Chapter One
I’d never been much for socializing, but I did tend to lose my inhibitions when I drank too much. I had fuzzy memories where I had woken up with a bad taste in my mouth. I swore off alcohol, taking a break from men in general because I just didn’t need the hassle or the drama when I was going to college to become a teacher. Besides, I had to project a wholesome image if I were to make it past the initial stages of interviews. My degree was right there in reach and one more year and I would be free to begin my life.
“I know you have a busy life, Chelsea, but when I talk to you, I expect you to listen. Just because we are halfway around the world in Tokyo doesn’t mean that you can run amok. We don’t mind you having small gatherings with friends, but do try and not go overboard.” My mother was wearing a sarong and no doubt enjoying the amenities of the five-star resort.
“Do I dare ask where father is or should I just take it at face value that it’s business as usual? Sometimes I wonder if he knows what retirement means, but at least you’re getting the chance to see the world.” I was on my bed with a white duvet underneath me and my legs were curled up in the Lotus position. I was wearing pajamas.
My dirty blond hair was tied back into a ponytail and some guys had mentioned that I had the eyes of the devil. They were a very unusual green and I could get somebody’s attention just from looking at them.
“Retirement has slowed him down, but he hasn’t completely stopped. I do see him more than I did when you were growing up and I pretty much had to be father and mother all rolled into one. He’s a good provider and he loves us which is more than some people can say. We are lucky to have him and truth be told, I’ve found myself falling in love with him all over again. This is like an extended honeymoon and I have no idea what our next destination is going to be.” Her voice conveyed a relaxed atmosphere and she didn’t look as frazzled as she did when she was living at home.
I had the whole place to myself and the few friends who came over didn’t stay the night. I turned on the stereo in the living room and the radio in my bedroom. I hated the silence and it was deafening to hear nothing but my own heart beating.
“Father does know how to make it up to you and who knew he was going to surprise you on your 50th birthday with an around the world cruise. I thought we were losing him and then he does an about face like that to change my opinion.” My father was a workaholic burning the candles at both ends. He could multitask, but he wasn’t getting any younger.
“We are having the time of our lives and these next few days in the port of Tokyo is going to be spent right here by the pool. I wish that you could be here, but I know that your studies come first. I never thought that I would miss some of your milestones, but I know that you’re living vicariously through the photos I send home.”
I was jealous and I hadn’t been more than a few 100 miles outside of our hometown of Illinois. I had my first kiss during one of those ill-advised escapades and it still lingered on my lips to this day. I couldn’t imagine anybody holding a candle to the young man who made my knees knock together. I was quite selective about the men I spent time with. I found I could read a man after a few minutes of talking to know whether or not there was something there to build on.
“I’m glad to hear everything is going exactly as father predicted. It’s too bad he gets caught up in his work, but it could be a whole lot worse. I know I remember quite vividly about some Christmases he didn’t make it home from the office. It’s good to see his priorities have shifted and he must have felt like we were slipping through his fingers.”
He was dedicated to family, but his business always came first before anything else. One wrong step and he could cost his clients millions of dollars because of his dereliction of duty.
He wasn’t technically my father, but it didn’t matter if he was blood and he would always hold a special space in my heart. My biological father died when I was too young to remember him and my mother married Joseph three years after his passing. At first, I was resentful of her trying to replace him, but I began to realize he was the best thing to happen to the both of us.
“I can never remember the time difference and I hope that I haven’t been keeping you away from anything pressing. You’re my daughter and we will never lose touch no matter what distance separates us. I know your birthday is in a week and I have arranged for something which I’m sure you will appreciate. But I don’t want to give anything away.” She was always surprising me and she always found a way to outdo herself each and every time.
“This is your time to let your hair down and be as wild as you were when you were younger.”
My mother and father lived like it was going to be their last day until my father was recruited into corporate life at the ripe age of 20-years-old. It was too much money to pass up and he had a knack for making his clients rich beyond their wildest dreams.
“I was the reason why your grandmother has her gray hairs. I think I started to realize my actions had consequences when I had you.” My mother was my best friend and the one thing coming from her marrying my father that didn’t stick well with me was having a little brother right away. Bailey was always hanging around asking questions and making it necessary to have fun at his expense.
“I’m sure that I’ve been responsible for some of the gray hairs that you have gotten over the years. I was a bit of a rebel and I still fly by the seat of my pants just to remind myself I’m alive. There’s no better feeling than having the adrenaline rushing through my veins with that real possibility of life ending with the snap of my fingers.” I was quite adventurous, but I couldn’t translate that into the bedroom. I wanted to, but I found nobody worthy of spreading my wings.
“You’ve had your fair share of broken bones and bruises, but you’ve always managed to stand on your own 2-feet. We’ve given you the tools to survive on your own and you have shown yourself to be a remarkable young woman. I know you’re still young at 25, but you have shown some real maturity and don’t think for one second it has gone unnoticed. We’re very proud of you, Chelsea and your work ethic is beyond reproach.” She was making me blush with her praise and I believed every word because she had never been known to lie to me.
“Nobody’s perfect and I’ve made some mistakes, but each one shaped me into the woman I am today.” I wanted to tell her to come home soon, but there was no way that I was going to ruin their fun because I was missing them.
Joseph was my father in every sense of the word and he was patient when I was moody. He was there when I needed somebody to talk to about boys and he had the unique insight of what a man was thinking.
“I know it’s probably late and you have an early start in the morning. I’m going to go and find some young thing to put my mark on. Don’t worry, I’m only kidding and my eyes have always wandered but I always come back to your father.”
As far as I knew, I didn’t believe either one of them had stepped out and found comfort in someone else’s arms. It was possible and secrets were inevitable in any relationship.
“I’m just finishing up a paper and I’m going to turn in shortly.” Finals were coming up quickly and in a couple of months, it would be summer break. I was looking forward to shedding some layers and I’d heard a rumor that the weekend was going to be in the high twenties. It was only the end of April, but summer was trying to make a return quicker than usual. The snow had melted and there were actual flowers blooming.
We finished our conversation and I threw myself into the paper for the next hour without distraction.
***
I heard something downstairs around 1:00 AM and I felt this chill run through my spine. I heard a muted voice behind the door and breathing deeply, I grabbed the Louisville Slugger behind the door. It was a gift from my brother and he told me to protect myself. I never had a reason to pick it up, but the commotion downstairs indicated I wasn’t alone.