Page 2 of Soothe Me, Daddy
Henley slid on his headphones, ensuring they didn’t mess with his hairdo or snag on his earrings. He’d done that a few times before, and it wasn’t pleasant. Adjusting his sleeves and fidgeting to get comfortable, he inhaled and signed on, immediately answering a call with a manicured finger.
“Good afternoon. EasyFit Uniforms. My name is Henley. How can I help you today?”
The afternoon hours flew by, and when Henley disconnected his final call of the day, he blew out a breath. Anne had gone home half an hour ago, leaving a quarter of the staff left in the department. The company believed having staggered start and finish times made more sense with the number of calls received at those times. Henley was one of the last people to leave the building each day.
He descended the stairs as he pulled on his jacket, his bracelets jingling and glittering in the spotlights. Henley wasn’t an overly feminine guy, but he knew what he liked and what looked good on him, so he went withhisflow. He refused to acknowledge anyone who told him otherwise. He had his dads and sisters to thank for that.
Waving goodbye to Leah, the receptionist, Henley jogged to his car, wanting to avoid the fine mist of rain. Enclosing himself in the warm interior, he decided to visit his parents. He could let them know about the job interview while checking up on them.
Twenty-five minutes later, he pushed through the front door, calling out his usual jovial greeting, “Yo! Henley’s in the house!” Guaranteed to receive groans or chuckles every single time.
“Hey! I wasn’t expecting to see you tonight. How are you?” His dad, Lewis, had been a sprightly man in his younger days, but as the years wore on, Henley could see that time was taking its toll. At seventy-five years young, his dad used a cane and walked as fast as his arthritic joints would allow. Never a day went by when he didn’t have a smile, though.
Henley hopped over to hug him, holding him tight. “I’m good, thanks, Dad. I had a job interview today.”
“Oh, are you searching for a new place already? I thought you liked it there.”
Henley linked his dad’s arm through his as they aimed for the kitchen, where pots and pans were crashing and clanking. “Oh, I do. It’s an internal position. A step up the ladder, if you like.”
“That’s amazing! Well done, you.”
“I haven’t got it yet.” Henley snorted and rolled his eyes.
“Haven’t got what yet?” a gruff voice asked.
Henley deposited his dad on a chair at the table and hurried around to wrap his arms around Pops’ neck from behind. “Hey, Pops.”
A hand patted his arms in affection, but the voice repeated the question.
“The job I interviewed for today. I find out tomorrow.” He stepped over to the cooker, placing a kiss on his sister’s cheek. “Hey, Becca.”
Becca smiled as she dished up dinner. Henley grabbed himself a plate and added it to the counter with the others before grabbing a pan to help serve. He never had to worry about there not being enough food for unexpected visitors. The family made extras whenever they cooked, and if there ended up being leftovers, it was frozen for another time. With them being such a big family, large quantities had always been necessary. At least, as long as Henley could remember, but he was the youngest of the five of them and didn’t know any better.
“So, what was the job?” Pops asked, digging into the fluffy mashed potatoes.
Henley brought over glasses for each of them before answering, “There was a position for someone to travel and visit stores up and down the country, helping them out. It seemed a good fit for someone as socially extroverted as I am.” Henley chuckled.
“Is that another name for a flirt?” Becca asked around a mouthful of food.
Henley threw his napkin in her direction. “I don’t need another name for it. I am a flirt. But the position needed someone who could talk to anyone. I think I can do that.” He held his hand up and smirked.
“You could talk their ear off. The problem is getting you to stop,” groused Pops.
Henley pouted, forehead creasing. “Hey! I stop.” He lifted his nose in the air before smirking again. “When I’m asleep.”
They snorted their agreement before continuing to eat.
“Are you staying over tonight?” Dad asked.
Henley shook his head. “No, it was just a short visit. I need to get my beauty sleep ready for the work night out tomorrow.” However ungentlemanly it was, Henley devoured his meal. Becca was the best cook out of them, Tracey came next, and Ariel and Arianne…well, he was surprised they didn’t wither away from lack of edible options was all he could say about them. It was one thing the twins did have in common.
After pleasant conversation and helping with the washing up so Becca could rest, Henley said his goodnights and drove towards home. He needed to visit the gym, but he was too full after dinner. He’d have to get up early and head there before work. Not his favourite time to go but much needed.
After locking up the house behind him, Henley climbed the stairs as a yawn stole his breath. He strode into the bathroom, rubbing his eyes and stifling another yawn. Now that he was home, he didn’t care about his hairstyle, so he threaded his hands through the longer blue-green tinted strands and scratched at his scalp. He glanced in the mirror and removed his earrings, necklace and bracelet, placing them on the counter for the next day. After another yawn escaped, he shook his head and moved into his bedroom. He removed his clothes, throwing them in the wash basket before sinking into his expensive but totally worth it mattress, naked as the day he was born.
Having retrieved his phone before discarding his trousers, he plugged it into the charger, double-checked his alarm and turned over.
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