“This is ridiculous. Maybe your father can talk some sense into you.”
“No, Mom! Don’t…”
But she already heard the muffled voices and knew any minute her father would be…
“What in the world is this your mother is telling me about you being a nanny!”
“Oh, hey, Dad. How are you?”
“Don’t how are you to me, missy! I asked you a question!”
“And I asked you one,” she challenged, picturing him going a little purple and the vein in his neck bulging a big at her insolent tone.
“I will not have you talking to me this way! I knew dating that bartender was going to cause this! I just knew it!”
“This isn’t about Levi, Dad. This is about you showing me some respect.”
“Respect? Respect?! Young lady, maybe you’ve forgotten who is the parent here and who is the child!”
Go big or go home, Willow…
Wait. I am home. Does that still apply?
“Well?” he demanded.
“Can we please focus on the fact that I am no longer a child?” she said loudly. “I am a grown woman and I fully believe that respect is earned! You do not get it just for being my father and especially when you certainly don’t respect me!”
“I have had just about enough of this tone from you. You need to apologize!”
“Um…no. I believe you do.”
“Willow…”
“No, I’m serious, Dad. I am an adult and I am perfectly capable of finding my own job and knowing what it is that I want to do with my life! It may have taken me a while, but I have always known what it was that I didn’t want to do! You never listen! No one ever listens!”
“And I’m done listening now!”
“Why? Because you’re not getting your way? Because I’m not falling in line with what you want? Well, newsflash, Dad, that’s not how grownups act! You don’t get to run away because you’re not getting what you want!”
Silence.
“Now, I’m sorry that you don’t agree with my career choice, but it was never your choice to make. It’s mine. I never should have agreed to study psychology. It was never something I wanted to do. Maybe someday I’ll go back to school and get my degree in early childhood education, but for right now, I’m good. And as my parents, you should be proud of me for following my dreams and for finding a job that excites me!”
He let out a low, almost sinister laugh that she did not take as a good sign.
“I get it,” he said quietly, almost menacingly. “I finally figured it out.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You and this nanny thing. Now that you’re dating a guy who owns his own business, he’s taking care of you. Encouraging you to take on a low-demand job you so you’re available whenever he wants to see you.”
“What in the world are you talking about? Are you drunk right now?”
“Don’t you dare talk to me like that! I am still your father!”
“Um…”
“I guess dating a rich guy who owns a pub so you don’t have to pay your own way works for you. And that makes me ashamed of you. You’re a smart woman, far too smart to be working in such a menial job. But…since your boyfriend owns his own business…”
“Why do you keep saying that?”
And then it hit her.
Levi’s talk with her father back at Gammy’s.
No doubt he just told her father that to get him off his back. Poor baby. Wait until she told him about this crazy conversation.
“Uh, yeah, Dad. That’s what it is. Levi owns the pub and makes great money and it was all part of my evil plan to get out of working with you and Mom. You’re a genius.”
“Willow!”
“You know what? I think we both need some time to calm down. I’ll talk to you next week. Bye!”
She hung up and immediately turned the phone off to avoid any immediate callbacks.
But it also meant Levi couldn’t get through, so…
She still left it off for a little while.
Her heart was back to racing again–and hopefully it was just because of nerves and not because she suddenly developed some sort of heart condition or was having a heart attack–but Willow forced herself to go into the kitchen and make herself something for dinner.
Her appetite wasn’t the best, and she was borderline nauseous, but she knew by the time she was done cooking that she’d feel better.
Or will have thrown up and need food to fill her empty stomach.
Either way, she was going to make the shrimp tacos she had planned on making.
Thirty minutes later, she was sitting at her kitchen table and scrolling through her Instagram feed for entertainment. There wasn’t much going on, but it was always fun to see if Doug the Pug shared anything new or where Popeye the Foodie Dog was eating today. It was a brainless way to pass the time and provided enough smiles to get her through her dinner–which was delicious.
Once she was done, she thought about going to McGee’s and seeing Levi, but she had a feeling he’d be busy and she was honestly too tired to go and then wait for the pub to close. Instead, she sent him a text to let him know she was thinking about him and would see him tomorrow.
Although, she couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when she told him how her father carried on about him owning the bar. Just thinking about it made her chuckle. No wonder her father had changed his tune that day at Gammy’s.
Yeah, there would be plenty of time to laugh about it tomorrow.
“Hey, there’s my beautiful girl! This is a surprise!” Levi came around the bar late Friday afternoon. It was only four o’clock and Willow didn’t normally come in until some time after seven. Kissing her, he said, “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
She took
