Athena . The words were on the tip of her tongue until she remembered that her sister had every right to judge her. And when she found out her boss/boyfriend had been married, she may never speak to her again. With a sigh, she responded. “It will come out soon enough. I promise. But right now I want to focus on the school.”
Her sisters started grumbling, but Athena was deadly quiet, not a usual course of action for her. Ever.
“You guys know I’ve worked as a personal assistant for some pretty high-end clients. I know how to run things smoothly. If you would just trust me…”
“It has nothing to do with trust,” Brynn said as she pushed her glasses up the ridge of her pert nose.
“We know you have mad skills.”
Athena chimed in. “You’re a hard worker, I’ll give you that. Your problem is you throw yourself into something, but then get bored five minutes later. How do we know you won’t just quit?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Who was this person and what had she done with her sister? Caelen was on an emotional roller coaster, and it didn’t take much for her feelings to careen from one extreme to another. In the last few days, Athena had been riding her hard, and she was sick of it. So, at that particular moment, she held onto her anger. By. A. Thread.
“Come on, Baby C.” Athena signaled for another round. “How many jobs have you had? Remember when you wanted to be an actress?”
“In high school?” Caelen asked.
“Ballerina, veterinarian, fashionista—” Athena ticked each word off on her fingers.
“Ballerina? I was in kindergarten. Are you really holding that against me? In that case, where is your crown, princess?” Caelen was seeing red, and she forgot all about her promise to be nice. “Remind me. How old were you when ‘housewife’ became your dream job?”
Athena had gone to school for years to be a lawyer and had shocked the shit out of everyone by quitting the minute she’d gotten married. Not that anyone had ever brought it up before today.
Athena froze mid-drink and turned to glance at her sister. She slammed her beer glass on the table and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “You’re right. I’m a housewife. And?”
Oh shit. Too many levels of wrongness were happening simultaneously. Now was not the time to debate post-feminist values. “No. Wait. That didn’t come out right. I just meant none of us end up doing exactly what we planned, but I’ve never thrown it in anyone’s face.”
“Until now.”
“Enough.” Brynn’s quiet voice finally broke through Athena’s frozen pose.
“That’s all you see me as. That’s all anyone sees me as.” Now Athena was talking to herself and Caelen got the impression the issue went far deeper than she guessed.
“What happened to you? When did you get so mean?” Caelen blurted out.
Athena gasped and slowly raised a hand to her throat, practically wincing in pain.
Caelen knew she had gone too far, but she didn’t understand why. “Athena?”
In a soft voice, Athena replied, “You’re not the first one to ask me that question.” Then she reached in her purse, took out a twenty and tossed it on the bar. “I’m out. If you want to keep that money pit of a school open, it’s on you. I give you my support, but I will not give you a dime to keep it open, and I certainly won’t participate in any of those sex techniques. Good luck.” Athena stormed off, but stopped only a few feet away. She spun around quickly and added, “Guess there’s no need to draw straws. You want the school, you’re up first, Headmistress.”
Dacey hopped off the stool and followed after her sister, “Athena, wait! You’re my ride.” She cast a look over her shoulder at Caelen and said, “I totally support you, but she’s kind of right. Four days left. You’d better get to work.”
Caelen blinked slowly and looked over at Brynn. “What just happened?”
Brynn cleared her throat and patted Caelen on
Her sisters started grumbling, but Athena was deadly quiet, not a usual course of action for her. Ever.
“You guys know I’ve worked as a personal assistant for some pretty high-end clients. I know how to run things smoothly. If you would just trust me…”
“It has nothing to do with trust,” Brynn said as she pushed her glasses up the ridge of her pert nose.
“We know you have mad skills.”
Athena chimed in. “You’re a hard worker, I’ll give you that. Your problem is you throw yourself into something, but then get bored five minutes later. How do we know you won’t just quit?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Who was this person and what had she done with her sister? Caelen was on an emotional roller coaster, and it didn’t take much for her feelings to careen from one extreme to another. In the last few days, Athena had been riding her hard, and she was sick of it. So, at that particular moment, she held onto her anger. By. A. Thread.
“Come on, Baby C.” Athena signaled for another round. “How many jobs have you had? Remember when you wanted to be an actress?”
“In high school?” Caelen asked.
“Ballerina, veterinarian, fashionista—” Athena ticked each word off on her fingers.
“Ballerina? I was in kindergarten. Are you really holding that against me? In that case, where is your crown, princess?” Caelen was seeing red, and she forgot all about her promise to be nice. “Remind me. How old were you when ‘housewife’ became your dream job?”
Athena had gone to school for years to be a lawyer and had shocked the shit out of everyone by quitting the minute she’d gotten married. Not that anyone had ever brought it up before today.
Athena froze mid-drink and turned to glance at her sister. She slammed her beer glass on the table and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “You’re right. I’m a housewife. And?”
Oh shit. Too many levels of wrongness were happening simultaneously. Now was not the time to debate post-feminist values. “No. Wait. That didn’t come out right. I just meant none of us end up doing exactly what we planned, but I’ve never thrown it in anyone’s face.”
“Until now.”
“Enough.” Brynn’s quiet voice finally broke through Athena’s frozen pose.
“That’s all you see me as. That’s all anyone sees me as.” Now Athena was talking to herself and Caelen got the impression the issue went far deeper than she guessed.
“What happened to you? When did you get so mean?” Caelen blurted out.
Athena gasped and slowly raised a hand to her throat, practically wincing in pain.
Caelen knew she had gone too far, but she didn’t understand why. “Athena?”
In a soft voice, Athena replied, “You’re not the first one to ask me that question.” Then she reached in her purse, took out a twenty and tossed it on the bar. “I’m out. If you want to keep that money pit of a school open, it’s on you. I give you my support, but I will not give you a dime to keep it open, and I certainly won’t participate in any of those sex techniques. Good luck.” Athena stormed off, but stopped only a few feet away. She spun around quickly and added, “Guess there’s no need to draw straws. You want the school, you’re up first, Headmistress.”
Dacey hopped off the stool and followed after her sister, “Athena, wait! You’re my ride.” She cast a look over her shoulder at Caelen and said, “I totally support you, but she’s kind of right. Four days left. You’d better get to work.”
Caelen blinked slowly and looked over at Brynn. “What just happened?”
Brynn cleared her throat and patted Caelen on
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