Mister Big Stuff_A Single Mom Friends to Lovers Novel

by Weston Parker

  "And you think me marrying Kent will take care of your finances?"

  "I'm praying that you'll mention my situation. I'm not asking for a handout but a loan. I'll pay it back once I'm working for an accounting firm downtown, Mom. There is no way I'm not going to get a great job next year. I just need some help now."

  "I wish I could help you, but I don't have anything put away." Her mom's eyes diverted toward the table as the waiter walked up, a smile on his mouth.

  "Hi, ladies. You ready to order?"

  Bethany's mom sat up, pulling her menu up as she motioned for Bethany to place her order. Bethany picked up the menu and looked at the prices, not caring a bit what items were attached to them. They were broke and shouldn't even be at the small cafe. Money was the bane of her existence, and coveting it anytime soon seemed like a lofty goal.

  "I'll take a cup of tomato soup and a water, please?"

  "Not very hungry today?" He smiled and took her menu, winking at her as she smiled back.

  "Nope. Big breakfast."

  Her mother ordered as Bethany reached for a roll. Her stomach softly protested, the deep burn of hunger an old friend. She hadn't had a big breakfast or any breakfast at all. Every penny she had went to books and supplies for school. She ate once a day and sometimes not even that unless her roommate brought home leftovers. She'd have given anything to order a cheeseburger with fries and a Coke, but life wasn't that giving.

  The waiter moved away, and Bethany shoved the rest of the roll in her mouth, the soft white bread melting in her mouth. Worry covered her mother's features as she pushed the basket toward her.

  "Are you not eating again?"

  Bethany finished chewing the roll, her thoughts far from the conversation at the table as she enjoyed the flavors rolling across her tongue. She ate out every once in a while, but it was usually on a date, and that always ended with some random horny guy demanding sex. Disgusting.

  "I have to spend what little money I get from my grants on a place to live and books, Mom. Food is a luxury."

  "Baby, you shouldn't starve yourself."

  "What options do I have?" Bethany laughed, the sound falling flat.

  "Take a semester off and come back home with me." Her mom crossed her arms over her chest, an eyebrow raising as Bethany reached for another roll and picked up the small cup of butter, dipping the bread in it without concern for her actions.

  "I can't take off from school, Mom, and I don't have a car that runs very well. One more year of this, and I'll be able to finally take care of myself."

  "I don't like that you're not eating."

  "I don't like it either, but you're as broke as I am."

  "I'll ask Kent to give me some money for you."

  "No." Bethany leaned forward, her mouth pursed into a tight line. She didn't want handouts from someone who wasn't connected to her family intimately, and even though a loan was an option, it was the last option on her list. She needed Kent to move into the position of being her stepfather, and then it would make sense to get financial help from him.

  "Yes."

  "No, Mom. Just stop messing around and get married. You're going to get married anyway. He loves you, and you love him."

  "What would being married to him change?"

  "I would be his daughter, Mom. I would finally have a dad, and maybe, just maybe, he would see my struggle and offer to help me." Tears burned her eyes, and she picked up her napkin, wiping at them quickly. Being emotional or weak hadn't gotten her anywhere in life, and it certainly wouldn't do her any favors now.

  "Oh, honey. I'm so sorry I don't have more to give you. If only I'd been a stronger woman when your dad put us through all that shit."

  "I don't want to talk about this." Bethany dropped the napkin in her lap, her emotions pressing hard against the confines of her chest. "I have one more year of school and need help. You're going to marry Kent anyway. I'm just asking that you move it up and do it in the next month, Mom. Please."

  Her mom bit at her lip, looking up and thanking the server as he put their lunch down in front of them. Bethany constrained herself as the steam rose up from the small cup before her. She could have ordered more, but she knew her mom was broke and struggling as well. The older woman in front of her hid her own suffering, and internal strife as well as Bethany did. No one knew how much they'd been through and how they continued to persevere.

  "Let's pray over our food." Her mom bowed her head and prayed, Bethany closing her eyes and listening to her mom ask God for the millionth time to help them. He’d seemed to turn a blind eye or deaf ear to them for all the years Bethany could remember, but six months ago he had delivered Kent into her mom's life.

  Kent owned several companies and had been a widower for ten years. He was older than her mom and had two sons, one a complete loser and the other the center of his enterprise in the heart of downtown Dallas. Bethany had yet to meet either of them, but she liked Kent and knew he would treat her mother like a princess.

  If only the woman could get past being hurt and used by Bethany's father, giving love another chance and opening up a world of possibilities for them both.

  "Kent would be thrilled to hear I'm ready to move forward, I guess." Her mom's words lit a spark of hope in Bethany’s chest as she looked up.

  "He loves you, Mom. He's told you that a million times."

  "I know, and I love him too. I'm just a little worried about fitting into his world. I come from the wrong side of the tracks, Bethany. His friends and work associates are going to see beneath my layers of makeup and call me out as the phony I am."

  "You're not a phony. You're the most real person I know, Mom." Bethany reached around her soup to touch her mom's arm, concern pulling her brow together. "You just need to be yourself and not anyone else. You can't change for someone, or you'll end up hating who you've become."

  "How did you get so wise?" Her mom winked at her, patted her hand and picked up her spoon, taking a tentative sip of her own soup.

  "So, you'll think about it? I'm on a short leash, and I'll start looking for jobs this afternoon, but I need help quickly."

  "Wait until Monday for the job thing. You're graduating tomorrow, and I want you to just enjoy the accomplishment." She put her spoon down and picked up the last piece of bread, tearing it in half and handing the larger piece to Bethany. "I'm so proud of you."

  "Thanks, Mom. I’m sorry to bother you with this. If I could figure it out on my own, I would.”

  “We will always have each other. I’ll talk to Kent tonight about everything. When he proposed a few weeks back, I wanted to say yes, but I just haven't been able to move around my past. He's so much better than I am." Her mom shrugged, heaviness sitting on her pretty features.

  Bethany reached up and pulled her long locks into a messy bun before scoffing at her mother.

  "He's not better than you. He's had a different path, Mom. His life is a different story. I'm just glad that your path crossed with his. He's going to be great for you. He thinks you hung the moon."

  "He is a great guy." Blush touched her mother's cheeks, and Bethany laughed softly, romance a lofty thought in her world.

  Bethany had seen the same guy, Jake, a few times, but he was horribly proper and far too feminine for her tastes. He was easy to get along with and a great study partner, but as far as physical attraction—nothing.

  "Is Kent coming with you to my graduation tomorrow?"

  "He sure is. I invited Damon and Matthew, his boys, but they both have something to do. I was hoping for you to meet Matthew. He's a sad soul with far too many demons to fight, but a pure heart lies in his chest."

  "And what about the other boy, Damon?"

  "Honestly, he's an ass. He's the typical rich boy, and he has far too much control of Kent's company and ten women around him at all times. I hate to even say this, but he sometimes disgusts me." Her mother's face twisted as if she’d bit into a lemon. Bethany laughed and leaned over, tasting her cooling soup.

&nb
sp; "Money corrupts. I'm surprised Kent is as good of a guy as he is. He has more money than God."

  Her mom laughed and took one more sip of her soup before pushing it across the table to Bethany, the small cup still more than half-full. Bethany pulled it toward her, working hard not to lift her cup to her lips and drink the thick tomato soup.

  "Get yourself a sandwich or something. I have a little bit of money in the bank." Her mother turned as if trying to get the waiter's attention.

  Bethany reached over and patted the table in front of her. "I'm good. I'll eat this and be stuffed. We'll make it through this; we will. Tomorrow will be a great day, and if your conversation goes well with Kent, then maybe my luck will change for good." She pinched off a piece of the bread and popped it in her mouth. "You sure I'm not pushing you to do something you didn't want to do?"

  "Have you ever known me to do something I didn't want to do?" Her mother smirked as the waiter stopped by with the bill.

  "They must have higher-paying customers waiting on our seats." Bethany looked over to the large crowd gathering at the door.

  "Pretty soon that will be us, baby. Hang in there, and I'll work to change our situation."

  "You do love him, right?"

  "I do, but not as much as I love you."

  Bethany chuckled and turned her attention to her food, mumbling into the small cup, "I love you too."

  Chapter 2

  She'd enjoyed the time with her mother, the older woman a beautiful reminder that hope and love could actually exist.

  Bethany climbed into her small, beat-up Honda after kissing her mom goodbye and getting excited about her upcoming graduation. She still hadn't let the fact that she would be graduating with her bachelor’s in accounting sink in. It was a huge accomplishment in itself—and even more so since she was the first in her family to do so.

  The rest of the afternoon was to be spent with a few friends, her roommate, Krista, and the closest thing she had to a boyfriend, Jake. It would be comfortable and mostly uneventful, but she'd grown accustomed to moving through life as quickly as possible, her focus only on the future.

  Bethany pulled up to their small apartment as Krista and Jake walked from the door toward Krista's car, smiles on their faces as Bethany got out.

  "Hey, guys. What's up?"

  "Just getting some snacks and sodas from Krista's car. Come help us." Jake motioned for her to come over. "You get to see your mom?"

  "Yeah, she's doing good. Looking at marrying that rich guy, finally." Bethany laughed, leaving out the parts she felt were less than appropriate to draw attention to.

  "Oh, nice. I wish my parents were rich. I mean, they're middle class and all." Krista shrugged, pulling her keys from her pocket and popping the trunk.

  Krista’s short blonde hair and blue eyes were the exact opposite of Bethany's dark features. Where Bethany was fit and ran most days of the week, Krista was a couch potato and struggled with her weight horribly. Bethany had tried time and time again to get her friend to join her on her runs, but the extra eighty or so pounds on Krista made it hard for her to do anything.

  Her roommate was one of the nicest people she knew, Krista always buying lunch for the homeless guy down the street and tutoring at school. Bethany wondered how fate seemed to shine down on the wrong people all the time. Her mother had mentioned Damon, one of Kent's sons, at lunch, and it was the perfect example of fate's inequitable responses. The guy was probably good looking and rich but a complete ass.

  "What are you thinking about?" Jake's voice brought her from her senses, the lanky boy before her extending a few plastic grocery bags. "Are you already dreaming of your master’s? Brainiac."

  Bethany smiled and took the bags, the sun starting to set as the afternoon drew to a close. She couldn't wait until Saturday, the week having lasted far too long.

  "No. I was thinking about how unfair it is that some people have looks and money. One or the other is enough, don't you think?" Bethany turned to walk with her friends back toward the apartment.

  "I'm guessing you're broke, then?" Krista laughed and moved back to let Jake open the door.

  "I've always been poor, but I'm just making reference to my soon-to-be stepbrother. Mom says he's an ass, and I'm sure he's good looking and all. Just seems unfair." Bethany shrugged, walking into the coolness of the house and putting the bags on the kitchen counter.

  "His good looks would be no concern of yours, then." Jake wagged his eyebrow.

  "Jealous, Jake?" Bethany moved to stand in front of him, looking up as he took a tentative step back, his smile dropping.

  "No, why would I be? He's your stepbrother. Not like you guys would get together." He laughed and turned to busy himself with putting things up. Bethany turned to Krista and rolled her eyes. She and Jake had known each other for the last year, but they were nothing more than glorified friends.

  She'd kissed him a few times, but even drunk he would shake like a leaf when she tried. She’d heard plenty of stories of other girls on campus enjoying long weekends filled with liquor and sex. Somehow she never seemed to get close to the second half of the fun. She wasn't willing to go out with a player, their sexually transmitted diseases of no interest to her. She had been asked out on more than a few occasions, but after so many rejections, the alpha males on campus moved to more susceptible victims.

  Bethany walked to her room and closed the door before undressing. She wanted to push Jake a little that night, to see if he’d be willing to go further. She had slept around a little in high school and had a few random one-night stands during her freshman year, but human anatomy class had killed all of that for her. Dying with crotch rot was out.

  She smirked at the thought, reaching for her brush and pulling her hair down to try and tame it. She pulled it into a high ponytail and slipped into a small, cream-colored cotton dress; her waist was thin, and her breasts were big enough to draw attention, hopefully from Jake.

  A little bit of makeup and lip gloss, and she was ready to make her move. She walked back down the hall, the sound of a few familiar voices reaching out to greet her. They would have enough friends to spill out into the lawn of the apartment by the time nightfall arrived, but for now, a small group gathered in the kitchen.

  Bethany walked in and headed for the chips, taking a few and munching on them as she greeted her friends. Jake turned and smiled at her, motioning that she looked pretty.

  He wasn't her type at all, his long blond hair always in his face and his body nothing more than bones, but he was safe. She wouldn't be falling in love with him anytime soon, and he wouldn't be falling for her either. Nothing more than a good friendship existed between them, and yet she was ready for something more physical in her life. Jake seemed the perfect candidate. Surely he wanted sex, and friends with benefits seemed fitting.

  "Don't you look lovely?" Marcus, a dark-skinned marketing major, reached out and tugged on Bethany's ponytail, his smile wide and welcoming.

  "Well, thank you, sir. You don't look too shabby yourself." She reached out and patted his stomach with the back of her hand. His firm abs tightened under her touch. "Dang. You've been working out."

  "Swimming actually. Did you know they opened the natatorium at the school finally?"

  "I've heard that, but I haven't been over there."

  "Too busy making valedictorian?" He laughed, and she shook her head as Jake moved up beside her.

  She reached over and wrapped an arm around Jake’s lower back, the tall skinny guy towering over her by a foot.

  "I wish. I'm just trying to get enough in grant money to get through my MBA degree."

  "You'll do great. You always do," Jake said, looking down as he wrapped an arm around the back of Bethany’s shoulders.

  Marcus pointed at both of them, an eyebrow lifting.

  “You two finally get together?”

  “No, we’re just good friends. She’s way out of my league.” Jake laughed and released Bethany, much to her dismay. "You guys want a drin
k?"

  "Naw … I'm trying out for the soccer team on Saturday. They do drug testing." Marcus held up his hands, shaking his head.

  "Alcohol isn't a drug." Jake laughed and looked to Bethany, who almost corrected him but decided against it. "Beth?"

  "Yeah, I'll take a beer and a shot please."

  "Getting the party started, I see." Jake laughed and walked off, Bethany's gaze following him. Nothing about his physique turned her on, his lithe figure the opposite of her desires.

  Strong muscles and thick arms and legs were at the center of her daydreams, but with those things, it seemed, came an asshole attitude and demanding persona, neither of which she'd be willing to deal with.

  "Just friends, huh?" Marcus's question brought her back to the present.

  "Me and Jake? Oh yeah. School will be over next year for us both, and we haven’t really been anything but friends."

  "Yeah, but I see the way you watch him." Marcus smirked.

  Bethany turned to see Jake in the kitchen, laughing and cutting up with a few friends as he poured drinks. He was cute but not handsome. Kind but not sexy or masculine at all. She could settle for someone like him, but it seemed like such a waste to do so.

  "He's a great guy. Who knows what will happen." She looked back to Marcus and shrugged.

  The night pulled in across the sky, her friends filling up the house and the yard in front of the apartments. Other groups of students had joined the festivities, the music nothing more than a low hum as everyone gathered in small huddles and talked about the excitement of graduation.

  Bethany walked back into the house, a light sweat covering her skin from the alcohol she'd enjoyed. She sat her empty beer bottle down on the kitchen table and walked toward the kitchen. Jake was standing with his back to her as he fiddled with something.

  She pressed herself to his back, sliding her hands around his waist and up to his chest; his muscles were nonexistent, and yet the warmth of another human seemed fitting. She pressed her lips to his T-shirt as he turned a little, looking over his shoulder at her.