Read Online Glow by Molly Bryant - Free Book Online

across his face.
     
“Don't touch me,” I mumbled.
     
“Well?” My dad pushed.
    “It's just a piece on males and their ways with woman,” I shrugged taking a
drink of my wine. “Dad, you know I can't talk about the articles until they
publish,”
“Okay,” he held his hands up. “Didn't mean to pry,”
     
“So who is helping me clean up?” My mother asked as she stood from her
chair.
     
“We will clean up, you're not doing anything,” I smiled standing from my
seat picking up my dirty dishes. “You both cooked, it's your day,”
    “I'll help you,” Ben said as he stood, picking up his dishes.
“Head to the kitchen, Vanessa. I'll bring you the dirty dishes, you load,” he
winked.
“Okay,” I smiled.
     
I carried what dishes I had in my hands to the kitchen. I set them in the sink
and turned the water on.
     
“I think someone is taking a liking to my daughter,” Mom said from behind
me.
     
I laughed. “Who, Ben?”
     
“Yes, Ben...” she leaned against the counter smiling. “Haven't you noticed
the way he smiles at you?”
    “Mother, no he doesn't smile at me in any way at all, that is just him,” I
snorted. “He is a player, he plays and uses woman. That is why we are
working together on this article,” I said glumly. Not that I care if he did like
me, he is a pig.
    I could hear the music blast in the background and within a few seconds my
father comes dancing into the kitchen with Ben behind him carrying arm fulls
if dishes. “Mrs. Montello, may I have this dance?” My dad asked my mom
then kissed the back of her hand.
    “Why yes, Mr. Montello, I would like that very much,” her cheeks turned
pink and she nods. I smiled liking that my dad after all of these years still has
that effect on her.
“Shall we?” he tilted his head toward the living room where the music is
blaring from.
    “We shall,” she smiled looping her arm through his, letting him lead the way.
My hands still under the running water as I watched their retreating backs
with a smile upon my face.
“Pretty amazing, right?” Ben snapped me out of it.
     
“Yeah, too bad relationships like that do not exist anymore,” I turned towards
the sink scrubbing at the barbeque sauce on the plate.
     
“Here,” Ben said as he held his hand out for the soapy dish. I handed the
plate to him and he sticks it in the dishwasher.
     
“Thank you,” I continued to scrub the next dish then handed it to Ben.
     
“Why do you think relationships like theirs don't exist?” he asked quietly.
    I shrugged. “I don't know, Ben. I get forwarded letters and emails from
hundreds of female readers everyday saddened by the way that they are being
treated by their partners,”
“Okay,” Ben takes the next plate from my hands.
     
“Okay. So what I'm trying to say is that it just doesn't exist anymore,” I
sighed.
     
“Relationships without the love your parents share never existed,” he stated
taking another plate from me. “Love will always exist, you just have to find
it,”
“Yeah, says the one person who has never committed to anything in his life
accept for the 'player code',” I said sarcastically.
     
“How can you say that? You know nothing about me, you are assuming,” he
put a glass in the dishwasher.
     
“I am not assuming, I know,” I argued.
    Ben leaned up against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. “Just
because you did one piece with Dr. Rose, it doesn't make you an expert on
love and relationships,”
I stare at him for a moment, frozen in place. How did he know about that?
That article was published over three years ago.
    “I never said I was an expert on love and relationships, Ben. I've spent a lot
of time with her, she has taught me quite a bit... the woman is intelligent,” I
loved hanging out with Dr. Rose. She is one of the leading experts on love
and relationships-what makes them tick, thrive or fall and explode.
    “You know what? You're right, she is so fucking fantastic...In fact,