Sparks of attraction

Even before they started fighting constantly, things hadn't been going well between her and my father for a long time.

"Okay, Mom. I'll do whatever you ask," I grumble grumpily. Even though deep down I hate it, I have to do it for her. Maybe she needs a change of scenery after all the shit she's been through. Who am I to put an end to her dreams?

"When do we leave?" I ask, knowing we're committed to this move now.

"Tomorrow.

"What?" I practically yell at him. Gee, way to pull this out at the last minute.

"Don't worry. My boss is going to pay to have the movers come and pack everything up. He's also going to provide us with a place to live in the meantime, until we find a place of our own," he tells me.

"That's very kind of him," I murmur. She's been working for Riverside Real Estate for years and is one of their top real estate agents. The company is multimillion-dollar, so I understand her excitement about the move. It would mean she's moving up the ladder of success, since Riverside is the headquarters.

I almost snort at the absurdity of his boss's madness. His last name is Riverside and that's the name of his company, as you'd expect, but this man takes being filthy rich to another level. He even has an entire city named after him.

"Yes. That's very generous of him. I'm glad to have the opportunity," he says, smiling, but I notice an odd tone in his voice. I wonder what it's about, but I don't question her. I'm sure she already has a lot on her mind.

"Well, I guess I'll go pack," I declare before escaping to my room.

When I get there, I lie on my bed face down and stay that way for a few minutes. I hope this move is good for us.

I start packing for tomorrow before showering and getting into bed. I am nervous and excited to see what the future holds.

Today is Friday and it is the third day since we have been in Riverside. We managed to unpack our clothes and a few other personal items since we arrived. Well, we had help from the movers to unpack everything that wasn't our clothes, so that was a big help.

We left all the big furniture and other stuff behind since mom was now going to rent the house while we were here. The good thing is that the new house came furnished.

Right now, Mom and I were getting dressed to attend her boss's wife's funeral. A day after we got here, Mom came home and told me the sad news. I wanted to stay home, but she insisted that I go with her. Apparently, everyone from around here will be attending. Since she is new here, she needs to go to show her support along with the rest of the employees. They all want to support their boss in this difficult time.

That's to be expected, since her boss's family is the most influential and wealthy around here, which means it's going to be a big funeral. I hate crowds.

I did a little research on this town instead of going out earlier and from what I gathered, the Riverside's were at the head of the most influential and wealthy people here. Then there were three other families that stood above the rest: the Wests, the Levines and the Andersons. Everyone else was doing well here, but nowhere near those four names.

"Are you ready to go?" mom asks as she knocks on my door.

"Just a minute!" I yell as I put on my earrings and brush my hair, which I prefer to leave loose. I put on my shoes. I'm wearing a knee-length black dress and ballerinas. It's a simple and elegant look.

Apparently, every son in every family is a big soccer star in this town. There was even an article announcing that Mr. Riverside's wife had passed away, but not much was said about it. Just how she was loved by everyone in this city and all her contributions to it. I wonder how she died.

Mom finds parking. We both get out of the car and walk to the church and go inside. The inside is also crowded, but we get to sit in the back, which I am grateful for. It's weird to be at the funeral of someone you don't even know.

The service continues and, a few minutes later, a guy gets up from the doorway, approaches the casket and stands before it for a second. He bends down to kiss the woman on the forehead and I assume it's the son.

After a few minutes, he moves to the side and stands by the head of the coffin. It is now that I can see his face. I don't know if it's inappropriate or not to fall in love with someone at a funeral, but fuck, it takes my breath away.

A spark of attraction like I've never felt before consumes me as I look at the guy. He's the most handsome man I've ever seen in my life. I have to look away before someone catches me staring at him like crazy. The guy just lost his mother.

As the service goes on, I don't pay attention to what is being said. I keep sneaking glances at the guy. I hate funerals. They're always sad, whether you know the person or not. When the service is over, three other guys walk over to the one next to the casket and, once it's closed, they all grab a handle and help him lift it up.

They start walking out of the church and everyone gets up to start walking out as well. Since Mom and I are in the back, we slip out easily and watch as they make their way to the cemetery at the back of the church. It is huge.