Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 103637 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103637 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Shit! It was Mama Heller.
“I’m so sorry. Lost my balance, because my legs feel a bit weird after workouts,” he said breathlessly, but she rubbed her hip, which was where he must have hit her, and smiled, combing back her short blonde hair.
“That’s fine. Maybe you’d like some tea? I have herbal,” she said, and when she took hold of Arden’s arm, it was clear there was no way out of this.
“I still have to dry my hair,” he tried.
“It’s a pain, sorry, we still have to install the better hair dryers in the men’s locker rooms. But you’re free to use the ladies’. They’re in a separate grooming area, so no one should complain about you being there. You know what? I’ll just go with you.”
So there would be no escape.
Whatever she wanted to discuss with him, he’d just have to bear it. Fortunately, while he could hear voices and the tap of showers next door, the small area with mirrors and counters was empty, even though the whiff of shampoo and perfume hung in the air, indicating it had been in use not long ago.
“You’re getting better,” Mrs. Heller said, taking a seat on a stool by the hair dryers. Nothing here was elaborate or decorative, but the pink tiles around the mirror counted for something.
“I wouldn’t have come to the classes if Mike hadn’t encouraged me, but I see the merit. I need to at least learn to not freeze up when there’s danger,” he said and started working his favorite coconut product into the damp curls.
She asked him how he managed to keep his hair soft with all the bleaching, but Arden had a sense there was more coming his way, and he hadn’t been mistaken.
“I’m glad you don’t feel alone at the clubhouse,” she said a few questions later, chewing a protein bar.
“No, it’s been such a whirlwind with Mike.” And after almost a month, it was anyone’s guess why Mike hadn’t yet given up on his big fat prank. Maybe he just wanted to squeeze some sex experimentation out of it before telling everyone the relationship had been fake all along.
Oh no. Mrs. Heller’s smile was definitely insincere.
“Mike is like that. Very open to new people, new experiences,” she said and let that hang in the air for a little bit.
“And he doesn’t want kids, so maybe he’s not bothered which way he swings.” Arden’s smile was met with a chilly expression.
So maybe it had been a rude thing to say to Mike’s mother, but why should she be free to interfere in Arden’s life?
She exhaled and shut her eyes, as if she were about to do some yoga. “Look, maybe you don’t see it, because you’re very young, but Mike isn’t very steady in his feelings. He likes to have fun and experiment, and he knows how to make everyone around him feel special. He’s a fantastic son, and I love him very much, but I don’t want you to end up hurt. You’re so much younger than him.”
“I’ll be fine, but… thank you, I really appreciate that you care about me.”
And he did, though this reminder that he really shouldn’t get involved with Mike stung his heart. Even if Mrs. Heller’s intention was to get her son back on the straight and narrow, she only echoed warnings Arden had heard before from his own sister. Mike was not the relationship type. He’d never claimed he was, and while he sometimes left girls heartbroken, he apparently never made any promises he didn’t intend to keep. He was just the kind of guy people fell in love with, regardless of what kind of relationship they’d agreed on in the beginning.
“Because he’s to marry Harlyn Jaren?” Arden asked with a small smile, trying to make light of the topic.
It worked, and Mrs. Heller snorted, shaking her head. “Her entire family is not right in the head. They sell UFO souvenirs, but to be honest I feel like they’ve come from an alien planet themselves. They think women have to get married when they’re no longer virgins. It’s not like there’s a baby on the way. Mike made sure he never becomes a father.”
“Are those people… dangerous?” Arden didn’t want to end up as collateral damage because of some backwater spat over a girl losing her cherry.
She rolled her shoulder and pouted. “Well… anyone can be dangerous if they’re armed. But if we ignore them long enough, I think they’ll just marry her off to someone else and that’ll be that. Not my business.”
A form of speech because Mrs. Heller made everything involving her kids her business. Once Arden started working on his hair with the dryer, the noise made talking impossible, and she left, patting his arm goodbye.
He was relieved that she’d left, but being alone pulled memories of Mike’s naked body to the surface, and it didn’t matter that Arden hadn’t stared for long. The image of that dick and the dark blond hair above it was etched into his pupils and would stay there forever.