Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 37695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 188(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 188(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
Hmmm, John has never seen me in this shirt. Maybe I’ll stop by ShopMore on my way to school tomorrow just to show it off. Then again, if I do, I might not make it to school at all. We have a habit of getting lost in each other, no matter where we are, be it his office, his house, or even his car. It’s so naughty, but John keeps condoms on him at all times now, and we’re burning through they like crazy. I smile, squeezing my thighs tight, remembering how he teased me the last time together. But then a voice startles me.
“Getting ready for class tomorrow?” Joey asks, popping his head into my room. “Where are you going?” he asks, eyeing my sexy top with suspicion.
“Nowhere really. I’m not wearing this to ShopMore. I have a shift in an hour, but I wanted to get everything ready for school now.”
My brother narrows his eyes, still suspicious.
“You’re going to quit tonight, right?”
I stare at him with shock.
“What? No, of course not. Why would I do that?”
Joey enters my room. “You’re going back to school. We agreed you could have this job while school was online, but you’ll be back in the classroom for six hours a day now. You shouldn’t have a job when you need to focus on graduating. Mom and Dad wouldn’t want that.”
I sigh with exasperation.
“I can handle both, Joey. I’ve done it so far.”
But my brother’s stubborn.
“That was different. You were doing school at your own pace then. You can’t just do your assignments in the morning and go to work in the afternoon now, and I don’t want you working after school every day either because you’ll wear yourself out.”
I stare at him.
“We need the money, Joey. We’re hardly out of the clear.”
But he shakes his head again.
“I’m working now, so we’ll be fine. This new job pays well, and we can revisit the idea of you getting a job after graduation. But for now, Britney, you need to quit. I don’t want you fucking up high school because you’re in the home stretch. You can find a job after graduation, if it makes you feel better.”
I open my mouth to argue, but Joey’s face means business. He won’t budge on this. Meanwhile, I can’t keep my job without Joey knowing, and he’ll hound me until I quit if I try. Slowly, my face crumples and I give in.
“Okay, I’ll tell Mr. Hemsworth I can’t work at ShopMore anymore.”
“Good. It’s for the best, Britney. After you graduate, you’ll be able to get a better position, anyway.”
I don’t agree at all, but this will only be temporary. Graduation is around the corner, and I’ll finally be able to stretch my wings then. I paste a fake smile on my face.
“You’re right. I love you, Joey, and I know you’re only looking out for me. But I should get going. I’ll tell Mr. Hemsworth about my decision after my shift today.”
“Do you want a ride?”
“No, thanks. The walk will be good for me. Thanks again.”
My curt voice should give me away, but Joey ignores it.
“Okay. I’ll see you when you get home, Brit.”
My brother disappears back to his own room, and with angry movements, I put on my work outfit and head out the door. I don’t want to quit my job because it’s come to mean a lot to me. I love working. I love making my own money, and I finally feel like a real adult now that I’m earning a paycheck. Joey wants to that freedom away from me.
It’s only temporary, I remind myself. After I graduate, everything will be different. Maybe if I play my cards right, John will even hire me back at the grocery store. He is my boyfriend, right? Won’t he let me come back?
When I arrive at the store, I greet Kathy before going to John’s office. I might as well get this over with. He opens the door almost immediately after I knock and greets me with a kiss.
“Hey sweetheart, I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too,” I say, unable to keep the melancholy from my voice.
He picks up my mood immediately, those blue eyes concerned.
“What’s wrong, hon? Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, it’s fine. It’s just … school starts again tomorrow, and my brother doesn’t think I should work while I’m in school.”
To my surprise, John takes the news in a breeze.
“That’s understandable. Of course you should focus on your classes because ShopMore is nowhere near as important as getting your diploma.”
I stare at him with amazement.
“You’re not mad?”
“Of course not. I know how important graduation is to you, and I don’t want me or my business to stand in your way. Your mom and dad would be proud of you honey, just like your brother is.”
I take a deep breath of relief and feel grateful that my boyfriend is so understanding. I guess it’s good that we communicate well because on one of our dates, I opened up to him about my parents. Before they died, we’d had a long talk about their dreams for me. They made me promise that I would graduate at the very least, because a woman without a high school degree can face a lot of challenges in life. Not that my position at ShopMore would stop me from getting a diploma, but it seems that everyone just wants to be on the safe side.