“I’m proud of you for getting your own place, you know,” she says. “I would’ve let you stay as long as you wanted.”
“I know,” I say. “But it was time to move out.”
“Of course. I’m just saying, if you ever need help…” She trails off.
“I’m fine, honestly. Really. What about you? Isn’t the house lonely?”
“Oh, yeah, it can be. I’ve been thinking about getting a dog.”
I laugh at that. “You refused to let us get one when I was a kid.”
“I know. I didn’t feel like taking care of a little kid and a dog. God knows you wouldn’t have lifted a finger and your dad didn’t care either way.”
“Good point.” I grin a little bit. “Dad wasn’t much of an animal person.”
“Used to say it’s weird we let animals just live in our houses.” She smiles sadly at that. “He’s right, but I’m starting to understand why people do it.”
“Well, good luck. A dog is a very big responsibility.”
She rolls her eyes and smiles at me. “I think I can handle it.”
We lapse into silence again as the waitress comes back with our salads. Mom takes a few bites and I can feel the conversation hanging between us, the conversation we both want to have but neither of us wants to start.
“Listen, Mom,” I start, but she interrupts me.
“You shouldn’t work for Julian.”
She blurts it out and immediately looks guilty.
“Why?” I ask, a little surprised.
“Honey, he’s… a difficult man.”
“I know that. I’m his assistant.”
“He’s not a nice man,” she says softly. “I just don’t want you to get hurt. I think you should find a job you really want. I mean, did you ever want to be someone’s assistant?”
I chew my lip a little bit. “No,” I admit finally. “But I’m in the publishing industry, which is amazing, and I’m going to work directly with this incredible new author Julian just signed. Mom, it’s an exciting job.”
“Still…” She trails off.
“Why do you hate him so much?”
“I don’t hate him,” she says warily. “I just don’t think he’s the kind of person you want to be around.”
“But, why?”
She looks away, out the window. We’re sitting in a diner and there’s not much of a view.
“He didn’t come see your father in the end,” she says softly. “I called him once or twice, but he was always busy. I think Kevin… well, he didn’t admit it, but he wished Julian had come.”
I didn’t know he hadn’t visited. I mean, I didn’t hear from him until a year after my dad passed, but still. I figured he had at least visited once when I wasn’t around or something like that. I don’t know how I feel about him not visiting.
“Okay, so that’s not great,” I admit. “But that doesn’t seem like a good reason to give up a good job.”
Mom looks a little uncomfortable. “He just… he goes through women. You know what I mean? Dates them for a few days and moves on. He’s always looking for the next thing, the next big score, whatever. He’s always been like that.”
My heart leaps in my chest. “His personal life doesn’t matter,” I say softly, even though it really does.
“He gets bored easily. He used to convince your dad to do all these stupid things. Like one time, he got your father so drunk that your father tried to steal a car.”
I let out a laugh at that. “Seriously?”
She doesn’t smile. “It wasn’t funny. They almost got arrested. Thank god Julian’s charming sometimes. He talked his way out of it, but can you imagine? Almost got your father arrested, just for some stupid prank. He was always doing crap like that.”
I sigh and look down at my salad. I move some lettuce around with my fork, trying to think of what to say.
“Just be careful, okay?” Mom says suddenly. “I don’t want to see Julian mess with you like he used to mess with your father.”
“I don’t understand. I mean, they were young back then. He’s not that same guy.”
“Maybe not, but honey, you’ll find that people don’t change all that much as they get older.” She forces a smile on her face. “Anyway, I’m sure he’s very professional. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“Right. We’re just working together. You don’t have to worry about it.”
The rest of the lunch is a little strained. I don’t completely understand why she’s telling me to be wary of Julian.
I mean, it’s not like she knows what I’ve been doing with him. She doesn’t know I kissed him, I let him get me off, I called him Daddy…
God, she’d lose her shit if she did. And I wouldn’t blame her.
But as far as she knows, we just work together. I don’t see how that’s a problem. I get that Julian can be an asshole, and maybe he wasn’t the best friend to my dad, but it’s still a job.