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Dammit. “Yeah,” I said hesitantly. I clicked the button on my key fob to unlock my Altima. “I’ve got the weekend to prep.”
“Do you want some help with it?” he offered. He leaned against the back of his beat-up truck, a vehicle I’d never expected him to be driving. It was the same one that had shown up outside my house. Usually, someone like him would be expected to drive something flashier, but I didn’t give it too much thought. “It’s… it’s important, Lottie. Really important. You’ve got to nail it.”
Something in his tone pulled my defenses up within a second. “Are you expecting me not to nail it?”
“No, it’s that,” he fumbled. “It’s just, my dad’s going to be there. I know the kinds of things he wants to hear. That’s all.”
I shot him a glare as I opened up the driver's side door of my car. “What, like how we’re going to be breeding thoroughbreds?”
His face sunk, his groan guttural. “Lottie. Please. We talked about that.”
“I’ll see you on Monday.” I dropped into the car and slammed the door behind me, not daring to give him a passing glance as I reversed out of the parking space.
————
A knock on my bedroom door made me pause halfway through writing a slide for my PowerPoint presentation. I knew it was Dad—it was always Dad. Besides, there wasn’t anyone else here.
“Come in,” I called.
The old door creaked open and Dad’s mop of graying hair poked around the frame. “Hey, Lots,” he said, and within a second, the tone had me on edge.
Somehow, I knew where this was going.
“We need to talk.”
God fucking dammit. “Yeah, I saw this coming a mile away.”
Dad pushed the door fully open and let himself inside, settling his aging frame down on my childhood bed, the bed answering with a squeaky groan. “When were you going to tell me?”
“I wasn’t,” I said simply, keeping my attention focused on my computer screen. I started a new slide, feverishly typing, hoping to make myself look busy.
“Why?”
“Because I knew you wouldn’t approve,” I sighed. “And that you’d end up here, on my bed, about to give me a lecture on how I’m setting myself up for failure.”
I watched from the corner of my eye as Dad narrowed his gaze at me. “So, if it worked out long term, you were just going to hide him from me forever?”
Shifting my attention from the screen to him, I blinked. “Pretty much.”
“Lottie,” he groaned. “Yes, you deserve a talking to, but you shouldn’t keep stuff like this from me.”
“I wasn’t exactly keeping it from you, Dad. It’s not my fault you don’t check the news.”
“I’d rather hear that my daughter is sleeping with my client from her own mouth,” he said, a hint of venom in his tone. It made my back stiffen, made me far too aware of his irritation. “Look, I’m not going to talk down to you like you’re a child. You’re not. But you know damn well the kind of man he is?—”
“I know. I’ve heard you talk about him. I’ve heard others talk about him. I know who he is and what he does.”
“Then you know why I’m not happy about it,” he replied. “You went to Hawaii for a reason, sweetie. I don’t want you to have to do that again.”
“I went to Hawaii to get away from my ex. Yes, they share similar traits, but I can’t see Hunter getting so attached that he won’t fucking leave me alone,” I snapped. “It’s fine, Dad. I’m fine.”
“I don’t like it.”
“I know.”
“And he’s your boss?—”
“Dad, please. I get it,” I insisted, shutting my laptop to stare him down. “I’m trying really hard to prep for this stupid presentation I have to give on Monday, and I really don’t need your disapproval beating me down right now. Just let me do my thing and I’ll let you do yours.”
