“You and I will go car shopping. I’m sure we can find you a nice car that is a few years old that will be a million times better than this.”
I started the car and pulled out of my parking spot. “Car shopping sounds like a horrible way to spend one’s day.”
Mave laughed. “Maybe there will be a cute car salesman there for me.” She winked. “Silver Lining.”
I did appreciate Mave being so nice, but I knew my mom would help me. Maybe not give me a car, but I knew she would do anything to make things easier for me. After all, she had been letting me live with her through med school. If she hadn’t offered me that, I would more than likely be living out of a cardboard box while I tried to become a doctor. “Only you would think car shopping would be a good place to meet a cute guy.”
“Not all of us can hope to get knocked up at a party by a cute stranger.”
I looked over at her and glared. “I never said he was cute.”
Mave scoffed. “Please, girl. You’re a cute little thing. A little brash and straight forward at times, but I like to think that’s part of your charm.”
“I think that was a compliment though, it sorta wasn’t.”
Mave laughed. “It was. Trust me. Now, tell me about this guy.”
I pulled onto the main highway and set my cruise. “I don’t know much about him, Mave. It truly was meant to be a one and done thing.”
“How about a one and for the rest of your life thing?” she giggled.
“That is more accurate.”
“How about his name? You surely have to know that.”
“His name is Jay Perez. He works on the pit crew for a race car or something like that.”
“Oh,” Mave squealed. “A hot mechanic.”
“I don’t know why you keep saying he’s hot.”
“‘Cause he is. Tell me I’m wrong.”
I glanced over at her then focused back on the road. “I really don’t think you need to have any alcohol. You seem feisty enough without it.”
“I knew it,” she whispered. “Jay Perez is totally hot.”
So what if he was. That didn’t mean anything when it came down to it.
All I needed from him was to be a good father to my baby and hopefully not be a huge douchebag to me when he got the test results back.
Jay Perez maybe the hottest guy I had ever seen, but at the end of the day, that didn’t matter.
I wanted a daddy for my baby, not a jet-setting playboy.
The jury was still out if that was going to go in my favor or not.
*
Chapter Three
Jay
“Dude, where the hell were you today?”
I looked up from the TV. “Uh, I had some things to do. I let Roc know.”
Remy plopped down on the couch next to me and grabbed the remote. Frankie walked into the kitchen with Brooks trailing behind her. “Could have used you at the test track today.” Brooks sat at the kitchen island and whirled his chair around to look at the TV. “Though I’m sure watching Dr. Phil was way more important.”
Remy chuckled, pointed the remote at the TV, and started flipping channels. “How in the hell do you watch this trash?”
I hadn’t really been watching it. My thoughts had been on what the test results were going to be when I got them back in twenty-four to seventy-two hours. Delaney had said I would know in a day or two, but the chick at the private clinic had said that sometimes it takes a bit longer than that. “It’s what was on.”
“What do you jerks want for dinner?” Frankie called.
“Food,” Remy and Brooks said in unison.
I wasn’t hungry at all.
“That’s real helpful,” she mumbled.
“You find out if you’re going to be a daddy or not?” Remy asked.
“Won’t know for a couple of days.” Of course, Frankie had opened her mouth and told everyone about Delaney coming to see me at the party last night.
“You figure out who this chick is yet?” Frankie called.
“No.” I had sat here for the past four hours trying to recall any memory of her, but I didn’t have one. Last night was the first time I had ever laid my eyes on her, according to my memory.
Frankie tsked. “I knew your hound dog days would catch up with you eventually. Though I didn’t really see the whole baby thing.”
“I just figured he would get an itchy dick or something.” Remy roared with laughter.
Brooks cringed. “Gross, dude.”
“I thought the same thing,” Frankie muttered.
Have an itchy dick for the rest of my life or a kid? I wasn’t sure which one was more life-changing. “Think we could stop talking about my dick?”
Remy sobered. “But seriously, man. What are you going to do if the test comes back saying the baby is yours?”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “Then I guess I’ll be a dad.” Not like I knew how to do that, but I figured I would be better than the asshole who tried to be mine. Hell, I didn’t even have a memory of the guy.
“Am I the only one who’s laughing on the inside a little bit?” Frankie walked over to Brooks and put an arm across his shoulders.
‘“Babe, I hate to break it to you, but you’re not laughing on the inside,” he chuckled.
“You’re right,” she agreed. “I’m really enjoying Jay’s misery right now.”
“You’re all assholes,” I muttered. I swung up out of the recliner and flipped them all off. “This could have happened to any of you guys.”
“Uh, no it couldn’t have,” Frankie laughed. “Before Brooks, I hadn’t been with a guy for a year.”
“Dang, babe. Dry spell,” Brooks chuckled.
She slugged him on the shoulder. “It’s called being selective.”
“Right,” Remy drawled.
“You’re one to talk,” Frankie snapped. “I believe before Harlyn, you were riding the dry spell wagon, too.”
“You know who was the same as Jay?” Remy asked. He pointed his finger at Brooks. “Your man right there, Frank.”
She clenched her teeth and growled. “You’re a dick.”
Brooks wrapped his arms around Frankie’s waist and pulled her close. “Down, girl,” he whispered. He whispered more in her ear, but I couldn’t make out what it was.
“I don’t know how he does it, but he completely tamed the untamable Frankie. She went from chucking wrenches at people’s heads to just a few words from Brooks and she’s as cool as a cucumber.” Remy shook his head. “If only Brooks would have come along sooner, she wouldn't have pissed off most of the instructors in school.”
“I thought we were talking about Jay knocking up a chick?” Frankie called. “No need to bring me into this.”
“Very true, very true,” Remy agreed. “Did you at least get the chick’s name?”
“Delaney,” I replied.
“Fancy,” Remy touted.
“Dude, your chick’s name is Harlyn. That’s like a southern princess or something,” Frankie scoffed.