The water falls steadily from the faucet of the kitchen sink as I stand in front of it, humming contently to myself while washing remnants from tonight's dinner off plates.
My mood the past few days could only be described as jubilant, a byproduct of my new job at Office Depot. The interview had gone well, much to my relief, and thanks, in no small part, to all the practice I'd done preparing for it.
I had downloaded dozens of questions off the internet, rehearsing my answers as well the delivery of them in the mirror over and over until I was exhausted.
It had all paid off in the end, with the assistant manager, Andrew, offering me the job right at the end of the interview. I was ecstatic, the grim reality of working under Stanley evaporating immediately along with the self doubt I had been feeling since the previous night, self doubt that existed no thanks to him.
Stanley had come over for dinner like usual, something I no longer questioned, but simply accepted. Mom broke the news to him while we were eating as I watched warily from the opposite end of the table.
"Well even a blind squirrel finds the nut eventually," he had responded dryly.
"Still though," mom continued, ignoring his slight against me, "isn't it great?"
"Eh, it's just an interview," he dismissed before taking a quick swig of beer. "Let's wait and see if he blows it before we start to get at all excited."
"I'm not gonna blow it," I said defensively.
"You don't exactly have a good track record though, do you?" He cocked his head to the side, eyebrows rising questioningly.
I stared at him, my eyes opening wide in unexpected shame as he referenced the poor interview I had with Mr. Gottlieb.
"Careful, Kyle. I don't think your mom will be able to convince Office Depot to just give you a chance this time around."
My cheeks burned red, ripe in embarrassment. How could she have told him that? I turned toward her.
"Stanley's right, sweetheart. I won't be able to convince the assistant manager to hire you if there's a repeat of the last interview you went on."
She appeared unashamed at having revealed my faux pas, as well as her subsequent need to correct it, to Stanley.
"But you're still going to help me practice answering questions, aren't you?"
"Of course, sweetheart."
That relaxed me a little, although the self doubt he had sown still needled at me as I cleaned up the dinner table later, amplifying the insecurity I already had about my social abilities. After I had finished, I downloaded and printed common interview questions off the internet.
"Mom, I'm ready to practice now," I declared, standing a few feet away from her and Stanley laughing and flirting on the couch.
"Mhm, I'll be up in a few minutes, Kyle," she said, not even bothering to pause from making googily eyes at Stanley to look in my direction.
I frowned in annoyance, and headed up to my room, stomping on the steps until Stanley's voice cut through me.
"Stop clomping on the stairs!" He chastised loudly. "You're not a child, don't act like one!"
I paused, glancing to my right and saw a harsh, reproachful look on his face as he turned his head to look at me from his place beside mom on the couch.
Averting my gaze, I quietly continued on my way. Shutting the door behind me, I stepped up to the mirror to begin. When I checked my phone a bit later, I saw that twenty minutes had passed and mom still hadn't come to help me.
I headed back out into the hall, slowing as I approached the landing and their conversation reached my ears.
"I can never get over how high your sex drive is."
"I'm a fucking machine, baby," Stanley replied cockily.
Sitting on the top step, I eased my way down until I was spying on them from the darkened stairway.
Mom sat perched on Stanley's knee, his big paw groping her ass cheeks while she massaged the bulge in his mesh shorts, a look of admiration in her eyes.
"You're telling me," she mumbled.
"I take it Tim's a one and done kinda guy?"
"Yeah," she sighed disappointedly. "He needs a long recharge."
"How disappointing."
"Ugh I know. I never noticed how little my needs were being met until we started hooking up. Tim just isn't around enough and when he is, his stamina is too low to fulfill me."
"Well mine isn't," he emphasized heavily. "So let's get you on your back with your legs in the air so I can remind you how sluts are supposed to be fucked."
He squeezed her ass harshly, causing mom to gasp. His other hand grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her lips to his in a rough, sloppy kiss.
Mom quickly and eagerly opened her mouth for him, and she moaned lightly during the thirty seconds he had his tongue jammed down her throat.
When their kiss ended and she leaned back, there was a strong hunger in her eyes. Without a word, she hopped off his knee and the two of them rose from the couch.
My heart sank as I watched her lean into him as he threw an arm around her shoulder and led her confidently away, a large triumphant smirk plastered across his face.
I sat on the steps for minutes after they'd gone, a small part of me hoping she'd remember her promise and return. When it was clear that she wouldn't, I resigned myself to practicing alone and returned to my room.
Mom didn't return home for hours, long after I had finished practicing and gone to bed.
In the end, it didn't affect my performance. I still got the job and the joy and sense of accomplishment it had brought me had kept up in the days since. Not even Stanley's presence or his snide comments had been enough to deter how I felt.