Page 31 of Wrestling with Daddy

Nathan giggled.

He didn’t care—there was no one listening, anyway.

There was something certainly intoxicating about his exchanges with Ken.

Sure, he didn’t really know him, and he knew he was letting too much of his imagination merge into the reality of Ken, but… He would bet that Ken wasn’t the type of guy to live in the moment like that, to not plan absolutely every second of his day.

It helped soften some of Nathan’s own anxiety.

Nathan

one of my neighbors runs a Mexican restaurant down the street

she’s the best

Daddy

Send me the address and I’ll be there. I have to drop off my cat at my niece’s but I should arrive by 1 p.m.

Nathan

omg

you didn’t say anything about a cat!

Daddy

I know

I haven’t said many things, brat

It’s kind of the whole point

Nathan frowned.

Logically, he knew they’d barely even scratched the surface of whatever was building between the two of them—if anything at all was—but the remark stung.

That seemed to happen often.

Nathan

I get the feeling you’re just calling me brat as a reminder to yourself

Daddy

Look at you, so smart

Nathan

don’t appreciate that tone, just so you know

Daddy

Just as I don’t appreciate boys who can’t follow simple rules?

Nathan

my idea was much better