A Hope and a Chance(45)
Author: Jennifer Foor

“Hell no! I never even saw that woman. From her picture in the paper she looked like she was over forty. Why would I take someone that old home with me, Buffy? I may be a lot of things, but I’ve never been desperate. If I wanted to pick up a chick that didn’t know about my past, and fuck her brains out, I guarantee it wouldn’t be hard. I’ve never had a problem in that department, and you know it. Please say you believe me.”

She clutched my arm and pulled me to sit down next to her. “I always believe you, Chance, but I also know that you’ve been acting different. All of a sudden you seem…I don’t know, like happier. I just don’t understand how a one-night-stand could result in that.”

I sighed. “I’ll find someplace to eat tonight, and when I get home I’ll stay in the pool house. It really isn’t a big deal.”

I got up and walked away from Buffy, but my nerves were now shot. I went inside and changed my clothes. Then I jumped on my bike and headed to the nearest bar that was open at eleven am on a Tuesday.

The bar was empty and it was just how I wanted it to be. I pulled out my license and slid it across the bar before ordering my first beer.

“Bad day, kid?” The male bartender asked.

“Bad life.” I handed him cash for the beer.

A female voice said something right before slipping beside me. “Did you hear me?” She asked.

“No. Sorry.”

“I said my name is Chelsea.”

“Chance, my name is Chance,” I blurted out.

The woman twisted a straw around in her mixed drink while she looked at me from top to bottom. “I’d love to take a CHANCE with you,” she confessed.

I swallowed hard. “No, you really wouldn’t.”

“I beg to differ. In fact I’m sure that you and I could find something better to do than sit here at a bar all day drowning our sorrows. What do you think?”

I gave her a half-smile. She was built nice and had long blonde hair. She was wearing low-cut jean shorts and a shirt that tied at the bottom, exposing her navel. She pulled a piece of ice out of her glass and ran it over her lips before putting it in her mouth. I knew she was taunting me.

“Thanks for the offer, but I can’t,” I admitted.

“You don’t want to, or you can’t? Because in my book they are two different things.” She placed her palm on my thigh, I guess expecting that it would do the trick.

I gripped her hand and removed it from my leg. “I’m gay,” I announced.

“Well, that is just a cryin’ shame,” she retorted.

“Guess we have to just hang out here.” I said, even though I wanted to burst out laughing. I couldn’t believe I’d said it. I also couldn’t believe I was passing up on a no-strings-attached-sex-fest with this chick, but I was. She may have been very attractive, but she couldn’t even compare to Hope. There was no use even trying to make my feelings for her go away. It wasn’t going to happen, and I refused to be THAT GUY, who sleeps with one person to get rid of another.

For the rest of the afternoon I planned on sitting at this bar, alone.

26

After noticing the large ‘For Sale’ sign in the yard I approached the front entrance to my grandparent’s house and took a deep breath. It wasn’t going to be easy to face my mother and break her heart. It may have been the hardest thing that I ever had to do. I stood my ground and pushed open the door, knowing that when I came back out the damage would be done.

“In here, honey,” my mother called out from the kitchen.

I walked toward the back of the house to find her doing the dishes. When I noticed how many were in the drainer I had to ask. “Was someone else here?”

“What do you mean?”

When I thought about having my own agenda I decided that it would be best to save my concerns for a later time. “Nothing, never mind.” I sauntered over and gave her a big hug, stalling the inevitable.

“You look so beautiful, Hope. Have you done something different with yourself? You’re just glowing.” Since I knew for a fact that I certainly wasn’t with child, I took her compliment to mean that I appeared happy for a change. I knew why I was glowing. Hell, I was probably radiating with happiness. “Nothing is new. Just trying to get settled in at Dad’s house,” I lied.

“Well you look fantastic. What have you been up to?” She asked.

“Nothing really. I like to run in the morning. The neighborhood is really quiet. I painted my room. I’ve even been doing some reading, and a lot of swimming.” I didn’t tell her about the golf lessons, or our family dinners every night.

My mom turned her attention back to the dirty dishes. “Have you seen Rylee lately?”

Oh crap! I didn’t know if she had talked to Rylee’s parents. This was horrible. “Yeah I saw her the other day. We went to the beach.” I winged it.

“Her mother said she’s been spending all of her free time with you at the new house. She said she’s practically living there. Doesn’t your dad and his, whatever she is, have a problem with that?” My mother asked while she dried her hands off with a dish towel.

“Um, no, Dad works a lot and Buffy doesn’t mind,” I lied again.

“I still can’t believe your father is involved with someone named Buffy.” My mother shook her head, but through her stiff glare I could tell it hurt her.

“Actually, her name is really Matilda. Her mother named her after her dying grandmother.” It was something Chance had told me one night during one of our pillow talks.

My mother calmed her tone. “Well I guess Buffy is better than that. So…what is she like?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “She’s actually nice. She keeps Dad in line. Her cooking is really good. Her brother said that she went to culinary school after she graduated, but never pursued a career.”

I realized what I’d said too late. “Her brother?”

“His name is Chance. He lives out back in the guest pool house.” Here comes the third degree.

“I wasn’t aware. Is he older than his sister?” She asked.

Shit!

“No, he is twenty something, I guess. I never really asked. He’s working on the house for them. I only see him in passing and at meals.” Wow, another big fat lie.

“Is he handsome? Does my little girl have a crush on an older man?” She teased.

If she only knew…

“No, Mom. Geesh,” I said defensively.