“Well, maybe that was a smart decision on her part.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” he said. “What’s the point of messing around with someone like that?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I snapped. “Someone like that?”
“Well, you know after speaking to her that she’s not the type who’s only interested in shagging. She’s too serious for that. So what’s the point of getting to know her, or taking her out? It can never go anywhere.”
“You can’t exactly choose who you fancy, Sigmund, even if that person doesn’t fit perfectly into the stifling box that is my life.”
“She’s the opposite of anything that fits, actually.”
“That’s precisely why I like her.”
“And your dick is probably even harder for her now that she’s turned you down.”
I couldn’t deny that her rejection made me want her more. A chase was always arousing. Yet Felicity Dunleavy didn’t care to be chased by me. Rather than making up an excuse, she’d very directly told me she wasn’t interested.
“Anyway…” He laughed. “Now your children won’t end up looking like they belong to Ed Sheeran.” He chuckled. “We can find you a replacement for her tonight, if you want to come out with me.”
Frustrated, I ran my hand through my hair. “Not interested in that right now.”
“Mate, she’s not even a ten. What are you worried about?”
“Are you serious?”
“She’s plain. Okay, well, she’s fit in her own way, I suppose.”
“She’s naturally beautiful. Not like the made-up women back home.”
“I’ll be more than happy to take some of those girls off your hands when we get back, since you don’t seem to appreciate them.” He sighed. “Seriously, cousin, I think you should forget about the F-word and come out with me and Shiva tonight.”
“Shiva?”
“The Persian girl I met on the app.”
“Oh…yeah.”
“Maybe she has a friend.”
No way was I in the mood for that. “I’m feeling kind of knackered. I think I’ll stay in.”
“Probably better for me anyway,” he said. “No chance of you stealing my thunder.”
After Sigmund took the car to drive to Providence, I decided to pay my mum a long-overdue phone call. I’d been avoiding her because she kept insisting on an exact date for my return. We had yet to buy our tickets home.
After three rings, my mother answered. “Well, hello, love. I thought I might never hear from you again. It’s late here. Is everything okay?”
I lay back on the couch. “Everything is fine, Mother. Sorry, I forgot the time. Things have been a little hectic.”
“Too much lying around on the beach wasting precious time away?”
“This is far from a waste. My mind is ten times clearer than when I left.”
“Well, your father is certainly more supportive of this whole thing than I am. I’m just happy it’s halfway over with, and that come September I’ll be getting my son back.”
The thought of returning home made my stomach a bit sick. “How’s Dad feeling?”
My father had been battling cancer for several years. He was always certain that one of these days he’d succumb to it. Prior to my trip, he’d made me promise I would carry on our family name. Since I was his only child, if I were not to marry and procreate, the Covington name would end with me. He’d always indicated he wished to see me married with a child before he died. No pressure or anything.
“Dad’s been pretty good lately,” my mother reported.
“I’m happy to hear that.”
“Do you want to talk to him?”
“Not if he’s resting. Just tell him I love him.”
“He’s eager to have you back as well. I think not having this time to train you on the ins and outs of the business is stressful for him.”
“That’s not what he expressed to me the last time we spoke. I think it’s stressful for you.”
“Well, I have a number of prospects I’ve been keeping my eye on, and I certainly can’t guarantee they’ll be able to wait around forever.”
Prospects. My mother’s term for women qualified to marry me based on their prestigious backgrounds.
There were two requirements of a member of the privileged upper class: Don’t do anything to shame your family, and marry within your pedigree. While I’d never agreed to anything formally, deep down, I knew if I didn’t marry someone my parents approved of, they’d make that person’s life a living nightmare. And I didn’t want that for anyone. So, I’d always hoped I’d miraculously fall in love with someone who happened to be acceptable in their eyes. It was hard enough connecting with someone, but to have the playing field whittled down to a mere handful of people deemed suitable made it nearly impossible to find true chemistry.
“Well, Mother, I’m not returning any earlier than summer’s end, so losing opportunities with the boring women you’ve selected for me is a risk I’ll have to take.”
“Boring? Hardly.”
“Has it ever worked out when you’ve chosen someone for me before?”
She paused. “I’m trying to help.”
“Exactly. Look…I appreciate your efforts, but—”
“Whatever you do, make sure the shenanigans you’re up to out there don’t land you in irreversible trouble. Don’t dip your pen in the wrong ink, if you know what I’m saying.”
“I haven’t dipped my pen in a while, so no worries, and when I do, I’m careful.”
“You’d better be,” she warned.
Unlike my cousin, I’d only slept with one woman on this trip. She was someone I’d met in a bar when we were in L.A., and while there was physical attraction, there was nothing special about it. When I was younger, I’d been perfectly fine with meaningless encounters. But at twenty-eight, I found myself needing to be intellectually stimulated, as well as sexually aroused. That combination was hard to come by.
“I’ll let you get going, Mum.”
“Well, this was a quick conversation. But I suppose I should count myself lucky that you called in the first place.”
“Give Dad a hug for me.”
“Kiss that nephew of mine, too. What is Sigmund up to tonight?”
“You probably don’t want to know.”
“Likely not.”
“Bye, Mother.”
“Goodbye, my love.”
As the evening wore on, I found myself unable to shake what had happened earlier. It was rare that someone captivated me the way Felicity had. And her rejection was a bit of a blow to my ego.
I had the lights off in the living room as I sat on the couch and looked out toward the moon over the bay. I grabbed my laptop off the coffee table and typed:
Felicity Dunleavy - Harvard
A link to a video popped up as the first result of my search. It was titled Harvard Polar Plunge: Nutsack.
Well, that certainly had my attention.