Total pages in book: 165
Estimated words: 154925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
“Yeah, I don’t like to think about parents like that. In any way. It’s why I do not go to Sanctum. Never will. If I can run into my parents or aunts and uncles while they’re wearing fet wear, I say no.”
She hadn’t even thought about what a problem that would be for him. “Huh. I guess you don’t get that part of the employment package. Not everyone’s in the lifestyle.”
“Sanctum’s not the only club in town, and you’re getting distracted. You got a call from your father. Your dad needs a strong hand. What happened to your mom?”
“Cancer. He was great with her. He never left her side, did everything she needed, was there for me. I had graduated from college and found a place to live in the city. When I went home for the holidays, he’d already met someone, and he was married by New Year’s Day.”
“So she wasn’t as welcoming as Sean?”
“Not in any way. She has two daughters. They were twelve and seven at the time, and she pretty much took one look at me and decided I was a bad influence. I was told if I wanted to be a part of her family, I would need to change the way I dress and my hair color, and she didn’t think it was a good idea for a girl like me to work in such a male-dominated field. I was advised to get a new job if I ever wanted to find a husband.”
“Seriously? And your dad married her?” Kyle asked.
“Oh, yes, and asked me to get along. He begged me to get along with her. He tried compromising. I would be allowed at family functions if I would dress normally and play down my hair. I tried that twice, and it was uncomfortable to say the least. My stepmother actively hates me. She seems to think if I’m around she doesn’t have full control over my dad, and that’s important to her. She rules her family with an iron fist, and my dad doesn’t have the willpower to fight with her. I don’t even know if he loves her. I think she was strong enough to lead him and he followed.”
“But he called you today. Do you talk to him often?”
“Less and less as time goes by. He’s always working or doing something with the girls. I see my stepmom’s socials, and he’s close to her daughters.” There was an ache inside her heart that she was pretty sure would never go away no matter how nice the people she worked with were. She was starting to find a family here, but it could never wholly fill the space her father had occupied. “My dad’s sixtieth birthday is this Saturday, and they’re throwing a big party for him. I got an invitation.”
He stared at her for a moment. “Did he call to ask you not to come?”
He was good at extrapolating. “Apparently one of my stepsisters thought it would be funny if I showed up. I guess she didn’t think about the fact that I would send back the RSVP card. Needless to say Evelyn wasn’t amused and rescinded the invite. My father offered to meet me somewhere for breakfast, but I turned him down. Mostly because he canceled on me the last three times we made plans. I shouldn’t let it get to me, but I did today. I would have gone home and drank my own beer and shot things online, but my roommate is having a party, and they can get out of hand. I couldn’t stand the thought of fending off coked-up morons all night. I was planning on sleeping on the cot they keep for overnights. Sometimes we have to monitor an op overnight, and we take turns sleeping.”
“You need a new roommate. Or a new place to live. I thought it was awful when I had to move in with my brother, but beyond the whole place smelling like books and that mangy cat of his, he’s pretty much the most boring roommate in the history of time, and that’s how I like it.” He sat up, pouring himself another bit of Scotch. “As to your dad, I’m sorry about that. Having solid ground to walk on is so important. You were mourning your mom and lost your dad, too. Do you go to family functions that aren’t planned by your stepmom?”
She hadn’t expected his empathy. “I tried for a while. I’ve got a couple of aunts and uncles, but they live close to Austin so it’s hard to get down there. I’m lucky I have friends. I had a medical procedure, simple thing but I needed someone to take care of me for a couple of days. I asked my dad and he said no.”
“You were hurt and he didn’t take care of you?”