Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 111732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
Mom’s face is sheet-white. “But I set my post for only your father to see.”
“No, you set if for everyone to see.”
“That can’t be.” Her brow furrowed, Mom grabs her phone and taps on her screen for a moment. Suddenly, her face drops. “Shoot.” She looks up, her eyes wide. “I accidentally posted it for everyone to see.”
“Yeah, no shit. Now, take it down.”
“I’m so sorry, Max.”
“Spare me your apologies. Take it down.”
Mom taps furiously, and a second later announces with a weak smile that the post is gone.
“Gone but not forgotten. Why did you post it in the first place? Please, explain your drunken logic to me and why you specifically wanted Dad to see it.”
Mom looks at Marnie, and they both look guilty as hell.
“Don’t look at Marnie to bail you out of this,” I say. “Even if she egged you on or dared you in a drunken game of Truth or Dare, it’s still on you that you actually did it.” When Mom looks at Marnie again, I bark out, “Eyes over here, Mother. Did you want to make Dad feel like a shitty father when he woke up and found out about my supposed engagement from a Facebook post? Was that your brilliant plan?”
Mom looks at Marnie a third time and swallows hard. “Um, I think maybe Marnie should answer those questions.”
“No, I want to hear it from you. What, exactly, were you thinking? I know you love finding any way to make Dad feel like a loser—and normally, I’m all for it. But I don’t appreciate you messing with my goddamned life in order to accomplish that otherwise lofty goal.”
Mom twists her mouth. She looks deeply uncomfortable. Again, she looks at Marnie.
“Eyes here, Mom. She can’t help you.”
Mom returns to me and clears her throat. “What did your father say to you when you talked to him?”
“I haven’t talked to him. He texted me, demanding that I call him immediately to talk about my engagement. But I’ve been too swamped with notifications to deal with him. Plus, I’m happy to let him stew and think he’s the world’s worst father for a bit longer. Which he is.”
Marnie exhales. “I think I’ll go and wake up Ripley for pre-school, while you two finish talking.”
Mom pops up. “No, I’ll wake her while you answer Max’s questions. I’ll get her dressed and make her some breakfast.”
“Marnie’s not the one who should answer my questions,” I insist.
“Actually, she is,” Mom says. “Hear her out. If you have any further questions for me after you two talk, I’ll be happy to answer them.” She flashes Marnie a pointed look, and then begins walking out of the living room.
“Could you wake up my father, too?” Marnie calls after her. “I always wake him at the same time as Ripley. He hates alarms.”
“Sure thing. There’s something I need to talk to him about, anyway.”
“Good luck.”
When Mom is gone, I turn to Marnie. “Wow, you two are awfully chummy. Oh, what fun you had last night together, getting shitfaced and playing a prank on Max.”
“The prank wasn’t on you. Sit down. Please.”
When I sit on the couch, Marnie sits on the other end of it, looking nervous and stiff. She clears her throat. Shifts her position. Wrings her hands. But before she says whatever bullshit excuse she’s cooking up for me, my phone buzzes with an incoming call.
I look down at my screen. “Shit. It’s my boss. I have to take this, so he doesn’t start telling everyone at work about my supposed engagement.” I connect the call. “Hey, Scott.”
“I came to your office a minute ago, but you weren’t there anymore. Where’d you go?”
“I had to step out unexpectedly. I’ll be back shortly. Listen, about my mother’s post—”
“That’s why I’m calling. I happened to be on the phone with Wayne Walters when my wife texted me the good news, and in my shock, I couldn’t help telling Wayne that the eternal bachelor of our firm, the last guy I’d ever expect to get engaged, has done exactly that—and to a single mother. Of course, Wayne was thrilled. I don’t know if you know this, but his wife was a widowed mother of three small children when he met her, so he’s got a real soft spot and deep respect for anyone who takes on a single mother. Right then and there, Wayne invited you and your new family to come to his ranch for the ‘thank you retreat’ he’s hosting next week. You’ve heard about that, right? People at the firm jokingly call it ‘family camp,’ because it’s so wholesome and Wayne encourages his invitees to bring their loved ones. Usually, he only invites people on his core team, so he’s making a rare exception for you, Max. It’s a golden opportunity for you to get in front of Wayne, and hopefully, finally persuade him to take my recommendation and let me add you to his legal team.”