Read Online It's Never Enough: Book 1 in the Never Series by Susan Soares - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Susan Soares
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conclusions again?
The warm scent of apple pie filled the air when we entered the house. Apple pie was one of my favorite desserts, which was why I couldn’t have any, and somehow, I thought Janet would have remembered that. The smell sparked a twinge of anxiety in my stomach. “I really don’t feel like doing this tonight,” I whispered to Fiona as we entered the dining room where my dad and her mom were already seated.
“Just relax. We’ll be in and out, and you’ll be in Devin’s arms before you know it.” She squeezed my hand before heading to her seat. “Mom, Jack,” she said before sitting.
“Dad, Janet,” I said flatly while pulling out my chair. There was a bowl of salad already at my place setting, and I exchanged a grateful smile with Janet.
“Girls,” my dad said while plopping a heaping spoonful of mashed potatoes on his plate. He handed the bowl to me. “How’s everything?”
I took the bowl from him, inhaled a longing breath of the buttery carb-o-liscious dish, and set it down on the table near Janet. “Everything’s fine. You?”
“Same old, same old. You know how it is when you’re my age. Nothing much ever happens.” He took a swig of his gin and tonic.
How is knocking up your ex-wife same old, same old? “Dad, you’re not that old.”
“She’s right, Jack. Oh wait a second, I do see the grim reaper looming behind you. You might want to tell him to back off.” Fiona teased as she scarfed down her chicken pot pie.
The banter continued as we stayed on safe topics of discussion. The food, the weather, my dad’s favorite sports teams, the summer. And then, just as I finished my salad and placed a wheat roll and a small spoonful of chicken pot pie on my plate, it happened.
“So, Mallory, have you made a decision about where you’re going this fall?”
Even though I knew what he meant, I played dumb. “I’m going to the mall to get some new sweaters.”
He wiped his mouth with his napkin and dropped it down onto his empty plate. “I mean about school. This is the year you’re going to college, correct? The gap year has come and gone, and per our agreement, this fall is when you start college.” He was putting on the because-I’m-your-father tone.
A quick glance to Fiona let me know that she knew this was going to come up tonight. I tried to bore a hole into her forehead with my gaze, but it didn’t work. And what agreement? We never had any agreement. “Well, Dad, I haven’t narrowed it down yet.” Lie .
“Well, let’s at least hear your choices.”
I looked to Janet, who was exchanging uncomfortable glances with Fiona. Obviously, I was a deserted island here. All on my own. “Again, Dad, I don’t really know.” With my fork, I started separating the ingredients in my chicken pot pie. Carrots, peas, chicken, potato.
My dad let out a heavy sign. “It’s time to focus now, Mallory. Walking dogs for some TV personality guy is not going to be your future.”
I stared at the pool of sauce in the middle of my plate. “I never said it was.”
“Well, now it’s time to get serious. I want you to start school this September. There are plenty of good business schools around here.”
Business school? Never once did I ever think of going to business school.
Janet cleared her throat. “Jack, maybe Mallory just isn’t interested in business school. There are plenty of other options for her.”
I looked at her with grateful eyes. Thanking her for trying, at least.
“Nonsense.” My dad downed the last of his drink. “I’m paying for business school because that’s the most logical degree for her. She can do anything with it. And she will.”
Even though I could hear him rambling on, I tuned him out. He and Janet were speaking back and forth, but it became more of a series of low versus high tones being muttered around me. The food on my plate seemed to taunt me, and my stomach twisted as I put a piece of chicken on my fork. Slowly, I took it up to my
The warm scent of apple pie filled the air when we entered the house. Apple pie was one of my favorite desserts, which was why I couldn’t have any, and somehow, I thought Janet would have remembered that. The smell sparked a twinge of anxiety in my stomach. “I really don’t feel like doing this tonight,” I whispered to Fiona as we entered the dining room where my dad and her mom were already seated.
“Just relax. We’ll be in and out, and you’ll be in Devin’s arms before you know it.” She squeezed my hand before heading to her seat. “Mom, Jack,” she said before sitting.
“Dad, Janet,” I said flatly while pulling out my chair. There was a bowl of salad already at my place setting, and I exchanged a grateful smile with Janet.
“Girls,” my dad said while plopping a heaping spoonful of mashed potatoes on his plate. He handed the bowl to me. “How’s everything?”
I took the bowl from him, inhaled a longing breath of the buttery carb-o-liscious dish, and set it down on the table near Janet. “Everything’s fine. You?”
“Same old, same old. You know how it is when you’re my age. Nothing much ever happens.” He took a swig of his gin and tonic.
How is knocking up your ex-wife same old, same old? “Dad, you’re not that old.”
“She’s right, Jack. Oh wait a second, I do see the grim reaper looming behind you. You might want to tell him to back off.” Fiona teased as she scarfed down her chicken pot pie.
The banter continued as we stayed on safe topics of discussion. The food, the weather, my dad’s favorite sports teams, the summer. And then, just as I finished my salad and placed a wheat roll and a small spoonful of chicken pot pie on my plate, it happened.
“So, Mallory, have you made a decision about where you’re going this fall?”
Even though I knew what he meant, I played dumb. “I’m going to the mall to get some new sweaters.”
He wiped his mouth with his napkin and dropped it down onto his empty plate. “I mean about school. This is the year you’re going to college, correct? The gap year has come and gone, and per our agreement, this fall is when you start college.” He was putting on the because-I’m-your-father tone.
A quick glance to Fiona let me know that she knew this was going to come up tonight. I tried to bore a hole into her forehead with my gaze, but it didn’t work. And what agreement? We never had any agreement. “Well, Dad, I haven’t narrowed it down yet.” Lie .
“Well, let’s at least hear your choices.”
I looked to Janet, who was exchanging uncomfortable glances with Fiona. Obviously, I was a deserted island here. All on my own. “Again, Dad, I don’t really know.” With my fork, I started separating the ingredients in my chicken pot pie. Carrots, peas, chicken, potato.
My dad let out a heavy sign. “It’s time to focus now, Mallory. Walking dogs for some TV personality guy is not going to be your future.”
I stared at the pool of sauce in the middle of my plate. “I never said it was.”
“Well, now it’s time to get serious. I want you to start school this September. There are plenty of good business schools around here.”
Business school? Never once did I ever think of going to business school.
Janet cleared her throat. “Jack, maybe Mallory just isn’t interested in business school. There are plenty of other options for her.”
I looked at her with grateful eyes. Thanking her for trying, at least.
“Nonsense.” My dad downed the last of his drink. “I’m paying for business school because that’s the most logical degree for her. She can do anything with it. And she will.”
Even though I could hear him rambling on, I tuned him out. He and Janet were speaking back and forth, but it became more of a series of low versus high tones being muttered around me. The food on my plate seemed to taunt me, and my stomach twisted as I put a piece of chicken on my fork. Slowly, I took it up to my
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