I resist the urge to let out a very exasperated sigh. “I work with numbers but you know what, here.” I grab the pad from off the table next to the door and the pen and hand it to him. I could have recalled the ten numbers he spit out as I am actually good with numbers, but fuck it. I haven’t decided if she’s getting the message regardless.

He hands the pad to me and nods. “Thanks.”

“Not a problem. Merry Christmas,” I tell him. I barely hear him reply, “Merry—” before I shut the door.

“I should tell her about this. She’s not even interested,” I say aloud as I hold the paper in my hands, struggling with the idea of ripping it to shreds and throwing it away. I hear the garage door closing and my cock springs to life thinking about Gabrielle and I wonder how I’ll be able to get a personal show of what she bought at the mall today, particularly the lingerie. My cock deflates as I think about the fact that she’s not coming in alone and Monica and Mom would probably wonder why we were in my room with the door closed. Fuck. I feel like I’m a teenager again and I can’t be in my room with a girl with the door closed.

Would they even think anything of it if we were in there with the door closed?

Maybe. It’s a little odd.

My inner monologue is interrupted by my father coming in the door dressed like he’d gone into work.

“You’re working this week?” I ask, shoving Brandon’s number in my pocket.

“My job doesn’t stop four days before Christmas, Son, we aren’t even closed Christmas Eve.” He chuckles. “My hearing got cancelled because the judge can’t get out of his neighborhood with all the snow which is the only reason why I’m home.”

My father works at the largest law firm in Connecticut of which he’d been offered partner twice. He rejected the offer, valuing time with my mother and us kids above anything and knowing that becoming partner is a strain on all relationships. Now that he’s older, he wants to spend more time with my mother and his future grandchildren he’s been begging Monica and me for. Not to mention, he already makes more than enough money.