“Bobby’s lunch yesterday. It’s what sent me running to the bathroom.”
“Wanker. I’ll have the most plain, boring dinner ready for you tonight. And Reagan?”
She’s already walking out of my office. She turns to face me. For the first time since she walked into my office today, she looks calm.
“Thank you for agreeing to dinner.”
Reagan nods and walks out the door, leaving me with my raging thoughts. If I have any hope of salvaging this, I need to get my shit together. And fast.
“You knocked her up?You’re so fucked.” Leave it to my brother to not make me feel better.
“Thanks for the encouragement.” I smack Kai on the head, sipping on my scotch. I had to get out of the office, so I cancelled the rest of my day and met him at the bar. Not the first place a responsible adult should be in the middle of the day, but fuck it.
“What are you going to do?” Kai’s brown eyes match my own. His are wide with amusement, while I’m sure mine are filled with terror.
“I mean, what can I do? I have to step up, right?”
“Or you could be a deadbeat. Just because she’s knocked up doesn’t mean you can’t just throw money at her and be done.”
My jaw drops. “Have you always been this much of a dick?”
Kai shrugs. “If a woman I slept with told me she was pregnant, I’d run the other direction. I’d be the worst dad in the world.”
“Thank fuck you haven’t knocked anyone up then.” I shake my head, swallowing back the rest of my drink.
“It’s not like we had the best role models growing up. We don’t know shit about how to be a parent.” Kai nods to the bartender, ordering another round.
“Not for me. If I show up to dinner drunk, that’ll be the end of it for me.”
“So you’re going to be a dad then?”
“I’m going to be a dad.” I swill the words around, tasting how they sound. It’s foreign coming off my lips.I’m going to be a dad. No one in their right mind would give me a baby. I don’t know the first thing about having a kid.
“At least we know your kid will be cute.”
“Glad you have your priorities in line.”
Growing up, I protected Kai from most of the shit that went down. He had an easy life. Not having to carry the burden of two deadweight parents. Even now, things are easy for him. His carefree attitude makes me want to dick punch him at times, but he’s still my little brother. And I’d go to bat for him any day of the week.
“What?” He gives me an innocent look. “We have good genes. Your kid is going to be cute. I’m sure this girl is a looker.”
“Reagan.”
“So she has a name.” Kai gives me a sly smile.
“Yes. And you better learn it. And some manners, otherwise you’ll never meet her.”
“Afraid she’ll take one look at me and want to go for the better-looking brother?”
I stand, grabbing my wallet and dropping a few dollars on the bar. “Well, as much fun as this is, I need to go have a conversation with Reagan.”
I ruffle his hair as I start to walk away, but his voice stops me. “Leo.”
This time, when I look at him, he has a serious look on his face. “Whatever happens, I know this kid will be lucky to have you as a dad.”
“And what makes you say that?”
“Because I had you.”
