AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My stomach plummets. I’m playing right into their plans to “fix” me.
Which means they’re all bound for yet another disappointment.
“When can she start?” Sofia asks.
“Well…” Brandon swallows. “We have volunteers for the position this week, but I suppose I could tell them they aren’t needed anymore. Would you be able to come in Monday?”
Was it just my imagination, or did his voice quiver a little bit?
I smile. “I’ll be here.”
As we walk to the car, I turn to Sofia. “Did Mom and Dad ask you to volunteer me?”
She shrugs without looking my way, “So what if they did? It’s a good opportunity for you to learn some church history.”
Since she refuses to meet my eyes, I take the opportunity to roll them as dramatically as I can. This is always how it is with my family. Being the youngest means they shamelessly try to take control of my life whenever they see fit. None of them have any clue what qualifies as a good internship for my concentration, and now I’m locked into one I don’t really need.
But at least I’ll be seeing Pastor Brandon every day.
ChapterThree
Brandon
Why am I uneasy?
This is a perfect situation for what Hector asked of me. I’ll have plenty of alone time with Mariana to talk about her struggles.
Alone time.
Fuck. I’m not actually afraid of being alone with my best friend’s daughter, am I? Even if my body seems to be reacting to her against my will, that’s only because I’ve been celibate for too long. Celibacy won’t make me a slave to my lust. I’m not in danger of mauling her and bending her over my office desk.
And I won’t imagine it, either.
When I pull up into my driveway, the balcony light is on. Warmth washes over me, easing my frayed nerves. Ethan is here. He must be studying on the balcony.
I won’t be coming home to a big empty house.
I step inside my front door, and I’m greeted by the sterile scent of the tile cleaner. The housekeeper must have come by this morning. Damn it. How does this house still smell like it was just built and freshly painted when I’ve lived here for ten years?
This is the problem with buying the big house before you start a family. It feels so empty while I’m waiting to fill it. I thought at the ripe age of thirty-eight I’d be coming home to the sound of children’s voices and a wife to kiss.
I lived a different life when I bought this house. I owned a business. I made more money in a month than I do in a year now. Starting a family was the next logical step.
Too bad I was a selfish hedonist who sought constant new partners. I never had any relationships that lasted longer than a few months. It turned out that wanting to start a family and actually doing the work to build one were two different things.
“Hey, bro,” I say after walking through the slider door.
Ethan looks up from his laptop, his eyes sleepy. “Hey.” His voice is raspy, as if from disuse.
I grab a beer from the patio bar. “Pulling all-nighters or what?”
He groans. “I’ve barely slept at all the last two days. All my midterms landed on this week. And we have the Sierra game on Friday. I’m going to be sleepwalking.”
I smile. “More like sleep route running.”
“Exactly.” He shakes his head. “It’s going to be a nightmare.”
I pat his back. “You’ll get through it. You always do.”
