Bethany
Her mom bit at her lip, looking up and thanking the server as he put their lunch down in front of them. Bethany constrained herself as the steam rose up from the small cup before her. She could have ordered more, but she knew her mom was broke and struggling as well. The older woman in front of her hid her own suffering, and internal strife as well as Bethany did. No one knew how much they'd been through and how they continued to persevere.
"Let's pray over our food." Her mom bowed her head and prayed, Bethany closing her eyes and listening to her mom ask God for the millionth time to help them. He’d seemed to turn a blind eye or deaf ear to them for all the years Bethany could remember, but six months ago he had delivered Kent into her mom's life.
Kent owned several companies and had been a widower for ten years. He was older than her mom and had two sons, one a complete loser and the other the center of his enterprise in the heart of downtown Dallas. Bethany had yet to meet either of them, but she liked Kent and knew he would treat her mother like a princess.
If only the woman could get past being hurt and used by Bethany's father, giving love another chance and opening up a world of possibilities for them both.
"Kent would be thrilled to hear I'm ready to move forward, I guess." Her mom's words lit a spark of hope in Bethany’s chest as she looked up.
"He loves you, Mom. He's told you that a million times."
"I know, and I love him too. I'm just a little worried about fitting into his world. I come from the wrong side of the tracks, Bethany. His friends and work associates are going to see beneath my layers of makeup and call me out as the phony I am."
"You're not a phony. You're the most real person I know, Mom." Bethany reached around her soup to touch her mom's arm, concern pulling her brow together. "You just need to be yourself and not anyone else. You can't change for someone, or you'll end up hating who you've become."
"How did you get so wise?" Her mom winked at her, patted her hand and picked up her spoon, taking a tentative sip of her own soup.
"So, you'll think about it? I'm on a short leash, and I'll start looking for jobs this afternoon, but I need help quickly."
"Wait until Monday for the job thing. You're graduating tomorrow, and I want you to just enjoy the accomplishment." She put her spoon down and picked up the last piece of bread, tearing it in half and handing the larger piece to Bethany. "I'm so proud of you."
"Thanks, Mom. I’m sorry to bother you with this. If I could figure it out on my own, I would.”
“We will always have each other. I’ll talk to Kent tonight about everything. When he proposed a few weeks back, I wanted to say yes, but I just haven't been able to move around my past. He's so much better than I am." Her mom shrugged, heaviness sitting on her pretty features.
Bethany reached up and pulled her long locks into a messy bun before scoffing at her mother.
"He's not better than you. He's had a different path, Mom. His life is a different story. I'm just glad that your path crossed with his. He's going to be great for you. He thinks you hung the moon."
"He is a great guy." Blush touched her mother's cheeks, and Bethany laughed softly, romance a lofty thought in her world.
Bethany had seen the same guy, Jake, a few times, but he was horribly proper and far too feminine for her tastes. He was easy to get along with and a great study partner, but as far as physical attraction—nothing.
"Is Kent coming with you to my graduation tomorrow?"
"He sure is. I invited Damon and Matthew, his boys, but they both have something to do. I was hoping for you to meet Matthew. He's a sad soul with far too many demons to fight, but a pure heart lies in his chest."
"And what about the other boy, Damon?"
"Honestly, he's an ass. He's the typical rich boy, and he has far too much control of Kent's company and ten women around him at all times. I hate to even say this, but he sometimes disgusts me." Her mother's face twisted as if she’d bit into a lemon. Bethany laughed and leaned over, tasting her cooling soup.
"Money corrupts. I'm surprised Kent is as good of a guy as he is. He has more money than God."
Her mom laughed and took one more sip of her soup before pushing it across the table to Bethany, the small cup still more than half-full. Bethany pulled it toward her, working hard not to lift her cup to her lips and drink the thick tomato soup.
"Get yourself a sandwich or something. I have a little bit of money in the bank." Her mother turned as if trying to get the waiter's attention.
Bethany reached over and patted the table in front of her. "I'm good. I'll eat this and be stuffed. We'll make it through this; we will. Tomorrow will be a great day, and if your conversation goes well with Kent, then maybe my luck will change for good." She pinched off a piece of the bread and popped it in her mouth. "You sure I'm not pushing you to do something you didn't want to do?"
"Have you ever known me to do something I didn't want to do?" Her mother smirked as the waiter stopped by with the bill.
"They must have higher-paying customers waiting on our seats." Bethany looked over to the large crowd gathering at the door.
"Pretty soon that will be us, baby. Hang in there, and I'll work to change our situation."
"You do love him, right?"
"I do, but not as much as I love you."
Bethany chuckled and turned her attention to her food, mumbling into the small cup, "I love you too."
BethanyShe'd enjoyed the time with her mother, the older woman a beautiful reminder that hope and love could actually exist.Bethany climbed into her small, beat-up Honda after kissing her mom goodbye and getting excited about her upcoming graduation. She still hadn't let the fact that she would be graduating with her bachelor’s in accounting sink in. It was a huge accomplishment in itself—and even more so since she was the first in her family to do so.The rest of the afternoon was to be spent with a few friends, her roommate, Krista, and the closest thing she had to a boyfriend, Jake. It would be comfortable and mostly uneventful, but she'd grown accustomed to moving through life as quickly as possible, her focus only on the future.Bethany pulled up to their small apartment as Krista and Jake walked from the door toward Krista's car, smiles on their faces as Bethany got out."Hey, guys. What's up?""Just getting some snacks and sodas from Krista's car. Come help us." Jake motioned
BethanyHe wasn't her type at all, his long blond hair always in his face and his body nothing more than bones, but he was safe. She wouldn't be falling in love with him anytime soon, and he wouldn't be falling for her either. Nothing more than a good friendship existed between them, and yet she was ready for something more physical in her life. Jake seemed the perfect candidate. Surely he wanted sex, and friends with benefits seemed fitting."Don't you look lovely?" Marcus, a dark-skinned marketing major, reached out and tugged on Bethany's ponytail, his smile wide and welcoming."Well, thank you, sir. You don't look too shabby yourself." She reached out and patted his stomach with the back of her hand. His firm abs tightened under her touch. "Dang. You've been working out.""Swimming actually. Did you know they opened the natatorium at the school finally?""I've heard that, but I haven't been over there.""Too busy making valedictorian?" He laughed, and she shook her head as Jake mo
BethanyThe morning sun streamed through the small window of her bedroom, the brightness stinging her eyes and turning up her headache. Why had she let herself drink the night before? She rarely drank, and she blamed that on how she felt the morning after she did. Nothing was worse than being debilitated for a whole day simply because you sated yourself with an evening of fun.The smell of bacon wafted into her room, her stomach turning at the idea of food. They rarely cooked around the apartment, but the weekend was to be filled with friends, family, and good food. Bethany rolled over and groaned, the memory of offending Jake the night before assaulting her.Why hadn’t she just offered herself to one of the assholes from Kappa Alpha? There had been more than enough of them at the party. Sleeping with Jake had seemed like a good idea before she’d walked into the kitchen and pushed him a little too far. She covered her eyes with the palms of her hands pressing against the pain a little
Bethany"I'm fine. I just wish someone would have told me. She said I tried to sleep with you last night. I feel like a total ass." She forced a laugh, the memory of the night before pushing its way across her aching skull. She would never let him know that she remembered every moment of it, but the loneliness at his denial and the hour of crying herself to sleep was still very real as she stared at him."It's no big deal. A month ago I would have fallen over myself to get you in bed." He laughed, and the goofy sound caused her to smile.He wasn't at all someone that she'd normally sleep with or try to start a real relationship with. The need to share her celebration with him had pushed her to want something more, but it would have ended as the sun came up. It was for the best."Enough of this. Congratulations." She reached up and straightened the lapel of his robe before turning and sliding into line as they were instructed to do.She waited her turn, her mind wandering to the conver
At first, she was hesitant to order anything off the menu, the prices ridiculous for a simple graduation meal. Her mom ordered a salad for herself, and Bethany followed suit, but the bread bowl was calling her name. She waited until Kent reached out and took a piece, offering it to her next."So, Mom tells me that you're an accountant as well?" Bethany passed the bread to her mom, her eyes on the newest member of her soon-to-be family."I have a degree in accounting and a doctorate in law. It's a passion of mine, but my company is actually an accounting firm, which is something I wanted to talk with you about." He smiled and looked over at Bethany's mother as if asking permission for something. Her mom smiled shyly, and he reached over and took her hand under the table."Oh yeah? That's great news. I'd love to talk accounting with you; just don't tell anyone how nerdy I am. I keep that locked down most days." She smiled as her mother chided her.Kent sat back, the look on his face giv
BethanyNot having any siblings of her own, she wasn't even sure how to approach their new relationship but figured her best bet was to respect him as her boss, and if something familial grew from that, all the better. Forcing something wasn't her style at all, her heart set on impressing people with her intelligence and wit no matter the audience.Bethany pulled into the visitor parking, an elderly cop moving toward her and motioning for her to lower the window. The large building above them reaching high into the sky, as most of the other buildings in the business district in downtown did."Where ya headed, miss?" He leaned down, a smile lifting the furry mustache on his upper lip."I'm starting my internship with McKenzie and Bryant today. I hope I'm in the right place." She looked around for a sign, nothing but plain concrete walls surrounding them."You're in the right place. Go to the fourth floor or above in the garage, and make sure you don't park in a reserved spot. Take the
BethanyLinda was far too good looking to be a secretary, or Damon was the asshole her mother had warned her about. Bethany hated to judge a book by its cover, but the tall blonde model posing as a receptionist had been incredibly sexual—just in showing Bethany to Damon's office, her words almost purred. Bethany thanked her and shivered in disgust as the door closed. Apparently, Damon was down the hall and would be back shortly.Taking advantage of the few moments she had, Bethany walked around the large executive office. The windows lined the walls of half of the office from floor to ceiling. The view was spectacular, and she wanted to see it at night, the lights of the city a beautiful spectacle, no doubt.Pictures of three men accented the wall behind Damon's large cherrywood desk, one of them being Kent and the others Damon and his brother. She picked up one of the photos of the three men smiling at the camera, their golf shirts showing that they were at an event together."Oh shi
BethanyBethany moved toward her new office like a zombie, her mind trying desperately to work through the last few words her stepbrother Damon had spoken to her. His voice had been filled with conviction, the seriousness of his gaze leaving her to wonder if he hadn't meant everything simply from a business perspective.He had certain needs, and she would be required to know them and fulfill them, as it seemed every other woman in the company was busy trying to do.Did Kent know that his son was pimping out the women of their accounting firm for his own perverted desires?Or had Damon simply meant that, as the CFO, he would need her to be on her toes, to work fast, like he did, and keep on top of things? Those were needs, too… Maybe she was trying to make something sexual out of it because he was by far the most good-looking man she'd seen in her short life."Here's your office. The laptop is yours to take with you. The cords are all there, and the phone is already set up." The recept