“Okay, you sleep well.” She pats my cheek and disappears down the hallway.
I’m just finishing getting into bed when my bedroom door opens. My father’s looming body darkens the doorway and I am instantly on alert. He rarely comes into my room.
“Son,” he sneers, “tomorrow you will be home before eight. I have a meeting you will be sitting in on.”
“Okay,” I answer with a small nod.
“Do not be late.” He says, “your mother will be leaving for her spa weekend and I would rather not waste the peace of her being gone.”
Again, his loving attitude is charming.
“Okay.” I repeat.
He abruptly turns on his heel and exits my room. I don’t know if this fear of my father will ever go away.
“Coach,” I yell out to him, knowing he’s somewhere lurking in this locker room while I shower. “I can’t stay late today, I need to get home for a meeting with my father.”
I turn off the water and wrap the towel around my lean waist. I’ve noticed my body changing a bit this year. I’ve become leaner and my muscles are more noticeable. I also shot up a foot in like six months. I’ve been getting a lot of attention from girls at school but Adrianna is still the only one I want. I just don’t know how to tell her yet.
Three of my closest friends have lost their virginity already and they’ve started to make fun of me for still having mine. I plan on losing it to Adri though, she’s going to be my wife so it only makes sense.
“What kind of meeting?” Coach’s worried face appears next to my locker.
“Not sure,” I shrug. “He didn’t say.”
“Maybe you should skip it.” He places his hand on my lower back.
“Are you dense?” I turn to look him in the eye. “He would beat me to within an inch of my life and enjoy it.”
“I just don’t want you to go there right now.” He stresses as he wrings his hands.
“Is there something you know that I don’t, Coach?”
“Just be careful.” He mutters and walks away with his head down.
Lately, I’ve been questioning the feelings I used to have for Coach. I was a young child starved for attention and he took advantage of that. But deep inside I still have this attachment to him. Something that keeps me coming back to him because then I can feel what it’s like to have someone love me.
Precious Blood Academy is not too far from my house. I decide to walk home instead of calling the driver. It’s about a fifteen minute walk and I take this time to think through the things I need to do in my life. First and foremost I need to get my father off my back, so if I act like I’m interested in the business and attend these meetings, he’ll ease up. Second, I need to sort out this shit with Coach. I need to put an end to our particular meetings because I know they are sordid and wrong. Last but certainly not least, I need to let Adri know how I feel. Being around her everyday and not kissing or touching her is driving me crazy.
The large wrought iron gates of our estate loom in front of me. The large Sphinx statues stand at each corner with a devilish grin on their faces. If I really look at them, the faces start to resemble my father’s.
He didn’t.
Yes, he fucking did. He’s so warped in the head. I open the gate with the code and start to walk up the large winding driveway. Our house is the biggest on this street. My father always talks about how his father was a founder of Whitsborough and our status ultimately comes from him. I really couldn’t care less, if he was just as messed up as my father then I don’t care to know about him.
The front door opens in front of me and I see Sonja hoisting her large purse up onto her shoulder.
“Where are you going?” I ask her.
“Mister Greene ask me to go pick out new bedroom set for your mother. A surprise for when she get back.” She grins with excitement.
Her excitement only makes me that much more anxious, my father is clearing out the house. But why? I smile at her and nod as I brush by her and into the house.
"Mister Travis?" She calls out from behind me, "I will be in Toronto, you need anything?"
"No, thank you." I mutter and drop my stuff beside the front door.
"Your father have guest in the office for meeting. Do not disturb him, yes?" She asks.
"I need to be in that meeting." I look towards the den/office door. "Did you see who it was?"
"Yes," she nods. "It is woman, she look like business woman."
"Oh, okay." I don't know why in that moment I felt a hundred times better. I was worried about being in there with my father and another man.
I walk to the door and lightly knock, "Father?" I turn and watch as Sonja closes the front door behind her and a sense of foreboding comes over me.
"Yes, Son. Come in." He calls out, his voice scarily sweet.
I tentatively open the door and look around before I step inside. There certainly is a woman in here and she's sitting on a chair across from my father's desk. She does look like a business woman in a skirt suit but her skirt is a little short.
“Son,” he points to the lady sitting in the chair, “this is Tonya. She’s here for the meeting with you.”
“With me?” I ask, “you mean with us.”
“No,” a menacing grin comes over his face, “just you. I will observe.”
Tonya turns to give me a smile as her gaze roams over me from head to foot. “You’re right Robby, he is growing nicely.”
“I want you to give him the same
