“It surprisingly wasn’t terrible,” Tracey said and looked around as we waited for people to clear before we left.
“It could have been better,” Hayley said with a frown. “She picked the wrong guy at the end. Can you imagine even having three different guys after you? I’ve never even dated before. How about you, Sara?”
The two of them turned to me, and I was stunned for a moment. The roles had completely reversed, the last time I’d had this conversation, I hadn’t dated anyone, I’d never had sex, and had been judged for it. Now, my two friends were in my place and I was the one that had the experience.
“Uh, I’ve never dated, either,” I mumbled, shoulders hunched.
Tracey sighed and shook her head sadly. “Don’t worry girls; I’m sure we’ll make it there eventually. This is college, right? There’s still plenty of time for all of that.”
I found myself smiling as I looked at the two of them. They were so different from Alicia and Caroline, and I wondered now why I ever thought I had to be friends with them. I should have tried talking to other people sooner instead of waiting for them to ostracize me first.
Also, me telling them I’d never dated wasn’t technically a lie. Since we’d never talked about it, and considering how we met, to begin with, I couldn’t say Noah, and I were dating.
I’ll tell them about him later, I decided.
“Who’s feeling a little hungry?” I said, standing up and stretching my arms out. “I’m feeling a bit generous today, so I’ll treat you girls to an early dinner if you’d like.”
“Ooh, where should we go?”
“How about that café across the corner? They have really good dessert…”
I perked up at the mention of dessert. “Let’s go!”
We chattered as we left the room, tossing our trash on our way out. It was still fairly early; it wasn’t even six yet, so going out to eat before heading back to school was okay. There was a curfew since the school gates were locked for the night. We had plenty of time, though.
In the middle of talking about what we were going to eat, I saw someone I didn’t expect to see. Or, two someones rather.
Alicia and Caroline.
Before I could even think about whether I wanted them to see me or not, Caroline glanced my way, then nudged at Alicia. We looked at each other for a moment, and they were the first ones to turn away.
“Wasn’t it a little cliché, though?” Tracey said, talking about the movie and bringing my attention back to them.
The two of them were looking at me; there must have been something else I didn’t hear because they seemed to be waiting for me to reply.
“Is something the matter?” Hayley asked.
Immediately, my eyes moved to where Alicia and Caroline were walking away. I turned back a second later, and they were glancing curiously in that direction as well. I smiled with a shrug.
“It’s nothing,” I said. “Now, what were you saying is cliché?”
“The entire storyline,” Hayley said quickly. “A girl grew up with these guys, they were together forever, and suddenly all these guys start crushing on her, and she ends up with the one that was an ass to her in the beginning, that didn’t even look the least bit interested.”
I snorted. “What movie doesn’t have a few clichés here and there these days? The last time I saw anything original, I was a kid, and my parents didn’t think it was original at all.”
That was back when Dad was still around. We were a pretty close-knit family; then it was just Mom and me.
“He wasn’t like the usual bad boy, either,” Tracey continued. “Though I think they were trying a little too hard not to, you know? I mean, the best friend and one of the crushes is one of those bright guys, blonde haired and blue eyed and as friendly as a puppy, and the guy she ended up with had a problem with him, had dark hair and eyes, they were even related. I can think of so many movies and books that are just like it.”
As we continued to head for the café to eat, they analyzed the movie, and I threw a few more comments in.
The café wasn’t too far from the theater; we were there in five minutes. It was still early, so there were plenty of free tables, and we sat at one and looked over the menus. The prices were reasonable, too. I didn’t have much cash on me, though I carried a credit card everywhere so that I could handle it, but the two of them insisted on paying at least half of the bill no matter what.
We were served soon, and the food was delicious. I even indulged myself in some dessert, probably not the best idea after all the chocolate I’d eaten, but I didn’t care, and they didn’t say anything about it, either, eating more than their fair share.
It was pretty late by the time we got back to school. We separated at the entrance to the dorm with plans to meet tomorrow, and I smiled as I walked back to my room. I’d genuinely had a good time, and I was looking forward to tomorrow. My phone vibrated just as I stopped in front of my room, and when I pulled it out to see a text from Noah, my smile grew into a grin.
As if my day couldn’t get any better.
Chapter Ten
Noah
I answered my ringing phone with a roll of my eyes.
“What is it, Dad?” I said with impatience.
I wasn’t really busy. It was a Thursday, one of the days I didn’t have classes, and Sara would be busy until later. I was in my dorm room, lazing about, when the call came. It was about time he contacted me, I hadn't gotten any money from him yet, but did he have to do it while I was waiting for Sara to let me know when to meet her?
“Is that any way to talk to your dad?” He said, but he was laughing. “Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I’m in the area! I’ll be seeing you soon, but I wanted to ask if you had time to meet.”
I blinked. “What? You’re here?”
“Not at your school, I’m staying at a hotel nearby. I can come over there if you want? Or you can come here?”
My mouth opened, but no words came out. It had been a while since I’d actually seen Dad face to face. That was way back during summer, when he ran off with my money. I didn’t think he would face me before he had the money to pay me back, so I was surprised.
“Don’t come to the school,” I blurted out after a minute. “Just tell me where, I’ll come to you.”
“Alright,” he said.
He gave me the name of the hotel and the general directions. I was still staying at the school dorms, but I’d been in the area for four years, so while I wasn’t familiar with the hotel, I knew how to get there. We cut the call, and I sent a quick text to Sara to let her know I’d be busy for the rest of the day.
I left the dorms ten minutes later, headed out of the school. The hotel was a good distance from the school so I called a taxi to take me over and arrived in twenty minutes. I texted Dad right before I got out, and I met him when I walked inside.
“There you are, son,” he said with a grin, and welcomed me with open arms.
It was weird, because Dad was never that happy to see me. Thankfully, he didn’t try to hug me, because I would have backed away from it.
“Come with me,” he said before I could speak. “I’ve got someone I want you to meet.”
He grabbed me by the arm and dragged me behind him. I frowned at him.
It can't be who I think it is. Don’t tell me he actually brought his new bride!
He led me into the hotel’s restaurant, and over to a table tucked closer to the wall. A woman was already sitting there, and when she saw us approach, she smiled. She stood up as we came to a stop right in front of her.
“Hello,” she said, and stood up.
The smile was still on her face, but I thought she looked anxious as she looked between Dad and me.
“This is my son, Noah,” he said, before he turned to me with a grin. “Son, this is Tina. The woman I told you about that I’ve been seeing.”
“It’s so nice to finally meet you,” she said with a well made up smile and extended a hand tow
ard me. “Your father has told me so much about you already! My, you two could be twins if you were the same age! I know it’s just our first meeting, but I really want to get to know you, so you can just call me Tina, okay?”
“It’s nice to meet you as well, Tina,” I murmured, feeling a little overwhelmed.
She looked around the same age as my dad, with blonde hair perfectly done up and held back with pins, a peach dress with a modest neckline and long sleeves that fell below her knees. She was beautiful for her age, and looked way beyond Dad’s league.
How did the two of them even meet?
We sat down, and not long after, a server showed up at our table. I didn’t want to order anything, but both Dad and Tina insisted, so I ended up having lunch with them. It was so damn awkward, watching Dad be attentive. I would look at him as he interacted with Tina and wonder if he was the same person I’d known my entire life. I hadn't even noticed at first, because I was in such a hurry, but he was dressed in a nice, navy striped suite with a white shirt and black tie, his hair combed away from his face. While he wasn’t sloppy, he wasn’t always this conscious of his appearance.
“We’re really sorry,” Tina began with an apologetic smile that displayed perfectly straight white teeth. “For coming here so unexpected like this. You must have been surprised.”
I sent a look Dad’s way. “Oh, I was very surprised.”
“I was actually surprised to learn you were in this school. I heard from your dad that you’re a senior?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She giggled. “Oh, please, just call me Tina. We’re going to be family soon, after all.”
Tina sent this sappy look at my dad that made me feel kind of sick, especially when he returned the look. I waited until he seemed to notice I was looking at him, and I sent him a quick glare before smiling back at Tina.
“Could you excuse me for a moment? I need to use the bathroom. Dad, won't you show me where it is?”
“Of course, son,” he said, quick on the uptake, and got up.
He led me all the way to the bathroom. Then, he checked to see if there was anyone inside, before turning to me with a grin.
“You’ve seen her, right?” He said with a proud look. “I didn’t lie. Did you see the earrings she was wearing? They’re real diamonds. The rest of her jewelry, all gold. She’s loaded, kid.”
I frowned at my dad, not feeling happy about his words at all, though he looked ecstatic. It looked to me like he was lying to the poor woman about their relationship, like he was only with her for her money. The way she was acting with me, she definitely thought we were going to be a family and wanted to get to know her soon to be stepson. I felt a little sick.
“I’ve already talked to her about it,” he continued. “She’ll be sending me something. I have this new venture started up, and I feel really good about it. I’ve given her the details on it. The moment she transfers the money into my account for the venture…” his grin widened. “I’ll be back on the divorce road again.”
Fuck.
I turned around and leaned my palms on the marble counter, because I couldn’t stand to look at my own father. The sick feeling in my stomach grew, and for a moment, I wondered if I would actually vomit. I turned on one of the taps and threw cold water on my face, trying to settle my mind and my stomach.
“What exactly do you think you’re doing, Dad?” I said, and at him in the mirror.
I had never hated my dad. Sure, there were times when I wasn’t happy with him, but since he was my only family, I couldn’t hate him. And, while he gave me plenty of reasons to be disappointed, he’d never made me feel like I could actually hate him before, until now.
Even with all the problems we had, I’d always thought we would get through them some way, even if the road was rough. But Dad had always been a dreamer, or at least that was what I thought, not a fucking con man.
“What are you talking about?” He asked with a confused but huffy expression. “This is what we both need, okay? She’s got plenty of money, so she’s not going to cry over it, and I feel really good about this venture.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. I’d never seen him look so confident about something he had planned, as if that confidence was enough to get him to try something like this when it was clearly immoral. And maybe even a crime.
It was still pretty stupid, though.
“Do you ever think before you do shit?” I hissed, and whirled to face him. “Dad, what you’re doing isn’t right, morally or legally! I’m not in law school, but I know if I asked about it, I would find out this is something that could get you thrown in jail!”
Dad shrugged, uncaring. “That’ll only happen if I get caught.”
My jaw dropped, and I could only stare at him for a long moment, stumped. So, he realized what he had planned was wrong on so many levels, but he still planned to do it?
“Don’t worry so much,” he said when I didn’t continue. “Everything will be fine, all right? And you’ll get to finish college this year and graduate. It’s what you wanted, right?”
Yes, it’s what I wanted, but not like this!
“I’m not going to let you,” I muttered, and looked down at my curled fists.
He frowned. “What?”
I shrugged and looked up at him defiantly. “You’re my dad, and I’ll take half the blame for this, I loaned you money when I shouldn’t have and now you want to do this to pay me back. The thing is, I’m not letting you do this, Dad. I can't. It’s wrong.”
I turned to storm out of the bathroom. I didn’t even know what I was going to say, but I knew I had to tell Tina what a conman my dad was, I couldn’t live with my myself if I didn’t try to to tell her.
I don’t know what I’ll do for money, but I’ll find a way. There was no way I would start the Sext Me line up again, so I’d have to find another way to get the money, even if I ended up with a mountain of student loan debt for the next few years.
“Don’t you dare,” Dad said in warning. He didn’t even raise his voice, but I froze. “If you say a word to Tina, you’ll lose your final year of college money again.”
“I’ll find a way to pay it,” I retorted without turning around.
He snorted. “Why don’t you think about how much money you’ll need? How long will it take you to raise all that money? Even if you could manage one semester, what about the next one? Even if you can take a loan, who says it’ll be easy to find a job to pay it back? Getting loans isn’t easy to begin with. If you think there are easier avenues than this, think again.”
I clenched my hands into tight fists and said nothing. Of course, I knew it wasn’t easy. Even if I opened the Sext Me option back up, I’d have to sleep with dozens of women before I had enough money to pay for my last semesters, and that made me pause. While I wanted to think I could manage, I knew the reality was I might have to put off that last semester. I really didn’t want to. I hated myself, I hated my father, and most of all, I hated life that had me over a barrel and was about to fuck me hard.
I sank into myself with disgust when we went back to the table. I didn’t say anything to Tina about Dad’s scheme. I felt like such a dick for it, and I couldn’t stay there much longer, so I didn’t even sit down. I smiled at her as normally as I could manage.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t feel well, and I’ve got some work to do at school. I need to go back to my dorm room. It was nice meeting you, Tina.”
I didn’t look at my dad again as I turned and hurried out of there.
Chapter Eleven
Sara
I saw Noah’s message while I was still in class, and it made me frown. We were supposed to meet up and do something, and I wondered what it was that made him so busy.
There was a quick lunch break before I had to go to another class. Only, my afternoon class was canceled, and I ended up with free time on my hands. I didn’t know what Noah was busy with, but maybe I could see him for just a little bit?
I was about
to call him and ask, when my phone rang in my hands. It was Mom, and I smiled in pleasant surprise as I answered the call.
“Mom, hey!”
I realized it had been a while since I spoke to my mom, and felt a little ashamed of myself. Since it was just the two of us, we were pretty close, and before Noah and I started seeing each other regularly, I’d made sure to call her once a week, sometimes several times a week. She called me back just as much, but recently, I’d been busy.
She had her friends and a few things she did to keep her busy, but I knew she missed me just as much as I missed her.
“Hey, honey!” She said happily. “I’ve been dying to call you for a while now, but I wanted to wait until you had some time between classes. You can talk right now, right? You should have one more class today…”
Mom had my schedule, and probably had it better memorized than I did.
“I’m actually free right now,” I said. “My class got canceled. What’s up, Mom?”
Usually, she called in the morning or in the afternoon when I was guaranteed to be free. Not that it had been happening much recently.
“I wanted to let you know that I’m in the area,” she said, then laughed. “I wanted to surprise you with the visit, but I can't just show up at your school. You’ve been pretty busy recently with your friends, right? Or could there be a boyfriend?”
The shock hadn't worn off yet, so I completely ignored her teasing.
“Wait, Mom, where are you?”
She giggled. “I’m at a hotel not too far from your school. Do you want me to come over there? Or will you come to see me?”
“I’ll come see you,” I said quickly. “Let me know where?”
I wouldn’t mind her showing up at school, but the rumors about me had died down. If anyone I knew saw my mom, they’d just start up all over again.
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