“Don’t be too long, we were just getting to know one another,” she responds in a syrupy sweet voice.
I smile politely and then lean into Heather. “Make it a double.”
She nods, biting her lip to keep from laughing. “Sure thing, Mr. Kent.”
I leave the back room, figuring I’ll use my escape to call Ashley and make sure everything with Lily is good. Tonight, was a horrible idea. Why did I agree to this damn date? It’s a waste of time. Time that I should be spending with Lily.
I pull my phone out of my pocket and catch a glimpse of Garrett sitting at the bar, drinking a beer. Maybe he can trade places with me. He could use some female companionship just as much as I could.
I walk over to where he sits. “Trade places with me,” I beg, sitting down on a stool next to him.
“Tonight’s the date thing?” he asks, sipping his beer.
“Yeah, and she practically makes Dane look like a mute. Oh, and she felt my dick up looking for my phone so we could be Snapchat friends.”
“Snapchat?” Garrett asks, his forehead creasing.
“Yeah, you know that app?”
“You really have that shit on your phone?” The judgment in his voice is clear. Garrett doesn’t have any use for frivolous things including the latest social media apps. If it weren’t for his business, I bet he wouldn’t even have a cell phone.
“Hell no. Dane does though.”
He chuckles. “Of course, he does.” He lets a deep sigh escape and his shoulders sag. “Sydney wants to get it on her phone, but I told her no until I screw around with it and see what it’s all about. Make sure it’s safe and all that shit, but I don’t even know where to start.” This might be the first time Garrett doesn’t seem completely sure of himself. Christ. Tween girl shit is real and I’m terrified for myself just seeing him navigate this foreign world that will be my life in a short number of years.
“Yeah, I should probably check it out too, but who wants me to Snapchat how I design and build a fucking boat?”
Tammi brings over his bag of food, placing it on the bar top and Garrett tosses back the last of his beer. “That’s nineteen, twenty-three,” she says and Garrett pulls money from his pocket.
“That’s all for you?” I ask.
He nods. “With Syd at camp, I’m not into the whole cooking for one thing. Not that I was some gourmet chef when she was home.” He takes the bag and tucks his wallet back in his pocket.
“Seriously, man. I’ll buy your dinner, plus I’ll offer up my kidney should anything ever happen on those tall ladders you’re climbing all the time.”
The thought of going back into that room is as terrifying as if I were in an episode of one of those paranormal haunted house shows I watch alone at night. The reminder of how I’m always alone at night surfing channels after Lily is asleep brings to the forefront why I agreed to go on this date tonight. Maybe I do need this date. Maybe Dane is right. The problem is Dane and right aren’t usually in a sentence together.
“You know I don’t date.” He pats me on the shoulder and I think I glimpse a teasing smile underneath his beard. I’m sure he’s enjoying seeing me squirming.
“Yeah, yeah. One day you will, but go have a lonely dinner by yourself. The least you could do is call me in ten minutes and pretend you’re the babysitter.” I take a step backward to head back to the table.
“I’m sure there’s an app to do that, right?” He raises both his eyebrows in a smug way then he’s out the door and Tammi shifts her gaze to the back room before returning to me.
I hold my hand up in the air. “I’m going, I’m going.”
She laughs.
Polly’s laugh is about as loud as her make-up and hair. I hear her cackle before I enter the room. There’s Dane, Nina and Polly all with their phones out again. Someone needs to mention that they’re not thirteen and should be capable of having a conversation that doesn’t have to be posted on social media.
“Finally,” Dane whines and I want to take the napkin I’m placing over my lap and throw it at his face.
He got me into this mess and he needs to get me out.
“We missed you,” Polly coos next to me, swinging her arm through mine. If she ever asks me why she’s still single, I’m sure I can give her a few ideas.
I give her a polite smile, biting back the harsh words that burn like venom on my lips.
“Did you guys order?” I ask.
“Just appetizers,” Nina comments. Her voice is soft and sweet, so unlike her obnoxious friend.
“I saw on the board when I got here that oysters are the special tonight,” I say.
My right hand goes to my drink, which means Polly’s arm falls off and lays limp on the arm of my chair. Bringing my drink to my mouth, the ice clinks to the glass and I swallow down a hefty amount.
“Oysters,” Polly raises her eyebrows a few times.
Dane points to her. “I know what you’re thinking.”
Polly licks her lips and Dane laughs. Nina’s busy fiddling with her phone.
“I love this unspoken connection between us,” Polly says to Dane. “It’s like we’re one and the same.” Her eyes light up with a flirtatious gleam and this time Nina rolls her eyes. I’m guessing this must happen a lot.
Heather comes back over and places the appetizers down on the table and asks us if we’re ready to order. Each of us orders a meal and I’m the only one who gets the oysters. I contemplated not getting them because I don’t want to throw a wrong signal Polly’s way, but if I have to endure this horrific evening, I’m at least eating what I want.
“So, you said your Snapchat username is Pollyanna?” Dane asks with his thumbs poised overtop of his phone.
Nina busies herself eating a salad and Polly nods enthusiastically while chewing on a coconut shrimp.
“Okay, I found you.” Dane clicks a few buttons and places his phone down, granting some attention to his lonesome date.
“Do you have Snapchat?” Polly directs the question to me again and not for the first time I’m wondering why I’m even here.
“I don’t have much time, what with my five-year-old daughter.”
Did Dane tell her about Lily or not?
She leans back for a second and I get my answer. Dane told her nothing about Lily. If I’m lucky she’s one of those women who doesn’t want to deal with the drama of a baby daddy.
“Oh, you’re a weekend dad?” she asks, picking up her fork.
Sweet, for once the kid thing worked the way I wanted it to.
“No, I’m a full-time dad.”
My gaze catches Dane’s across the table and a sly smile crosses his lips, knowing why I just let the single dad tidbit out of the bag.
At our single dads’ meetings, it’s a consensus never to tell a woman until you’re serious. A single dad gets one of two reactions to the news. There’s the gushing and asking for pictures because they think we’re looking for a mother for our child. Or there’s the reaction like Polly’s. She doesn’t really know what to do, how to react. I’ve thrown her off kilter, which means she’s not ready for a kid.
“Can I see a picture?” She leans closer and it feels like a knife jabbing my stomach. I thought for sure I pegged her right.