Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
Raven
“All right, what’s his name?” Mom asked over lunch the next day.
I blinked up at her, dumbfounded. “What do you mean? Whose name?”
She set her fork on her plate and dabbed her mouth with her napkin. “I know my daughter. You’ve met someone.”
Chewing the bite of salad I’d just taken thoroughly, I contemplated the best answer. I swallowed, sighing at the inevitable vulnerability I came here for in the first place. “I never said there was someone”—I looked to the side of the sunny cafe patio—“but yeah, I have.”
Mom knew when my flings turned into exclusive dating situations over the years, but I had never shared a lot of details. The main reason being I never got too deep into the feelings with any of them. With so much weight on her shoulders, I never wanted to place more worry on her.
When I looked back at her, there were a myriad of emotions in her eyes, concern being the most prominent. “Have you done your research?”
I looked down at my fingers fidgeting with the napkin in my lap. “I don’t have to,” I said, my breath hissing through my teeth. “He’s my client.”
Looking up through my lashes, I saw Mom lean back in her chair. “Oh, this is going to be good. Go on, give me the 411.”
A laugh burst from my chest at her words. “Mom, no one says that anymore.”
She scoffed. “Well, I don’t keep up with all the new words the young people use. Now, spill the beans.”
“You’re my best friend, but you’re also still my Mom, so you don’t get everything,” I chuckled. “I was initially worried about the client aspect, but I trust him. He offered to move his accounts to a different firm.”
Her face morphed from playful to serious. “You don’t think there could be any ethical repercussions?” she asked.
I shook my head. “I trust him. Plus, I’ve thought a lot about it, and I’ve decided to let Mia run lead on his file. I’m not going to be involved, and I’m going to make the CFP board aware of the situation. I can create a firewall if necessary.”
“I trust you in your decisions, especially for your business. You’re smart and will do the right thing, whatever that needs to be.
” Mom shifted from a look of seriousness to a playful one.
“Now, tell me everything else! I want all the details about him. What’s his name?
How old is he? What does he do? If he’s your client, then he's a businessman, right? Does he own a company?” Mom rambled when she was excited.
“Geez, Mom, slow down,” I suggested. “I’ll tell you almost everything.”
She looked like she was going to come across the table and shake the words out of me if I didn’t hurry up. I took a deep breath.
“No, he doesn’t own his own company. He’s a voice actor.”
Mom’s gasp rang out across the patio. “A voice actor? Please tell me you don’t mean commercials.”
Puzzled, I thought back over the conversations I had with Ryan. “I’m not sure if he’s done commercials before, but that’s not what he does for the most part.”
A clap came next as Mom clasped her hands to her chest.
“What’s gotten into you?” I asked.
She dropped her voice to a whisper. “Does he do those naughty books?”
“Mom!” I yelped. “What do you mean, naughty books? How do you know about those?”
“Oh, honey, I wasn’t born yesterday,” she scoffed. “You know we’re more open with each other than that.”
“I know that, and I also know you’re aware those books exist, but how did you know about the audio?” I stopped in my tracks. “Mom, you haven’t.”
A blush crept over her cheeks. “Just because I’m older doesn’t mean I’m boring, dear daughter.”
“Touche. Well.” I dropped my face into my hands. “Yes. He…does those.”
“Hmm,” she pondered. “I wonder if I know him.”
I jerked my head up. “No. Absolutely not. You’re not allowed to ever know his pseudonym. Ever.”
“Oh come on, Raven. That’s not fair, now is it?”
“It’s more than fair. You get to know him by his real name, Ryan.” I huffed.
“Fine. It’s not like names matter to me anyway, now, do they?” It was more of a statement than a question.
“Regardless, there’s something else.” I sighed.
She cocked her head. “What would that be, then?”
Deep down, I knew Mom wouldn’t judge me for who I dated or how I lived my life, but telling someone else about Ryan was challenging.
I was afraid the excitement would drain from Mom’s eyes when she learned about his age.
She’d watched the aftermath of someone older taking advantage of a younger person all those years ago.
Watching me go through the aftermath of assault was one of the hardest things she’d been through and I knew what it did to her.
I would never take advantage of anyone, but I didn’t want her to have any reservations.
“He’s twenty-five.”
“And? Why does that matter?”
I jerked my eyes to her face. “He’s a lot younger than me. You don’t think that’s an issue?”
“If he wasn’t a mature guy I know you wouldn’t have given him a second look, honey,” she said.
“Yeah, you’re right, but after everything we went through, I just want to make the right decision, you know?”
Mom leaned forward and took my hands in hers.
“Listen, Raven. I think you haven’t let yourself get too comfortable with someone because of all the things you suffered.
You’ve poured yourself into your career for the last decade, and I think it might be time to do some other things.
I’m so proud of you for everything you’ve done for yourself and us.
The firm is in a good spot. I know you like to work, but, honey, you’re allowed to have a life outside of it. ”
I looked up at Mom with tears in my eyes. “I just don’t want to mess anything up for us, Mom. You’re right, I’m afraid of getting close to someone and getting hurt, but that’s why I wanted to talk to you. I’ve realized I want to try with him, even though I’ve only known him for a short time.”
“Well, if you already know that then why do you need my opinion? I’m sure he’s wonderful. You deserve everything, Raven. You’ve given so much, and now it's time for you to take back from life.”
My chest tightened with love and adoration for the woman in front of me.
She was my best friend and the reason I was the person I had become.
Before I went to college, I ran to her when I needed advice or help.
I took on more of a leadership role in the family once I began my career.
Maybe it was time I let go and listened to her again.
I looked out at the quiet street beside the cafe. It wasn’t just Mom. My heart was telling me the same thing she was.
“Fucking hell,” I muttered, the sound fading quickly in the empty parking garage.
I picked up the fallen Halloween decorations, trying to juggle them in my arms. I’d already made three trips to my office with various pumpkins, bags of cobwebs, and most importantly the foam panels for the grand display.
With the last of the supplies somewhat secure, I hit my key fob to lock the car and walked toward the building door. The sun had yet to peek over the horizon, so the only light was fluorescent. I took a few steps when a bang sounded on the other side of the garage in the stairwell.
I jumped, but then smirked when I assumed it was Ryan fucking with me.
I hadn’t mentioned his little spying on me in the garage and outside my apartment, but I knew it was him.
Someday, I was going to be the one to spy on him and catch him in the act.
Today wasn’t that day though. I had way too much to do to worry about him and why he was up at the ass crack of dawn in my garage.
Halloween was this week, so I needed to get the office decorated.
I hurried toward the door with my bags and disappeared inside, putting together the list of tasks I needed to do that morning so my afternoon could be spent turning the office into a spooky wonderland.
Too bad I couldn’t leave it that way all year.
The afternoon came faster than I had hoped, but as I put together the foam board coffin I made, I couldn’t quell the excitement in my stomach.
“Are you passing out candy this year?” I asked Joanne as she hung sticky synthetic cobwebs around the front of the reception desk.
“Of course. I get so much joy from all the little ones running around in their cute costumes. Their excitement is contagious, and the best part is when my grandbaby stops by. Are you going to your parents’ like usual?”
Grabbing the glue gun, I ran a bead along the length of a panel.
“Yep, I wouldn’t miss it. Their neighborhood is perfect for trick-or-treating.
My apartment building, not so much.” I pressed the foam board to the sturdier cardboard I had cut for the back.
I discovered I needed something that would be strong enough to keep the coffin upright when I was crafting everything at home.
“Shit. Mia, will you hold the other end of the panel? I don’t think there's enough pressure to make it stick.”
Mia rushed over and secured the other end of the foam to the cardboard. “This really is an epic idea, Raven. I’m not creative enough to come up with building a coffin like this. You really do love Halloween.”
I laughed. “Yeah, it’s my thing. This year I wanted to pull out all the stops. Dracula is my favorite classic novel. Contrary to popular belief, vamps were cool before Twilight.”
Cassie snickered from the corner where she was adding the finishing touches on a table with red goblets and decanters of fake blood. “What, you don’t like vampires that sparkle?” she asked.
“I actually liked Twilight when I was a teen. I was Team Edward all the way, but Count Dracula is, and always will be, the OG. If I were Mina Harker, I wouldn’t want to be rescued.” I stood up and grabbed the last piece of black foam board as laughs sounded throughout the room.
“I just know of Twilight from my mom,” Cassie said.
I froze, the glue gun poised in mid-air. realization slamming into me. “Wow, I feel old now.”