Courting Mrs. McCarthy Read Free

effort to attract women. The two were accomplished members of their school’s swim team, which was woefully unsuccessful. Nathan didn’t mind the team was a failure. He wasn’t going to go to college on a swim scholarship.
    The two friends consumed their breakfast sandwiches in silence until Griffin reminded Nathan of an event that was taking place later that day. Their summer club, Seers Point Yacht Club, would be opening its doors for festivities and light refreshments at one o’clock. Summer clubs were a staple of the Northeast, and it was Memorial Day weekend.
    “Do you want me to pick you up for opening ceremonies later?” Griffin asked.
    “Oh, crap. I forgot about that. Do you think it’s okay if we skip it?” Nathan was neither hung-over nor mournful of his break-up, but had a desire to be alone that often came to him. Festivities could be a lot to handle for a young adult in as odd a position as Nathan found himself in.
    “Well, you don’t have to, but I wouldn’t want a repeat of last year’s overreaction from your aunt if I were you. Unless you want to have your fridge stacked with pity food.”
    Griffin was referring to last summer’s opening ceremonies, which Nathan had chosen not to attend. Instead, he had gone to a poetry reading at the local library, which he frequented, but he did not tell his aunt or uncle. They had taken his absence as a sign of teenage rebellion. They assumed he was feeling a little down after the departure of his father and shared this information with families who took to pitying him with gifts of comfort food and visits, neither of which he wanted. He abandoned his poetry interests soon after the incident.
    “Ugh, I guess you’re right. I’ll go with your family. Cass and Marty will make a big deal about it and I’m too tired to deal with that nonsense,” Nathan retorted, in a rather harsh fashion. He took a big gulp of his coffee.
    He didn’t want to tell Griffin about his break-up just yet, as the so called “bro code” required. The whirlwind of events that had led him to this moment in time didn’t give him much of a chance to process what had happened. He wasn’t the type to get overly sentimental and would prefer to save the obligatory cheer up session Griffin would undoubtedly provide for another time. The two finished their breakfast and Griffin took Nathan home.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 3
     
     
    No one was home when he arrived. There was a note on the kitchen table from Aunt Cassidy. She and Uncle Martin had gone to Elizabeth and Piper’s softball game. The girls were seven years old and had been living with the Thompsons since they were ten months old. The subject of younger female siblings had been a topic of an early conversation between Nathan and Sarah. Nathan had not bonded much with the twins during his time living in their home.
    The note didn’t say whether or not they’d be at opening ceremonies. Nathan hoped they weren’t going. Many of the adults knew Nathan from the local library or functions around town that he and sometimes Griffin liked to attend. This made small talk easy, but he felt weird doing it in front of his aunt. This behavior was seen as peculiar by his relatives so he liked it when they appeared oblivious to his adventures.
    Before he could relax in front of the television, Nathan had to take a shower for a few reasons. He didn’t want his sheets to smell bad. His uncle always told him that a shower was the best hangover cure. Being stoned, Nathan thought otherwise, but the warm water certainly felt good.
    Afterward, he checked his phone to see if he had received any texts from Sarah. There was nothing except an invitation to play a game, which he did not accept. He rarely accepted invitations to play games on social networks. People usually cheated, and it annoyed him.
    Nathan had the whole third floor of the Thompson household to himself. It looked more like an apartment than many rooms occupied by people