'Til There Was You - Jerry Cole Page 0,16

– let me finish,” he hurried. “You haven’t touched your book in months, you barely go to work and you have the easiest job ever, and your hair is so long and out of control that I’ve started telling people you’re my hippy sister visiting from New Zealand.”

“I just had my heart broken!” Austin defended. “I’m sorry that getting a haircut is low on my list of priorities.”

“And everything else? How does your break-up factor in with those unfortunate events?” Cassidy tilted his head to the side, and observed Austin with a combination of worry and pity.

Austin didn’t respond... but that’s just because Cassidy was right. Even before he had met Freddy, Austin’s life had been on the fast track to nowhere.

It was two years ago that he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in creative writing, and certain that in no time he’d be a published author. He was so certain in fact that his parents had even offered to pay his rent, and give him a weekly allowance, just so that he would have time to write. His parents were very well off, and his entire family was very close, so Austin had no trouble accepting their gracious offer. This was helped by the fact that he was sure it wouldn’t take long before he was on his own feet.

Now it was two years later and there was still no book to show for it. Writing was hard. Thinking about writing was hard. The whole process was hard! Austin had tried... God, how he had tried. But he was also lazy, and unmotivated, and comfortable.

But he’d never admit that out loud. “Whatever,” he blew through his lips and lay back down in bed. “Enjoy your dicking tonight.”

“Oh, I will.” Cassidy rolled his eyes and made to walk out the door, but then he stopped, turned back and pulled a small card from the pocket of his robe. “By-the-by, I came in here because I found this on the floor in the living room. Thought it might belong to you.” He flicked the card on-top of Austin, strolled from the room and slammed the door behind him.

It took some time before Austin bothered to see what exactly Cassidy had flicked his way. Those moments of silence were spent in self-pity, and a very slow dawning of realization that everything Cassidy had said was correct. Austin’s life was in the mother of all ruts, and he was doing nothing to change it.

And then, as if by divine intervention, Austin noticed the little white card sitting on his shoulder. It read, Finn Connor, Life Coach Specialist: ‘How to Finish First in the Game of Life.’

The first time Austin had read that card, he’d been insulted. Now, it hit a little too close to home. Austin’s life was in a rut. He needed something to fix it – someone! Maybe a life coach was the way to go? Maybe this was fate? Helped of course by the fact the life couch was an insane hottie that Austin would literally kill for, just to see him in a speedo.

Austin stared at that card for several moments more before finally picking it up, as if he had been unable to accept that it was real until this point. Was he really in such desperate times that he needed a life coach? Truthfully, yes, he was.

Chapter Six

Today was going to be a good day, Finn could feel it.

First, he had an actual date organized with his son. He hated using the word ‘date’ though, but it was the only one that seemed appropriate for what this was. The only real difference being that for this date, he was beyond nervous. He could not, under any circumstance, screw it up. He was lucky enough to be given the chance in the first place!

After that disastrous incident at Zac’s school the previous day, Finn swallowed his pride, called Angela and apologized profusely for how he had acted. She accepted his apology with some prodding, which Finn took as a good enough sign to ask to spend the evening with Zac. He hated that he had to ask though.

“And what will you two be doing exactly?” Angela has asked derisively.

“That’s between me and him,” Finn had responded rightly.

Truth be told, Finn had no idea what he and Zac would be doing. He figured they’d go for a drive, talk a little, get some food... what did he know about entertaining a twelve-year-old?

But that didn’t matter. What did