Page 10 of The Attraction

Amanda: When did she become so needy? These dinner/lunches are getting more frequent.

Harper: Give her a break, we are her hobby. She is just being a good mum. We are lucky.

I think about everything my mother went through when Dad left us, and then to find out he was murdered in the US where he was hiding from the English tabloids and investors whose money he lost was equally hard. Being abandoned then his death. She hated him for what he had done, but I’m sure deep down, part of her still loved him, so to lose him what felt like twice really hit her hard. It took her years to come back from that, and it wasn’t until she met Oliver that we saw her finally start to bloom into the beautiful woman she is today.

Harper: Besides, the solution is easy! One of you give her a grandbaby.

Rachel: Why us?

Amanda: Yeah, you’re the oldest.

Harper: And you have the boyfriend, plus kids give me hives.

Rachel: Ughh, here we go, the “I’m never going to marry or have kids” speech. It’s getting old, just like you. Once you turn forty, your time is running out. Find a man and have his baby so then I don’t have to.

Harper: Now we both know that’s not happening, so Amanda, we are relying on you.

Amanda: Wow, nothing like putting the pressure on me and Stephen. The poor guy hasn’t even put a ring on my finger yet.

Rachel: Why don’t you propose to him? Why does it always have to be the guy?

And there is the strong opinion of a modern woman in her twenties who is ready to take what she wants from the world. I’m so glad she has the confidence to stand up and live her life on her terms. I live a life like that, but mine comes from the trauma of my father, but Rachel was too young to really feel everything Mum and I did.

Her confidence just comes from the fact that she is a millennial baby, and they have grown up in a world where women are fighting for equality, or to be honest, they aren’t fighting, they are just taking equality in any way they want to in their lives, and it’s exciting to watch.

Amanda: Because I’m a romantic and that’s what I want, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Rachel: Woah, I never said there was, it’s just not for me.

My sisters are five years apart in age, and although they look alike, they are quite different. Amanda loves love, it’s that simple. Reads and watches rom-com movies every minute she can get. Loves to be swept off her feet with flowers, dinner dates, and walks through the park in the summer. She has an arts degree from university and works for a publishing house as an editor. I’ve been trying to encourage her for a few years that she should try her hand at writing her own book, but she keeps just brushing me off and tells me that she’s happy in her own lane, helping other authors make their books the best they can be. But maybe one day there will be a story building in her head that she just can’t ignore, and it inspires her to put the words down on paper.

Rachel, on the other hand, is in that post-university life where she is earning good money, and she spends it on clothes, handbags, shoes, and traveling the world. But she also loves a Saturday night out at an axe-throwing party with her group of friends and then finishing off in a nightclub and partying until it closes. Especially since her last boyfriend tried to contain her, and that just pushed her to party harder. Mum worries about her, but I don’t. She is just living her best life, and I trust her not to do anything stupid. Using her communications degree, she is now an executive forHeart Radio,so gets to meet plenty of music stars and attend all the cool parties. She invites me along to some, but to be honest, I’m getting too old for that lifestyle. Although I jumped at the chance to meet Ed Sheeran last year, whose music is on my regular playlist.

Harper: Okay, children, settle down.

Rachel: Yes, Mother

Amanda: You and your damn emojis. We aren’t ten.

Rachel: FFS we aren’t sixty either.

Harper: I’m out before you two start a cat fight. See you on the 29th xx

Amanda: Won’t be me. Can’t wait to catch up. See you both soon. Love you xx

Rachel: It’s always me! But you love me anyway

And she had to stick another emoji in just to piss off her sister again. Rachel kind of reminds me of Flynn the more I get to know him and the way he is with Forrest. She loves Amanda like crazy but also takes great pleasure in winding her up every chance she can get. They had to lean on each other when Dad left. Because I was already busy trying to finish university, and then I was working so hard just trying to keep the family afloat that I was hardly around. So, they are extremely close but also at times look like they are about to kill each other. And it’s never been any different.

Families. They are never simple.

My computer chimes at me to remind me I have a board meeting in ten minutes, and I know that for the rest of the day, I won’t have time to think about my sisters, my mother, or that stupid kiss that keeps replaying in my mind.

It’s time to put some pressure on Forrest because I can’t be thinking about him when I’m sleeping with another guy, and I definitely have an itch that needs scratching, and if he isn’t prepared to come to the party, I’ll find someone who will.

* * *

It turned into a three-hour meeting where we needed to discuss the mess that the company was left in after Felisha’s father was forced out of the CEO position and removed from his ownership. The debates and discussing lengthy solutions has left me with the headache from hell starting to brew, but I don’t have time for that now.

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