CHAPTER8
BETH
Dinner with my parents has recently been a weird affair. They always seem to be walking on eggshells around me, afraid of asking probing questions they feel will send me bawling into next week. What they do not know, though, is that someone else consumes my thoughts now.
“So, darling, how was your day?” Mom questions as she takes a careful bite of her macaroni and cheese.
I shrug, playing around with mine, absent-mindedly.
“Honey?” my mom calls, worry coloring her tone.
I glance up at her, giving her a soft smile. “I’m alright, Mom. My day was great.”
“Being cooped up all the time might not be very good for you,” Mom says. Dad seems to agree with her because he nods, eyes focused on his plate.
“I'm fine, Mom. I have a summer thing I might go into, so I might not be cooped up at home much longer,” I tell them.
Mother's face lights up, and Dad does look up this time.
“Oh, really? That's great, honey.”
“What's this summer job about?” Dad questions, looking genuinely curious. “I have to confess; your mother and I didn’t know you’d been actively searching.”
“Yeah. I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“So?” Mother asks, almost leaning my way.
“So, um, it's an app creation and development company that'll require my data analytic skills.”
“Oh wow,” Dad says, looking impressed. My chest puffs.
“Is it like a huge company? Are you about to become one of the big names?” Mother is practically vibrating with excitement, an excitement I am just about to blow out.
“It's a start-up, Mom.”
“Oh.” Her smile dims a little. “Who's the owner? Is it someone we might know?”
My cheeks warm at her question. Will they find it weird that Mitch visited in their absence?
“Um, it's…” I begin, stuttering and managing to blush even harder.Shit! I am making this weird already.
“Honey?” Mom questions, and Dad pins me with a stare.
“It's Mitchell. He offered me the job,” I state as simply as I can.
“He visited here?” Dad asks, brows furrowing.
“The first time he came over to say hi,” I tell them.
Mom looks confused, Dad just frowns.
“It's fine, Dad, he didn't stay long. But we talked a little, and he, um, got to know I was taking a break from school and offered me the job.”
Even though it isn't a blatant lie, it isn't quite the truth either.
“That's still great, honey,” Mom says in a tone that is too high-pitched, faking the excitement now.
“It is, isn’t it? Your new neighbor becomes your new boss,” Father deadpans.