[Spirit of Lust 2] Chapters 388 & 389. (Patreon)

Chapter 388: A confrontation with mom.

I went into the house and walked over to the living room to check if mom was there. She was watching TV like most Friday nights, with Cake on her lap and, surprisingly, Isabelle sitting beside her.

“Oh wow. You’re here early,” my sister said.

“Yes. I expected you to come back at around 1:00 am, at least,” mom said.

“The date went terribly, didn’t it?” Isabelle asked.

“Hm? No, it was really fun, actually. We went bowling and played in the arcade,” I told them, removing my coat. “Though since I’ve never gone bowling before, I came in last.”

Isabelle flinched. Like Thomas, she used to be a regular at that bowling spot… with her own friends. I remember asking her once if I could go with her and she outright said no. I didn’t need to read her mind to know she was remembering that same thing.

“And your date?” Mom asked, stroking Cake’s back. “What about her?”

I slowly closed my eyes and let out a long sigh. That in itself should’ve told mom it wasn’t going to be a simple answer. I honestly felt the urge to lie, or at least omit information, but I knew it would only come to bite me in the ass later.

“...She’s older than me,” I said, looking straight at mom.

I saw her narrow her eyes. “How much older?”

“...She’s 26,” I admitted.

Isabelle’s jaw dropped, but mom kept a stern look on me. “And you’re planning to see her again?”

“Yes,” I answered firmly.

We had something of a staring contest. Mom’s gaze put undeniable pressure on me. She didn’t approve, that much was clear, and her glare was her attempt to make me back down on my own.

…

But I wouldn’t. Mom wouldn’t understand if I told her, but I was sure Diana and I could have something special. That date confirmed it for me. But much like Diana’s initial worries, my mother would dismiss my belief as the naive thoughts of a horny 18 year old. Regardless, I met her disapproving gaze with a resolute look of my own. I didn’t flinch,

“H-Hey, mom… Weren’t you 4 years older than dad?” Isabelle asked.

Mom’s eyes widened, her jaw half dropped and she was, surprisingly, the one to turn away from me.

“And if my math is right,” Isabelle continued, “You had us when you were 22 and he was 18, right?”

“I…” Her face went completely red. Isabelle had completely caught her off guard. Mom clicked her tongue, and in a resigned tone, answered, “Yes, that’s true.”

“Mom…” I began, but she cut me off.

“I know. I know. You’re a far more responsible kid at your age than I was at 22,” she admitted begrudgingly. “Having you two was what made me get my shit together.” Isabelle and I were taken aback. Mom rarely swore. “That doesn’t mean you can’t make mistakes, Oliver. Serious mistakes.”

I nodded. “I know. And… she knows, too. We talked about it. She’s also concerned about what it means to… date a younger man, but… We hit it off.”

Mom bit her lip and, as if sensing danger, Cake hopped off her lap. She came up to me and began to rub herself on my legs, tail held high. It seemed that calmed mom down. She chuckled, shook her head and turned to me again, this time with a far softer, yet still stern expression. “Bring her here soon,” she said. “When she has time. I don’t care if it’s too soon, this is a special case. Is she working?”

“Yes. She’s a hotel receptionist right now, but will move to manage a new hotel bar soon.”

Mom nodded, glad to see I had asked important questions. “Family.”

“I know her father passed away recently. I think she’s on her own right now.”

Mom and Isabelle grimaced. “I see…” Mom swallowed. “Anything else I should know?”

I nodded. “She… is socially anxious, just like I was. Am. Was.” I shook my head. “She scowls and glares without meaning to when she’s nervous.”

Isabelle snickered. “And you like that?”

Huh? Ah, I was smiling. That’s why she asked. “I… found it endearing,” I admitted sheepishly. “Turns out she’s also the best friend of my boss, Maria.”

Mom nodded again. “Good. So long as she wasn’t lying to get close to a younger man, then it’s good to know these things.”

I groaned. “And giving that impression is exactly what she’s worried about… Fine, I’ll talk to her and ask her if she’s comfortable coming here. You’ll end up loving her, anyway. I’m going to my room.”

I walked away from the living room, frustrated and feeling like a dumb, rebellious child. Actually, part of my frustration was that I knew I was acting like a dumb, rebellious child.

I went into my room with Cake in tow but didn’t close the door. I heard quick steps coming up the stairs and knew Isabelle was coming after me.

“Mom just said your rebellious phase came way too late,” my sister said, smirking from ear to ear. “You were always the good kid I got compared to, I finally get to look like the proper daughter by comparison.”

“It’s every child’s right to go through that phase. I’ll take mine now, thank you very much.” I threw myself back on my bed and smiled at Isabelle. “Thanks, by the way. You saved my ass.”

“I’m also concerned, you know? An older woman could take advantage of you, you know?”

I smirked. “What if I WANT to be taken advantage of?”

“Ewww, gross!” Isabelle laughed and threw Cake at me. The cat landed squarely on my chest, unbothered, and began to rub herself on me again. Maybe she noticed Diana’s scent on me and was marking territory again.

“How would you feel if I started dating a 26 year old man?” she asked me, hands on her hips.

“I wouldn’t like it.”

“See?”

“But that’s because I never like it when you have a boyfriend.”

“O-Oh?”

“You get really annoying whenever you do.”

Isabelle was not amused by that, but sometimes the truth hurts. “I regret saving you. Next time, you’re on your own.”

“Okay, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I said, sitting up and laughing.

Isabelle chuckled. “Well, I guess it IS true. Just… be careful, okay, brother? Remember that decisions like this one don’t just affect you anymore.”

My expression hardened as I took Isabelle’s words to heart. “I know. I’ll be careful, I promise.”

That night, it was hard for me to fall asleep. I ended up holding and staring at one of the rubber ducks Diana and I got as prizes at the arcade as my mind flashed back to all the fun and awkward moments we shared.

I wanted to see her again already.

************

Chapter 389: Saturday morning.

A bit later that night, I got a text from Diana, saying she made it home okay. It put my mind at ease, so I texted back wishing her goodnight and went to sleep as well.

That next morning, mom and I went to the gym together as usual. There was still lingering awkwardness between us, so I spoke first and apologized for acting like a brat the night before.

“It’s fine, Oliver. I understand, but you also have to put yourself in my place,” she said as she drove the car. “I don’t want you making… Rushing things like I did.”

“...I know. I promise to mind myself, but… I’m sorry, mom. I’m not backing down.”

“Ugh. Your grandmother must be laughing at me right now, saying how it serves me right for all the times I did the same to her.”

I smiled in relief. The air between us had cleared, even if mom still didn’t fully approve of my decision.

It was another normal day of workout, once again with no sign of Mr. Carlos. He didn’t go to the gym on Saturdays, but I still looked around to see if he was there. In fact, it was starting to worry me a bit, so I did what I should’ve done waaay earlier. I asked the guy at the front desk if he knew anything.

“Ah, Mr. Carlos? Yeah, he said he’d be gone for a few months. Had to take care of some stuff back in Brazil, I think. He said he’d be back, and I hope it’s soon. The gym is too quiet without him around, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. I never thought I’d miss getting yelled at,” I said.

“Right!?” The guy at the front desk and I laughed.

I really hope Mr. Carlos is doing well.

***

Just a bit later that day at my job, I got ready to face the interrogation I knew was coming. What I was wrong about was who it would come FROM.

Maria was business as usual as we got the shop ready to open, cleaning, setting tables and the like. That she wasn’t asking me how things went with Diana last night… made me suspicious.

“You already know everything, don’t you?” I asked her.

“Yeeeep,” Maria answered, opening a new box of coffee beans with a box cutter and grinning from ear to ear. “We talked on the phone for like 40 minutes. My lips are sealed, though, so don’t ask me questions.”

Eh. Her smile and good mood said enough, and it wasn’t like I believed Diana would speak ill of me behind my back after how things went last night. 

But yeah, Maria didn’t interrogate me like I thought she would. But then I went to the front door to flip the sign from closed to open… and was assaulted by our first five customers of the day.

“Come on, open up,” Sarah said. “We’re all hungry here!”

I blinked, turned back. Mila, Grace, Sarah, Alice and Noelle were standing close by, waiting for the moment we opened the shop. I expected them to come over today, but I didn’t expect them so early. It was still barely 9:30 am.

“Don’t you and Alice work on Saturdays, too?” I asked them, smiling as they approached.

“I start at 11,” Sarah said, giving me a peck on the cheek before going into the shop.

“And my brother doesn’t need my help today,” Alice said, doing the same.

The girls all went in and said hello to Maria, who pursed her lips to hold back a grimace.

“Sorry to come so early,” Grace said. “We figured it’d be best to come here before peak hours.

“No, no, that’s not an issue,” Maria said. She sighed and looked straight at the girls. “I really need to apologize. I went and dragged your boyfriend to a blind date without asking you first. I’m really sorry.”

Ah. That’s what it was.

“No, it’s not a problem, ma’am,” Mila said, quickly shaking her head. “We had discussed the idea of something like this long before, and of course, we also talked about it after you suggested it to him.”

“What she said,” Sarah agreed, giving me a strong pat on the back. “Oliver’s not dumb enough to agree to something like that without our permission. Of course he had it beforehand.”

“Still, it wasn’t right of me,” Maria continued. “I was… too single-minded about it. Let me make it up to you. I can give you some time to talk here, alone. You can have whatever you want, okay? It’s on me.”

“No, please, we didn’t mean to…” Noelle started, but Maria cut her off.

“I insist. Oliver, keep the sign on ‘closed’. I’ll go check something with my mother in the bakery in the meantime.”

Maria walked away before any of us could protest further, flipping the sign on her way out.

Noelle looked at me with a regretful grimace. “We thought it would be funny to drop by unannounced. We didn’t mean to make her uncomfortable.”

“Much less in her own shop,” Alice agreed.

“I do think she’s taking it too hard, but she means well.” I sighed again. “Anyway, you haven’t had breakfast, have you?”

“...No, but now I feel too guilty to eat anything,” Mila said.

“Don’t worry. I’ll talk to her later. If anything, consider this my treat instead of hers.”

“Alright,” Grace said. “But just because I think I might pass out if I don’t eat something now.”

I chuckled. “Now you’re exaggerating.”

I prepared some sandwiches, some pastries and prepared coffee and tea for everyone, then sat down with them at a large table with my own cup of mocha. If Maria had given us this moment, then we should use it. It was important that we talked about this.