Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72655 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72655 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
That’s kind of the mother of all questions, no pun intended. “Does anyone really know that?”
He shrugs. At least he’s looking at me now, which makes my stomach flutter when it shouldn’t. “When I told her I didn’t know, she wanted to know what was so wrong with helping me to figure it out and be happy. She’s my mom, and all she’s ever wanted to do is help.”
“There’s helping, and then there’s too much helping.”
“I tried to explain that, but I’m her only child. To her, it’s like telling someone who loves crab legs that there’s such a thing as too many crab legs.”
He’s got me there. There can’t be such a thing as too many crab legs. Never, never, never, with a side of lush, meaty, seafoody crabiness. “I was going to ask what you thought about a new pudding flavor. Crab legs and garlic butter. I know everyone thinks pudding is sweet, but we’ve done some wild flavors before, and savory is a huge thing. I think it could be a bestseller.”
He can tell I’m just trying to cheer him up, and I don’t know how to do that without changing the subject. “If people are willing to eat crabanana splits, I could see how you’d be right,” he murmurs.
“Maybe we should have tried one. Market research,” I say with a small laugh.
“I didn’t fancy a trip to the ER.”
“But you were brave enough to come clean with your mom. If you can do that, then you can do anything.”
“I feel like I can do nothing at the moment.” Shit. He looks like he’s sagging into his chair again. Defeat. It doesn’t look right on this man. He’s allowed to feel sad or hurt or question things, but defeat? I don’t like it at all. “I feel like I’m stuck.”
“Stuck here?”
“Stuck in life. Going nowhere. I feel like I have so much of what other people want, and when you have money, everyone wants your life because they think it must be perfectly uncomplicated and problem-free, but I can’t seem to get it together in the way I should be getting it together. Business-wise, it’s good, and I’ve made great choices. I feel like I can be proud of everything I’ve accomplished or had help accomplishing because I for sure did have help. Not just at the start from family money but from everyone who has ever worked at one of my companies along the way. I have great teams, and awesome people make a huge difference. I would never take all the credit. When I say I’m proud, I mean it that way. But personally? I just feel like I’ve hit this wall. I’ve been at this stupid wall for ages.”
“You’ve had relationships in the past?”
One set of honey-gold eyes track back to mine. They’re not guarded, but they are a little bit narrow. He can’t see where I’m going with this. I can’t see where I’m going with this. It’s not like I have much experience myself. I’m definitely no love guru. In fact, I’m the opposite. I’m the get-dumped-for-a-woman-my-fiancé-just-met-the-day-before guru.
“Not long ones. Nothing I would say even skirted close to love. They seem to always end because I’m told I don’t know what it is I want. It’s a common theme with me as the common denominator. And they’re probably right.”
“You have friends,” I comment.
“I do have friends, yes.”
Friends made all the difference for me when I was stuck. I don’t know what I would have done without Gen. I wouldn’t be the same me I am now if she hadn’t been there for me growing up, as a teenager, and now as an adult.
“I think if you’re facing down a wall, then maybe you should do the things you normally do that make you happy.” I’m not a good person to give advice, though. I didn’t do jack shit after Jeff left me with a ring on my finger, a head full of broken dreams, and a heart full of misery. “Hang out with friends. Go out and do things. You might meet someone, or you might not, but you shouldn’t pressure yourself into it. No one should be pressured into that. Your mom might have been trying to help, but setting up dates someone doesn’t want to go on in the first place, or maybe both parties don’t want to go on, isn’t going to remedy the singleness situation. That’s just applying pressure in such a way that all you’re going to get is coal. Or diamonds. I can’t remember which one it is. Maybe neither. Maybe it’s something combustible, like a baking soda and vinegar volcano waiting to explode.”
“Baking soda and vinegar.” His tiny smile causes a not-so-tiny reaction in my ovaries. “I haven’t thought about that since I was a kid.”