Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 43518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 218(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 218(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
“Come on in. Hendrix, where are you?” Catherine opens the door for me, allowing me to step inside, waiting for the next cue of where this meeting will be held.
“I’m coming. I was folding that last load of laundry. How two little girls accumulate so much in a few short days, I have no idea.” She’s a whirl of energy, coming from another area of the house, her face and body showing up before her long, straight hair.
“Honey, I had two boys. Both were in sports. Football and baseball. At least you’re not dealing with the stench.” I laugh. My older brother played hockey growing up. It got so bad with him hogging up the bathroom and leaving dirty clothes everywhere that I’d use my parents’ bathroom more than the shared one with my brother.
“Ugh, I guess I’ll be dealing with laundry forever since Madden and I decided to have children.” She’s got a laundry basket on her hip, so focused on Catherine Hughes that she doesn’t realize I’m standing here in the foyer. “Oh shoot, sorry, I’m Hendrix, the girls’ aunt.” Catherine laughs. I smile and hold my hand out to introduce myself. She shifts the basket to her other hand to take it.
“I’m Bailey. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The two ladies in front of me are wearing what I would and will be on a daily basis—jeans of some kind and a tee shirt, graphic or cotton. Something easy to work in while chasing around two little girls and maintaining the housework, if that’s in my scope of work.
“Come in, come in. We usually have manners. It’s been a weird few days. My son, the girl’s father, has been out of town for work, an all-hands-on-deck kind of thing. I’m relieving my oldest son and his wife today after Cammy and Piper get home,” Catherine explains. I follow her into the kitchen, where we all take a seat and she interviews me. Alright, I wouldn’t call it an interview really. It’s more like a rapid-fire version of twenty-one questions from both.
“And you’re okay with Forest being gone for a few days at a time, taking the girls to and from school, to sports and piano lessons while one of us may be in the house?” This comes from Hendrix.
“Of course. It’s important for family to be around, especially if their parent isn’t.” I don’t tell her that I’ve dealt with a single parent before, figuring that if she doesn’t ask, I’m not going to say a word.
“I have one last question,” Catherine states. My eyes go to hers. There’s a softness in her eyes, yet the circles under them give away that she’s a worried grandmother.
“I’m here for as long as you need me. There’s no timetable.” My tone is soft and understanding.
“Oh God, don’t tell her that. We’ll be here until the sun goes down,” Hendrix teases.
“Hush, you. Anyways, the girls have a pool. They live in there even when they swim at a pool three times a week. Are you okay with swimming? I don’t mean to be rude, but you’ll have to know how to swim.” She doesn’t tack on ‘or else the position is filled.’
“I swim. I did it competitively in high school.” There’s no need to brag about having colleges offer me scholarships to come and swim for them. Hendrix and Catherine look at one another.
“You’re hired,” they both say at the same time. We all laugh together.
“I’d love the job, honestly. The only thing we’d need to be sure of is if I’m the right fit for the girls.” The sigh of relief that leaves Catherine tells me what a caring person she is.
“If you have enough time, we can do it today. Their uncle should be here with them anytime now,” Hendrix states. She stand up and heads to the kitchen counter, where she grabs her phone.
“That’s fine with me. Do you mind if I step outside and let my boss know that we’ll be moving to the second stage of interviews?”
“Of course, take your time. I think you’ll be the perfect fit for our family,” Catherine replies.
“Thank you.” I stand up. She does the same and walks me towards the back patio, where the pool is. My eyes take in the pictures of Piper and Cammy that are hung on the wall. I take a deep breath, relief in sight that I won’t be staying with my parents much longer and I’ll be earning a paycheck again.
TWO
Forest
“Dad, guess what?” We’re on FaceTime, the meeting turned into a weeklong event. The contractor kept adding on and adding on. Usually, I’d have put my foot down. That wasn’t possible with this guy, though. It’s a big enough job that would put my million-dollar company in the black. Not as big as my brother’s, but enough that it keeps me happy, my two girls in a top-notch school, and enough money to put them through college or to help them start their own business if that’s what they choose to do. Though, if I were smarter, I would have gotten a certain woman’s number or stayed longer. Maybe it would help me pass the time in a way we would both enjoy. I can still taste her on my lips, feel the way her body welcomed mine, and remember the way she moaned when I was emptying my cum inside a condom.