A second of awkward silence passes before I say, “I’ll see you Monday.”
He nods and turns, and I close the door. With a deep breath, I go back to the kitchen, doing my best to play it cool despite the very unexpected turn things took.
“I have the best idea.”
Talia’s bursting with excitement when she walks into my office Monday morning, carrying a tray with two hot drinks from a local coffee shop.
“Let’s hear it.”
She takes one of the cups from the tray and passes it to me. “Hot chocolate with one shot of espresso and extra whipped cream.”
“You’re a goddess, thank you so much.”
“So, how was your Thanksgiving?”
The guilt hits hard this morning. Talia has become a good friend. We spend a lot of time together when we’re on the road with the team. She’d die if she knew her dad is also ... my daddy.
I don’t call him daddy, but when he occasionally calls himself that in bed, I combust. There’s no way I can ever go back to sex with men my age who don’t spank me and order me to do every filthy thing they want.
“It was great,” I say brightly. “We ate all the food and had all the fun. How was yours?”
She sits down in the blue velvet chair in front of my desk. “Also great. It was the most time I’ve spent with Audra in a long time. I hoarded all my dad’s leftover stuffing, and I won 3–0 in Scrabble.”
“The Pilgrims would be proud.”
“Okay, I only have like five minutes, so here goes: my dad spent the night with someone on Thanksgiving.”
I practically choke on my hot chocolate, sputtering and coughing. Talia gives me a concerned look and I wave a hand dismissively.
“Sorry. I swallowed it wrong.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Audra said he snuck back into the house around eight forty-five Friday morning, wearing the same clothes he left the house in Thursday night. And, like, good for him, even though I can’t even think about my dad that way, but also I don’t trust his taste in women.”
“Hm.” I lower my brows, pretending to ponder it.
“He means well, but he gets roped in by the absolute worst women. Angie would have been cast as a Real Housewife of Cleveland. Total narcissist.”
This might be funny later, when I’m telling Blair about it, but right now, it’s about the most awkward conversation I’ve ever had.
“Maybe he learned his lesson and is seeing someone better.”
“No. If it was someone better, he would introduce her to his kids. This woman is using sex to manipulate him.”
What the ...?
“That’s a bit of a leap, don’t you think?”
“That part doesn’t matter. I want to set him up on a date. I shop at a boutique downtown sometimes, and it’s owned by this super sweet woman, Victoria. She’s forty-two, divorced, and has a seventeen-year-old daughter. Perfect for him, right?”
No. Absolutely the fuck not. “I don’t know. Maybe? It’s up to him who he wants to date, isn’t it?”
“Technically, yes. But I’m going to nudge things along with a dinner party. I want you to come, too. Friday night, since we’re off. Our place. You can help me ease them together.”
“Ease them together.” I pinch my brows together, screaming inside.
