Didn't Expect You (Against All Odds #2) - Claudia Burgoa Page 0,3
the television to find some numbing tv show to watch, I pull out my tablet from my messenger bag and start working on my next case.
Callie isn’t wrong. I don’t have a life. Boring... I don’t think I’m boring. I just don’t have time to let my hair loose and just live for pleasure. I should add that to my to-do list. Maybe at the bottom of it. One day I’ll get to it.
Two
Nate
The principal of my high school always said, “In every situation at least ask five questions. What, when, who, where, and why.” He insisted that we have to ask at least a hundred questions a day to show that we’re indeed thinking. I don’t think I do that, but I never settle with what I’m told. I’m an inquisitive man.
If anyone has a complaint about it, they should take it to Mr. Richardson—may he rest in peace. He was smart and funny sometimes. We had a cool relationship. I guess we grew closer since I visited his office at least once a day, if not twice, until I graduated. I learned a lot about life from him. A lot more than I did from my own father.
Mr. Richardson always had something wise to say.
My favorites, and the ones I still follow are: Never be afraid to try. This is life and there are no do-overs. Honor your word and always be kind. But my mantra is, don’t worry about what others think of you, but be responsible for your actions. Many think I take my life for granted, that I’m the irresponsible, adrenaline junky playboy, Nathaniel Chadwick.
I don’t deny that I have fun racing cars, skydiving, or ziplining, among other fun activities. There’s the occasional rafting through wild rivers. Everything I do, I do it as responsibly as it can be.
Am I a playboy? I’m sure there’s an ample definition in the dictionary describing me or any man like me as a rich manwhore. A few years back I partied a lot and slept my way through every woman who crossed my path when I was horny. Which happened to be often. Not anymore though. I’m a few days shy of thirty-five, and these days I’m more selective of who I invite to play with me.
Make no mistake, I still have playmates, but they are fewer, and I hookup less frequently than I used to. Pretty faces aren’t my requirement. I need a woman who challenges me physically and intellectually. Those women are like hidden gems. They are so hard to find that these days I don’t have time to bother.
Maybe that’s why I have more time to worry about my brother’s personal life. He’s a few seconds from fucking up his life. Since I’m the one who cleans up his messes, I’m trying to be proactive and avoid any mishaps. That’s why I had to jump on a plane from Seattle to New York. He met a woman who has turned his life upside down and lately he’s not using his brain.
Love is making him act like a fool.
One of us is usually the voice of reason, and when it comes to relationships it always has to be me. He’s too…detached. Learning that some hottie who is the total opposite of him has unthawed his frozen heart is surprising. What’s more surprising is that he willingly jumped on a plane to New York because she needs to fix her life. My brother avoids big cities, journalists, and influencers.
She’s a fucking influencer.
These days he’s behaving like a moth towards the bright light. Persephone Brassard is the blaze blinding his common sense. If I don’t stop him, she’s going to hurt him, probably kill him, but he doesn’t give a shit. I should make him pay for fucking with my schedule.
Why do I have to be the one behaving like a responsible adult? Maybe because we didn’t have a good role model growing up.
I wish my father had a few wise tokens to share with us. Langford, my twin brother, and I could have used a little more guidance about life and fewer golf lessons from him. At my age, I understand Dad is clueless. My grandparents sheltered him from the world and he’s not in touch with reality. It might’ve not affected him directly, but that fucked us, his children.
Well, we’re not just fucked because of the way my grandparents raised him, but also because of his divorce. That was a nasty affair. Mom hated that everyone