Between Boyfriends (Book 1 in the Between Boyfriends Series)

Chapter 25

Just when she had given up hope that her father would keep his promise to call, he called. It was two weeks after the unveiling of the truth, as Jan thought of it. She was briskly walking to class when her phone rang. Although she knew she would be late for class, her curiosity demanded she answer. The conversation went like this:

"Hello."

"Jan?"

"Yeah, hi, Dad."

"I've only got a minute to talk."

Big surprise.

"But I wanted to tell you that I spoke with your mother and she's sorry."

Thump. Jan walked into a wall. Three students ran over to ask if she was okay. Once Jan had ascertained that she didn't need medical attention, she turned her attention back to her phone to explain what had happened to her father, but he apparently hadn't noticed.

Some things never change.

"So I wouldn't expect an invite to a dinner party anytime soon, but hopefully by the time your children start preschool, your mother will be able to admit she was wrong."

Wait, did he say children? Oh God, am I pregnant?

Jan rubbed her stomach. Then she remembered she hadn't had sex in... she couldn't remember how long. Not something she could discuss with her father.

"Um, great." Jan laughed nervously. "So, she uh, said she was sorry? And to tell me?"

"Not exactly. I asked her if she was sorry and she said yes."

"But did she say she was sorry about yelling at me, or for treating me like I don't belong in my home, or was she just sorry for how she spoke to you?"

Her father cleared his throat. "I don't think any of that really matters. She said she was sorry and that's what's important."

Jan gritted her teeth. She hated the way men acted like women were crazy for thinking the details of a conversation were relevant. She wasn't about to forgive her mother if she didn't know what she'd been apologizing for.

"Okay, well, if she asks, you can tell her that she should feel free to call me and apologize herself."

"I don't think that's going to happen," her father said wisely. "Your mother is still mad about you dropping out of school. I'm sure she'll get over it someday." My ass. "But if you want to talk to her about this, I suggest you call her." When hell freezes over. "I don't want to be in the middle." Too bad!

All the resentment she had bottled inside toward her father for "not getting involved" since birth welled up and almost burst from her mouth and flowed into her phone. By exerting a major amount of self-control, Jan was able to put a stop gauge on her feelings.

"Okay, it's time for me to go," said her father using his classic bail-on-the-conversation-as-soon-as-possible line. Jan tried to stop him, but he was too quick.

And here she had been hoping things had changed. "Bastard!"

A stocky man in workman's jeans and a scruffy T-shirt walked gingerly toward Jan. One hand was held his back and the other he held out in front of him for Jan to shake.

"Mr. Brody?" Jan asked after looking up from her client list. The man nodded his head with the barest of movements. "I'm Jan. Please come on back."

She led Mr. Brody to the massage room. It was small, about eight feet by eight feet. There was a cushy Earthworks massage table in the middle, a small bookcase for a portable CD player, massage oils, and a variety of aromatherapy candles in the corner. Jan also had a small chest for clean sheets and a clock to measure the time.