Made for Me
By
Weston Parker
Table of Contents
Introduction
Description
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Epilogue
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Description
I’m a self-made man, rich because I willed it so.
Up from the slums in Boston to the top of the tallest high-rise downtown.
I don’t ask for what I want. I take it.
And right now, I want a woman by my side.
Funny how when you want something so badly, and you start looking with eyes wide open, you find it.
A beautiful, ballsy single mom shows up in an unlikely place, and I’m compelled to make my move.
It’ll start with a job and become so much more.
Why?
Because I’ll take the necessary steps to make her mine, one kiss at a time.
And she’ll fall for me, not because I’m a billionaire and have the power to pull her up in life, but because at the end of the day, she was made for me, and I was made for her.
Prologue
Cole
I walked out of my aeronautics class at MIT knowing that I would remember the day I finally made it to the finish line for the rest of my life, and not because graduation was just a week away or I had a 4.0 grade point average, but because I had the worst pain in my young life; a sore neck.
As I rolled my shoulders and shifted my heavy bag to the opposite side, my best friend Tanner Barnhart appeared and fell into step with me. “You’re probably the first person to ever walk out of that class with a perfect average, my friend.”
I glanced over and winced. Dammit. “I doubt that. Surely, it’s been done before.”
Tanner chuckled and gave me a pat on the back that nearly caused me to whimper like a little girl.
“Careful,” I said, wincing like a pussy.
“Damn, man. What’s wrong with you?”
I groaned and tried not to look his way. “I have a sore neck. It’s worse when I turn it.” I had the occasional crick—it was nothing new since I slept in my car—but this one was the worst ever, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to manage much longer without taking something for the pain.
Tanner shook his head. “That’s what living in your car will get you, if it doesn’t get you killed.”
“I’ve been doing it for four years, give or take a month or two, and nothing horrible has happened yet.”
Tanner scoffed as we walked out of the building and down the front steps. “Yeah, except you look like you need a hospital.”
Tanner had a way of overreacting, and while I usually found it humorous, it was easy not to laugh. Laughing hurt. “I need some Tylenol and a long nap. I’ll go buy a new pillow later; something with some support, and I’ll be fine.”
“Or you’ll look like Quasimodo for graduation. Come on, just one night, man. Get your neck pain sorted before it gets serious.”
As we walked across the lawn to the student parking, I could tell that Tanner wasn’t going to let it go, with his pensive looks. He’d just have to get over it. I didn’t like to take charity from anyone. I was a strong, capable man who could make it on my own, even if I walked like someone had tried to behead me.
We stopped at his car, which was worth more than I’d made in four years, and worse than that, his rich father had bought for him. “I’m good,” I said, holding out my fist which he promptly bumped with his own. “But thanks for looking out, man. It means a lot.”
Tanner had been a good friend and the closest thing to a family I had. We came from two different worlds but had been fast friends.
With an abusive father who drank himself to death, and a mother who ran off with a man who’d eventually beat her to death, I had seen enough of bad homelife to know that I was going to have to make something of myself if I ever wanted to get anywhere. But I’d also taken enough abuse from my father to know I had to stand on my own two feet and do things for myself.
Living in my car was necessary if I wanted to save as much money as possible, and thankfully, I’d saved up enough from washing dishes at the local diner to not only finish paying for my car but my schooling too. College had been a long road, and I was glad to come to the end of it.
Tanner leaned against his Porsche and twirled the keyring on his finger. “So, what’s next for your stubborn ass besides being a cripple?”
“Apparently you’re going to be a comedian. Me? I can’t decide. I’ll either develop a plane to use a new biofuel for aircrafts or see if I can break the record for the longest consecutive flight in a solar-powered plane.”
Tanner’s eyes widened in surprise. “I thought you just wanted to build new planes, not fly them.”
I gave a shrug. “It doesn’t hurt to dream, right?”
He gave me a grin. “That’s true, my friend. And one day, I’ll be saying I knew him when he stood upright.”
Tanner had so much privilege that he could probably take the next five years off to decide what he wanted to do and then take his time doing it.
I checked my watch, remembering that some of us had to work for a living. “I appreciate your offer, but I have a late night at the diner anyway.”
“I still wish you’d consider the master plan.” He gave me a look and I shook my head.
“No. I’ll get a job with my degree and try to make the money I need, and if that dream becomes a reality, then at least I’ll know I’ve done it on my own.”
“Well, the offer still stands, and if you change your mind and decide you’d like to try sleeping horizontal, give me a call. I know it will be late, but it’s no trouble. I worry about you being on the streets, Cole. You’re too brilliant to insist on living so stupidly.”
I knew better than to argue with him. He didn’t come from the streets, so it only made sense that he would be afraid, and while I had to admit it was pretty tough, especially in the part of Boston I grew up in, it was also all I’d ever known. I also still had too much pride and wanted to show my father, who had been dead for years, that I could make it all on my own.
“Thanks. I’ll keep it in mind.”
“And don’t forget about the luncheon Saturday.” He pointed his keys at me. “My mother wanted me to make sure you’ll show.”
“I’ll be there. Tell your mother thanks.” As I gave a thumbs-up, Tanner opened his door and slid in behind the steering wheel. With another look of uncertainty, he shut the door. I walked across the lot to find my own car as he drove away.
I may not have had a Porsche, but I was just as proud of my Ford, even if it was already two years old when I bought i
t. I unlocked the doors of my Explorer and got in to head to work.
Once I got to Pal’s Diner where I worked and made my way back to the kitchen, my boss Vinny tossed me my apron. “We’ve got a madhouse already. I’ll need you bussing tables, Brains, and if we get behind, I may have you help out Cheeks and flip a patty or two.”
Vinny always called me Brains, and that was because he prided himself on being the brawn. At six foot three and three hundred fifty pounds of bald-headed bulk that was more muscle than flab, I wasn’t going to argue with him, and neither would anyone else.
“Anything you need, Vinny.” I hurried over to the sink and got busy clearing out the plates and tossing them in the sink.
“Don’t tell him that, man,” said Cheeks. “He’ll have you putting on a skirt and waiting tables.”
Vinny chuckled. “Don’t worry, Cheeks. If I need someone to dress in drag and wait tables, I know you’re the man for the job.”
Cheeks flipped Vinny the bird and then tossed another bun on the grill. He was about as open as a man could get without ever actually coming out of the closet, and Vinny, being his oldest friend, liked to give him a hard time about it. He had a soft look to him, with big rosy cheeks that turned even redder when he blushed.
Both had been good enough to keep me around, and while I loved them both like brothers, I couldn’t wait until the day I no longer had to wash Pal’s unhealthy menu off the plates and bus the tables.
“Hey, Vinny. I just wanted to remind you about my graduation next Saturday. I need off so I can walk across the stage.”
Vinny turned around from the counter. “You got it, kid. Let me know if you need anything else, all right?” He had understood for some time that I slept in my car at night, and since Vinny lived right above Pal’s, which used to be his family’s diner, he’d offered me a shower and shave more times than I could count.
“Thanks, man. But I’m supposed to go to a friend’s house that day. We’re having a big luncheon thrown by his parents before we go to graduation. I’m sure I can get ready there.”
“Sounds swanky,” said Cheeks.
Before I could answer, Margie from out front stuck her head in the swinging door. “Hey, Cole, thank God you’re here. We’ve got a huge mess in the round booth, and there’s three other tables clearing out with more at the door.”
“On it.” I left the sink, went over to fetch a bin, and tossed a rag over my shoulder.
The floor was crowded, and there were all kinds there tonight. Even the air had a soupy smell, and it wasn’t just coming from the back.
As I cleaned up the round booth, removing the plates of half-eaten portions and crumbs and tossing them into the bin, Margie and her trainee, Samantha, welcomed new guests. I stacked all the glasses, making two rows of four, and then tossed them together in the bin as well, making sure to move faster than usual, and moved to the next table.
“Who do we have here, boys?” asked a familiar voice. I looked up to see Mickey Carson from my old neighborhood. With him were a few other guys I’d never seen and one skinny, bleached-blonde who looked like she needed another fix.
“Hey, how’s it going, Mickey?” I gave a polite smile and picked up my bin to leave as they sat at the round booth I’d just cleaned. I’d always hated to run into people I knew when I was bussing the tables, and while I didn’t think I was any better than anyone else, or too good for my job, it was the next question that everyone asked that had me cringing.
Mickey didn’t disappoint. “Where the hell you been staying, man? I haven’t seen you around in years. What have you been up to?”
“Been going to MIT, working here.” My hands stayed busy wiping the table.
“Yeah? How’s that going for you, man?”
“I graduate this Saturday.” I wasn’t about to go too far into my business, to tell them how I was living in my car and struggling so I could afford what my scholarships had failed to pick up at the end of my education.
“Got us a big college man here, boys.” Mickey could be a real asshole when he wanted to be, always could, and I started to walk away. He didn’t like it very much. “Hey, wait a minute, college man. We’re catching up here.”
I tried to be as sincere as possible, but I was in a bit too much pain to truly care if he was offended. “Sorry, man, I have to get back to work. It was good to see you.”
Mickey wasn’t impressed and slapped on a fake smile. “I see how it is. You’re too good for me, now. Can’t talk to me now that you’re graduating. Going to have a big fancy education; a nice fat degree to feed your wallet.”
I could have stayed and kissed his ass, but I wasn’t interested. Instead, I gave a big grin. “I’ll see you around, Mickey. Take care, man.” I moved on to the back, and while I didn’t think much of the encounter, Cheeks noticed something I didn’t.
“Hey, kid, you know those guys?” His steaks were sizzling on the grill across the room, and he looked out into the restaurant where he had a small view across the countertops.
“Yeah, from my old neighborhood,” I said with a shrug. I got back to my dishes and didn’t think much of it.
“They sure are looking back here,” he said. “And the one you were talking to, he doesn’t look happy.”
“They just came in to eat, Cheeks. I’m not too worried about them. They’re from the old hood. I’m sure they’ll go back where they come from long before I leave tonight.”
Cheeks stared a minute longer and went back to his grill with a worried look on his face. But I stopped thinking about them after another few minutes, and after they had their order, they left.
I spent the rest of the night scrubbing and suffering with my neck pain, and when the crowd finally thinned enough, Vinny stopped taking orders and shut the place down. He walked to the front and turned off the neon open sign, and then he walked across the room to join me as Cheeks slipped out the back door. “You were moving a little slow tonight, my friend.”
“Yeah, I’ve had a sore neck all day. It’s killing me.”
Vinny walked around the counter. “You need something to take the edge off, and I got just the thing.” He bent down and pulled out a box, and inside that, he dug out an old bottle of pills. “Here, take one of these. It’s a muscle relaxer. Should do the trick.”
“I don’t want to be knocked on my ass, man.” I’d taken a pill once that put me down for hours, and I needed to function for the next morning’s shift.
“That’s why I said take one. A big guy like me, I used to take two at a time, but you taking one, you’ll be good. I hurt my back once, and those things saved my life. You’ll feel better, I promise.”
I took the bottle, and he walked over to the time clock and punched my card. “Take the pie if you want and a soda. It will help keep your gut sound, and if you need me, I’ll be in the bar down the street.”
“Thanks, man.” I took the rest of the apple pie and grabbed a large to-go glass of soda. After securing the lid, I went ahead and popped one of the pills and decided to sit in my car and eat the pie and then try to get some sleep.
I walked out to my car, and while I was fishing the keys from my pocket, I heard footsteps behind me. When I turned to look, thinking it was Vinny, I was surprised to see Mickey Carson had come back to see me. But before I could say anything, he pushed me against the car. I managed to hold onto my food and drink, but my keys fell to the ground. I put my foot over the top of them and kicked them under the car as he laughed.
“I wasn’t done talking to you, college boy.” Something had triggered Mickey, but I didn’t understand what he thought he’d gain by pushing me around.
“What are you doing here, man?” I looked up in time to see his friends were nearby, and when they started to crowd around me, I knew I was in trouble.
Mickey pushed me again, this time knocking my food to the ground. The soda exploded as it hit the concrete.
I put my hands up and prepared for a fight, but I wasn’t as seasoned as someone like Mick
ey, and while guys like him had always used their fists, I’d used my brains. That didn’t mean I couldn’t fight or that I’d never thrown a punch, and if Mickey wanted to brawl, I wouldn’t back down.
Mickey smiled. “Look at him. He thinks he can really take us all on.”
The other men laughed, and before I could do anything, Mickey threw a punch. I turned, and as his fist flew at me, taking me off-guard, his buddies grabbed my arms, and the others took turns beating my ass.
The blonde they had with them stood across the lot watching like she hadn’t ever seen anything so exciting, and when they finally had me down in a puddle of soda, Mickey reached down and searched my pockets. “What you got, college boy? You seem like a hard worker. Surely, you got money on you.”
He found my wallet, and thankfully, I had just enough cash and no cards that he took the money and tossed my wallet to the ground with my ID inside.
“You got more?” He patted down my pockets and found the small bottle of pills and tossed them to the blonde. “Here, honey, here’s something for you.”
I was barely hanging on to consciousness and wondered if the muscle relaxers had kicked in. I was going numb, and with one last kick, I passed out.
Sometime later, I woke up, still on the wet concrete. My keys were still where I’d kicked them, and I found my wallet with my ID still tucked inside. I took a minute to find myself, and when I thought I had all my marbles, I got up and got in my car. Thankfully, Mickey didn’t know I lived out of the thing, or he would have found my bank book and all of my personal records in regard to the small amount of money I’d saved. I might have been a homeless fuck, but I wasn’t stupid. I had my money well-secured in the bank, and even if it wasn’t much, at least he hadn’t taken it from me.
I couldn’t go on like this. I looked in the mirror and cringed. The pain was well justified by the looks of it.
I considered going down to the bar and finding Vinny, but there was a good chance Mickey and his friends were there, and I needed to get the hell out of this neighborhood for the night, and possibly the rest of my life.
Made for Me Page 1
