My Future Stepmother

Chapter 28

"What is it?" Julia asked.

"It's just an invitation to my daughter's birthday party.  I wanted to bring it myself in person.  Would you come to her party?"

"I don't think that's a good idea, Roger... " Julia said careful.

"Why not?" he seemed sad by her response.

"Well, I'm just a stranger for your family.  What would they think if I go?  It could give them wrong ideas about us...  Don't you think?"

"Well, we work together and we are good friends and they know that; they already know you, and they like you.  They will bring their friends to the party, and I woukd like to have someone to talk to, you know?  A friend...  I also invited my parents and other relatives..."

"I'll think about it...  But I can't promise you anything.  Thanks for the invitation anyway."

Grace was trying to hear them.  She recognized her father's voice, and that really scared her; specially after all she had read about him in her mother's diary, so many intimate details about them and about their relationship.  Julia first thought that that was something very private and that it was wrong of them to read the diary, but after Grace told her about her father, Julia then changed her mind and thought that maybe it was best to know.

"Sure, you're welcome.  Aren't you going to invite me in?" Roger said.  They were talking at the door.  Julia was wearing a silk blouse in different tones of blue and jeans.  She tried to think fast in a good excuse for not inviting him in.  She was already dressed and ready to go to the hospital, so she couldn't say something like that she wasn't dressed up yet.  Why she had to get ready so early that day?

"I need to be in the hospital today, Roger... " she began to say.

"I know, me too.  We can go together," he said excited.

She hesitated, she seemed doubtful.

"I hope that you are not afraid of me, you know, because of what happened the last time I was here..." Roger said thinking about that kiss that he tried to give her.

What happened?  Oh, dad, what did you do to her?  What he could possibly do to scare a woman like Julia?  Grace thought.  Had he tried to rape her?  Grace mind was going crazy thinking a lot of things.  What did he do?  She didn't know what to think.  Oh, poor Julia.  Her mother was right and that man was a monster.

"I'm not scare of you, Roger, don't be silly..." Julia said.

"It won't happen again, I'm so sorry for that, I'm not like that, I don't know what happened to me that day, I'm so sorry.  You know I respect you... "

"Of course.  And I respect you too.  I know that you know that we work together and it is always a bad idea to get involve in a relationship with someone you work with," Julia said.  "We can only be good friends and nothing more, Roger."

"Oh, okay, I get it.  I understand.  I think I better go now," he said with sadness in his voice.  "I hope you accept to go to the party... "

"How old will she be?  She is a beautiful young woman..."  She loved to hear stories about Grace.

"Yes, yes, she is.  And she will be twenty-one soon, I can't believe it...  It seems like yesterday that her mother and I brought her home from the hospital, she was so tiny and she had that cute little innocent face..." Roger said thinking about it.

And she still has a cute little innocent face that I adore...  Julia thought.

"I hope that she has a great day and that she enjoys her party..." Julia said.