Page 28 of Falling for my Best Friend

“I don’t want to be a trader.”

He dropped his head for a second and took a deep breath. “Son, it’s time to get serious. You can’t just pal around with college rugby players forever.”

“I’m not paling around. I’m staying with them until the end of their summer training season, and then I’m going to open my own place.”

“How?”

“With my savings and the money from my trust fund.”

“You’re not going to blow your trust fund money on a masseuse parlor for men.”

I laughed. “That’s not what I do, Dad. Not by a long shot.”

“I want you to have the kind of career you can be proud of.”

“Really?” I unscrewed my water bottle and took a sip. “It sort of sounds like you want me to have the kind of career you can be proud of.”

“I’m not an unreasonable man, Aiden. I just don’t see what’s in it for you if you go down this road.”

“You could ask me. I’ve thought about it at length.”

His neck pressed against the collar of his shirt. “Fine. What’s in it for you?”

“The opportunity to help people maintain an active lifestyle and help those who’ve faced setbacks return to their physical peak.”

He raised his eyebrows like he was waiting for more.

“Look, you don’t have to understand what I get out of it. The important thing is that you don’t have to worry about getting me a job. I know it’s disappointing for you, but the thought of lining my pockets with the interest I make off other people’s money isn’t the kind of thing that makes me want to jump out of bed in the morning.”

“But massaging men is?”

I shook my head. “I want to open my own place before the end of the year, and I’ve already narrowed it down to a few locations. I was hoping that since you have a lot of experience buying property, you might come take a look at them and give me your opinion.”

He sighed. “Are you sure this isn’t a phase?”

I cocked my head at him. “What do you mean?”

“I mean we’re all disappointed that you had to stop playing rugby, but don’t you think you’re just postponing the fact that you have to let that dream go.”

“No, I don’t think that’s what I’m doing at all. One of my favorite things about playing rugby is that when I did it well, it made people feel good. And I have the opportunity to do that as a physical therapist, too.”

He shook his head.

“And yeah, I get a buzz out of the fact that it means I can still work with elite athletes even though I’m not one anymore, but I don’t see what’s wrong with that.”

“Do you have any idea how much of your trust fund money a new business is going to eat up? It’ll be gone before you know it.”

“With all due respect, Dad, you’ve totally lost touch with the value of money.” I leaned back in my chair. “I don’t live like you do. I’ve done the math. At my current rate of spending- assuming I get the best equipment and staff I can for my practice- I’ve got ten years before I even have to be profitable.”

He exhaled through his nose.

“And I already know I can count on having a contract from the college on the books.”

“It’s not what your Grandfather would’ve wanted.”

“Then he should’ve left some more detailed instructions than take care of yourself, kid.”

“Is that all he said to you about the money before he died?”

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