive any meeting would be during my already packed evening or weekends.
How would I manage it?
“Is everything okay?” Gia asked.
“Hunter got on a travel team. He wants it so badly, but I’m not sure how I’ll manage practices and meetings.” Or his attractive coach.
“I’ve heard those can be time consuming with practices and weekend tournaments,” Sophie said sympathetically.
Tournaments meant travel outside the state, hotel rooms, and multiple games a weekend. I couldn’t swing that with my schedule.
“You should probably make sure before you commit,” Gia said.
“We’ll help you if we can,” Sophie offered.
“Thanks for being there for me. I’ll figure it out.”
If it was something Hunter really wanted, I’d do it. There was a sense that he was already missing out on a father, and I didn’t want him to miss out on anything else. I wanted to be enough for him. I always worried I wasn’t giving enough to my business, my family, or my friends.
I was split in different directions, wondering when things would fall apart. Life didn’t get to be easy.
“We do what needs to be done,” Gia murmured, and I wondered if she was still talking about me or something else.
We were all business owners, wanting to expand our reach. The only difference was that I was the lone single parent. As much as they offered to help, or said they understood, they didn’t.
My heart was being pulled in different directions, and it hurt. Mom-guilt was the worst. I couldn’t explain it to someone who hadn’t experienced it. The guilt was tenfold when you added in the absentee father. I had to be both parents for Hunter.
I knew I couldn’t quite accomplish that. I wasn’t athletic like Hunter, but I tried. I’d do anything for him.
“Thanks for being good friends. I’m sure it’ll work out,” I said with more confidence than I felt.
Gia smiled. She prided herself on having it all together and never making excuses. “You’ve got this.”
While they talked about the possibility of squeezing in another wedding in October, I responded to Nick’s message asking if we could talk. I needed to know how far they’d be traveling before we committed any further.
My chest tightened with anxiety. Would I be able to make it work? Was it realistic to think I could? My phone buzzed. I held up a finger as the other women fell silent. “I’m sorry. I need to take this.”
