As happy as I am watching my son play, I know without a doubt I’ll be playing over what will happen tomorrow for the rest of the day.
“Is everything okay?” Eric asks as he grabs a bottle of tequila from the shelf behind me.
“Yeah, just a lot on my mind.” I’m pouring a beer for the customer in front of me. It’s early, and we haven’t gotten busy yet. Families are grabbing dinner before they head home for the night.
“Anything I can help with?”
“Not really.”
Eric doesn’t know that I haven’t talked to Isaac yet. Anytime he’s brought up the subject, I’ve steered it in another direction. I should tell him, I know that. But I’m worried it will cause some grief between us. Right now, that’s not something I’m willing to risk.
“Okay, well let me know if you change your mind.” He gives me that grin that makes all my defenses crumble. “I’m pretty good at listening.”
He’s not wrong. Anytime I’ve needed to vent about work, or the kids fighting, he’s been right there, lending me an ear. I hope I’ve been able to do the same when he comes to me. It’s usually about his brother. It’s not like I can offer a lot of advice since I’m usually in the same boat with my kids.
“I will.” Let’s be honest, I’ll end up talking to him about it before the end of the night. He really is the one person I want to turn to. Lisa will listen, but she doesn’t really get it. There’s always Carlos, but he was the one added in. Actually, I may talk to him. He will know how to handle this. What I should say, and all that jazz. It’ll be nice to have an outside perspective.
The rest of the afternoon goes by quickly. We’ve had a steady stream of customers, but nothing too outlandish. I know that will change as the sun goes down and people are ready to decompress.
My eyes search the bar for Carlos, I know it’s almost time for him to get off work. They have little league football tonight. So, Eric was right. They do make family a priority. I saw Angie’s name on the board, so I assume she’s coming in to cover him for a couple of hours.
Finally, I see him heading down the hall to the office. Now’s my chance. If I don’t go now, I won’t be able to get his insight before my talk with Isaac. I get Lisa’s attention. “I’m going to take my break. You good?”
“Yep. Go get some downtime before the rush starts.” She shifts until she’s in the middle of our sections. Normally she handles the drinks that come from those ordering food, but she’s always good to fill in for me when needed.
I make my way around the bar and head down the hallway. The door is ajar, but I still knock so I know I’m not intruding on a conversation. I’ve heard the stories of folks just walking in, only to find some of my coworkers making out. That’s not something I want to see.
“Come in,” Carlos calls. From the sound of his voice, he’s at the computer.
I push the door open and step inside. I don’t close the door all the way because I don’t think it will take long. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
“What did Eric do?” He’s already shaking his head, wondering if he’s going to lose an employee.
“Nothing. Eric and I are good.” Pulling out the chair in front of the desk, I take a seat. “I was actually looking for advice.”
“I’m not good at dating advice.” He holds his hands up.
“No, it’s not that.” I laugh and push aside his concern. “How did you handle things when you met Caroline’s son? More specifically, was there anything you or she did to prepare him to meet you?”
“I take it you haven’t told your kids yet.”
“Nope. Well, my daughter guessed I was seeing someone. But I haven’t told my son. We did run into them at the fair last weekend when they were with their dad, but he hasn’t mentioned anything about it.”
He leans back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest. “Your kids are older, right?”
“Yeah, fourteen and almost sixteen.”
“This may not help then.” He takes a few moments to choose his words. “I’m not sure what conversations Caroline had with David before he met me. But when we did meet, it was at my mom’s house. My sisters are about the same age as your kids, and provided a buffer if we needed it.”
“How did that go?”
“Surprisingly well. My sisters adored him and he loved them. He even opened up to me while I was losing to him at horseshoes.”
“So, I should orchestrate a playdate?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugs his shoulders and leans forward. “Your kids are older than David. But I think them meeting on level ground is probably a good idea. Invite Eric to a game, or something like that.”
“Wait, is your ex-husband a total asshole?”
