Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
HEATHER
“Black coffee,” Mom said, standing beside me at Carnegie Coffee Company.
I glanced over at Sierra, Athena, and Sun, who sat in our usual seat in the corner of the caf . We had been people-watching all afternoon while I impatiently waited for Hector to text me when to meet him at Radiant.
While I believed that he wasn’t sleeping with Evelyn, I didn’t want to walk in and see her there again. My insecurities would run rampant, and I might even run right out of the club and go back home to masturbate my troubles away.
Especially since Hector hadn’t touched me last night, and now, I was cranky.
What do you want, honey? she asked.
“I’m good. I already have a cookie back at my seat.” I nervously looked back over at my friends again, wishing that I could just grow up and give Mom the contract to look over. I was twenty-four and still felt so awkward around my parents while talking about sex. “So … thanks for coming.”
“Of course,” she said, waving at the others. “What’s going on?”
With my lips pursed, I stared at her for a long, long time.
“Black coffee!” the barista yelled.
“Hmm?” Mom asked, grabbing it and taking a sip.
“If I had a contract that I needed reviewed, would you be okay looking through it?”
“What’s it for?”
“Um …” I rocked back on my heels. “You know what? Never mind.”
“Is it a work contract?”
“More like a personal one.”
“A personal one?”
“Okay, okay. You know how you told me that I could tell you anything?” I asked, chewing on the inside of my cheek. “Well, if I show you, then you have to promise not to say anything to anyone, especially Dad.”
“Lawyer-client confidentiality.”
“I might or might not have a … BDSM contract that I’ve been offered,” I squeaked.
While I expected Mom to shriek, she stared at me, wide-eyed, for a few moments, then suddenly, she curled one arm around my shoulders and pulled me toward her. Taking after her mama. I ve been waiting for this day. Did you finally lose your virgini -
My cheeks burned red. “Mom!”
She giggled. “What?”
I scrunched my nose at her. “Ew, was that how you and Dad …”
Met? At a sex club? She smirked. And ten months later, you popped out.
“Ew.”
“So, who’s the guy?”
“Nobody.”
“One of your friends?”
“No.”
“Someone at college?”
“No.”
“Is it a girl?”
“No!” My entire body felt like it was in flames. “Can you drop it, please?”
After rolling her eyes, she took another sip. “Give it to me, and I’ll take a look at it.”
“Promise you won’t tell Dad?”
“Heather, I don’t even see him anymore,” she said.
“You have to promise.”
“Fine. I promise.”
“Good.”
After grabbing the contract Hector had given me last night from my bag, I jogged back over to Mom and handed it to her. He told me to have someone look it over to explain anything that I had more questions on, to make sure I was comfortable.
And I had made sure to white-out his name before bringing it here today.
No freaking way would I give it to Mom with his name written across it.
“I’ll look it over tonight,” she said, phone buzzing. “I have to take this. Love you.”
Once she left, I walked back to my seat and slumped down against the chair.
Maybe I shouldn t have handed it over to her. What if she chips off the white-out and sees Hector Patton written in multiple places?! She knows who he is, was with Dad when they started out as business partners.
“Did you give her the contract?” Athena asked.
“Maybe …”
“What’d she say?” Sun asked. “How’d you tell her it is with Hector?”
“By not telling her.”
“But isn’t his name all over it?”
I whited it out.
Athena looked at Sun, and Sun furrowed her brows.
“No, you didn’t.”
“Yes, I did,” I said. “Last night.”
Athena leaned closer. “When you showed it to us five minutes ago, it had his name.”
Blood drained from my face. “Shut up. You’re lying. It did?—”
“Is that your dad?” Sierra asked, leaning close to me and out the window.
Suddenly stressed the fuck out, I followed her gaze. Sure enough, across the street, my father stepped out of his car and opened the passenger seat door for Evelyn . My eyes widened as his arm curled around her waist, and he whispered something in her ear, causing her to go red.
“Welp …”
“Is he with someone?” Sun said, squinting her eyes.
“Do you need glasses?” Athena said.
No, Sierra said. They re just too far away.
“If you can’t see them clearly, then you definitely need glasses, Sun. Their faces are clear to me.”
“Shush it!” I exclaimed. “They’re coming this way …”