about Jake and his reputation.
"The one who sleeps around?" My dad stops and turns to face me. "Ivy, I don't want you dating that boy. Guys like him will break your heart."
"We've been on one date. It's nothing serious. He's not going to break my heart. And besides, any guy could break my heart."
"Yes, but this one could decide not to hire you if this thing between you two doesn't work out. And you know how hard it is to get a job in this industry."
"Not for men," I mutter. "Just women." I put my arm around his and pull on him to continue walking. "Jake would still hire me even if we did break up. Not that we're going to break up because we're not even dating."
"But you're going out with him tonight. Isn't that considered a date?"
"I guess it kind of is, but this isn't going to lead anywhere. We'll go out a few times and that'll be it."
"Then why are you going out with him at all?" He stops suddenly, his brows drawn together. "Ivy, if you're only dating this young man for one thing, then—"
"Dad! No. I have no intention of doing that. I just..." I take a breath. "I only went on a date with him because he keeps asking me out and I thought if I went out with him and he found out he couldn't get what he wanted from me, he'd leave me alone."
"You're dating him so that he'll stop asking you out? Honey, that's crazy. Just tell him you're not interested."
I sigh. "It's not that easy. He's very persistent. And besides, last night turned out to be not so bad. We ended having fun on the date so we decided to try it again. And before you ask, no, he's not getting...THAT tonight either. Or any other night. In fact, tonight is more like two friends hanging out than a date."
"So it's platonic?"
"Yeah," I quickly answer as I pull on him to keep walking. "We should turn around. I need to get home and get ready for my date—I mean, my night out."
When we're almost back to the house, he says, "Could you get the mail?"
"Sure." I walk around him to the box and take out the mail, flipping through it.
"Anything good?" he asks kiddingly because we never get anything good. It's always either junk mail or bills.
Today it's just bills; one for my dad's last doctor visit and two for his last couple physical therapy appointments. All three bills are overdue and my dad doesn't have the money to pay for them. Neither do I. Just last week I had to pay his electric bill along with my apartment rent, which wiped me out.
"What's wrong, Ivy?"
"Nothing. Let's go." I take his arm and we continue to the house. We go inside and I tuck the bills inside my coat.
"Ivy, give me the mail."
"It's just some bills. I'll take care of them."
"That's not your responsibility." He holds his hand out. "Now give them to me."
He doesn't need the stress of seeing the overdue bills so I keep them hidden in my coat. "I have to go."
"Ivy." He stands by the door, his brows raised.
"Dad, I told you, I'll take care of it."
"Stealing someone's mail is a federal offense. Now hand it over."
I sigh and hand him the bills. He quickly flips through them.
"What are you going to do?" I ask.
"I'm going to stop going to physical therapy." He drops the bills on the small table by the door. "It's not helping, so there's no use going."
"But the doctor said you had to go."
He huffs. "What do doctors know?"
"Dad, you can't stop going. I'll find a way to pay for it. I'll—"
"Stop it. You're not paying for it." He opens the door. "Now go get ready for your date."
"It's not a date."
"Well, whatever it is, you need to get going. But will you do me a favor?"
"What?"
"If this guy doesn't treat you well or isn't respectful of you, then you kick his ass to the curb. I'd do it myself if my back were in better shape."
I smile. "Okay. If he steps out of line, I'll be sure to kick his ass." I hug him. "I'll see you later. Love you, Dad."
"Love you too, honey. Have fun tonight." He lets me go. "But not too much fun."
"Got it." I go out to my car and call Liza as I'm driving
"The one who sleeps around?" My dad stops and turns to face me. "Ivy, I don't want you dating that boy. Guys like him will break your heart."
"We've been on one date. It's nothing serious. He's not going to break my heart. And besides, any guy could break my heart."
"Yes, but this one could decide not to hire you if this thing between you two doesn't work out. And you know how hard it is to get a job in this industry."
"Not for men," I mutter. "Just women." I put my arm around his and pull on him to continue walking. "Jake would still hire me even if we did break up. Not that we're going to break up because we're not even dating."
"But you're going out with him tonight. Isn't that considered a date?"
"I guess it kind of is, but this isn't going to lead anywhere. We'll go out a few times and that'll be it."
"Then why are you going out with him at all?" He stops suddenly, his brows drawn together. "Ivy, if you're only dating this young man for one thing, then—"
"Dad! No. I have no intention of doing that. I just..." I take a breath. "I only went on a date with him because he keeps asking me out and I thought if I went out with him and he found out he couldn't get what he wanted from me, he'd leave me alone."
"You're dating him so that he'll stop asking you out? Honey, that's crazy. Just tell him you're not interested."
I sigh. "It's not that easy. He's very persistent. And besides, last night turned out to be not so bad. We ended having fun on the date so we decided to try it again. And before you ask, no, he's not getting...THAT tonight either. Or any other night. In fact, tonight is more like two friends hanging out than a date."
"So it's platonic?"
"Yeah," I quickly answer as I pull on him to keep walking. "We should turn around. I need to get home and get ready for my date—I mean, my night out."
When we're almost back to the house, he says, "Could you get the mail?"
"Sure." I walk around him to the box and take out the mail, flipping through it.
"Anything good?" he asks kiddingly because we never get anything good. It's always either junk mail or bills.
Today it's just bills; one for my dad's last doctor visit and two for his last couple physical therapy appointments. All three bills are overdue and my dad doesn't have the money to pay for them. Neither do I. Just last week I had to pay his electric bill along with my apartment rent, which wiped me out.
"What's wrong, Ivy?"
"Nothing. Let's go." I take his arm and we continue to the house. We go inside and I tuck the bills inside my coat.
"Ivy, give me the mail."
"It's just some bills. I'll take care of them."
"That's not your responsibility." He holds his hand out. "Now give them to me."
He doesn't need the stress of seeing the overdue bills so I keep them hidden in my coat. "I have to go."
"Ivy." He stands by the door, his brows raised.
"Dad, I told you, I'll take care of it."
"Stealing someone's mail is a federal offense. Now hand it over."
I sigh and hand him the bills. He quickly flips through them.
"What are you going to do?" I ask.
"I'm going to stop going to physical therapy." He drops the bills on the small table by the door. "It's not helping, so there's no use going."
"But the doctor said you had to go."
He huffs. "What do doctors know?"
"Dad, you can't stop going. I'll find a way to pay for it. I'll—"
"Stop it. You're not paying for it." He opens the door. "Now go get ready for your date."
"It's not a date."
"Well, whatever it is, you need to get going. But will you do me a favor?"
"What?"
"If this guy doesn't treat you well or isn't respectful of you, then you kick his ass to the curb. I'd do it myself if my back were in better shape."
I smile. "Okay. If he steps out of line, I'll be sure to kick his ass." I hug him. "I'll see you later. Love you, Dad."
"Love you too, honey. Have fun tonight." He lets me go. "But not too much fun."
"Got it." I go out to my car and call Liza as I'm driving
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