“Love you more than all the stars in the sky, Daddy.”
“Love you more than monkeys love bananas,” I said, which I knew would earn me a fit of giggles.
Jeanne came back on the phone, and she was laughing now too. “You’re a good dad, Charlie Huxley.”
“Thank you. And thanks for having her. If you need anything, just give me a call.”
“Hey, there is something I wanted to run by you.”
“Sure. What is it?”
I heard Tim say something in the background, and she told him to stay out of it, but they were both laughing. “I think you know my hairdresser, Julia Warren?”
I groaned, knowing where this was going. “I know Julia. Our town is the size of a postage stamp. She’s been living here for a while now.”
“Just hear me out. She thinks you’re ... What did I tell you she said, Tim?”
Tim grabbed the phone from his wife as I was making my way inside my house. “Hey, Charlie.”
“Why do I feel like I’m going to regret this call?”
“I don’t know?” He chuckled. “But I believe Julia called you a ‘hot daddy.’”
“Give me that phone!” Jeanne shouted, and soon she was talking to me again. “She thinks you’re good looking.”
“Thanks. Good to know.” I cleared my throat, because I didn’t like being set up. That type of thing came with different expectations. “Listen, Jeanne, it’s nice of you to think of me. But I’m not looking to get into anything serious.”
“Neither is she. It’s dinner and drinks. We were thinking we could double-date. You and Julia and me and Tim. That’ll make it more casual. Just four friends out having a good time.”
I roughed a hand through my hair. “It’s tough to get a babysitter, so how about we play it by ear.”
“I’m sure Abigail Howard would happily babysit if it meant you could go out and have some fun,” she said, as if she had it all figured out. Abigail was my neighbor, and she adored Harper, and she was always offering to babysit for me.
Tim shouted into the phone that he had nothing to do with this.
I groaned. “I’ll think about it.”
“We could just do dinner and a beer at the Moose Brew. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. When was the last time you had some fun?”
“You don’t need to worry about me. I’m doing just fine.” I chuckled.
I usually grabbed a drink with my friend Myles at the Moose Brew once or twice a month, and I played poker every couple of weeks with Benji and a few other guys.
“Fine. Do it for me. I want to get out. Tim and I haven’t gone to the Moose Brew in a while, and I can’t get him to go anywhere, but if we were going with you and Julia, he’d be much easier to convince.” I heard Tim teasing her in the background that she was being a little dramatic. “You can just go as friends and see if there are any sparks. No pressure at all. How does next weekend sound?”
“Fine,” I grumped, not happy that she was forcing my hand. I’d run into Julia several times, and she always came on real strong. I just didn’t feel an attraction there, so I made it a point to avoid her whenever I saw her out. And now I’d be trapped at a table with her. “I’ll meet for dinner and a drink, but I like to be home to put Harps to bed.”
“You do remember those crazy nights we used to have in high school, right?” Jeanne said. “You’re still young, and according to Julia, you’re still hot.”
“Good night, Jeanne,” I said, and I held the phone away from my ear when her loud laughter boomed through the phone. “Call me if Harper gets homesick.”
“Thanks, Charlie. I’ll text you the details this week. Julia is going to be thrilled. We didn’t think you’d agree to go.”
“I feel like you kind of forced me into this, if I’m being honest.”
More laughter.
We said our goodbyes, and I fixed myself some dinner.
