When Annabelle betrayed me last year, I gave up on the idea of having a family. After her, I pushed the idea of having children to the back of my mind. But now I have another chance. I can’t be with this Phoebe woman, obviously. That would be crazy. We don’t even know each other. But I want to be involved in my kid’s life. No, Iwillbe involved in my kid’s life. Should I call a lawyer?
“Shit, man.” Eric comes and sits next to me on the couch, the stack of papers in one hand and a glass of amber liquid in the other. “You have a kid.”
I chuckle and take a long drink from my bottle. Whiskey, my usual drink. No more tequila for me. That shit is bad news. “Yeah. I got that.”
“How much did you read?” he asks.
“I only got as far asknocked up by Santa. After that, I stopped reading and messaged you.”
“Listen to this,” he says.
Eric reads the letter, starting withTo Whom it May Concern,and not stopping until he gets to the part where it reads“His name is Lincoln and I’d love for him to get the chance to know you.”
“Wait, stop. What?” I rub my eyes, like that will help me hear better. “What’s Lincoln?”
“Dude, were you even listening?”
Truthfully, I’m having a hard time concentrating. Maybe it’s time to slow down on the drinks. I thought I’d fully recovered from last night before I started drinking again, but now I’m not so sure. “I think I missed a part in the middle.”
“Lincoln is the baby. She’s saying you have a son.”
“A son? I have a son?”
He waves the letter at me. “According to this letter, you do.”
“Lincoln,” I whisper. “I like that name.”
“Here,” he says, passing me something. “This fell out of the stack of papers.”
A picture of a newborn baby in a hospital bassinet stares at me from my hands and my heart stops.
“He’s cute,” Eric says. “You know, as far as babies go.”
I laugh thickly, an unfamiliar stinging in my eyes. “They look a little odd when they’re this small, don’t they?”
“So, when are you going to see her again?” Eric asks, putting the papers on the coffee table.
“I don’t know. I have a lot on my mind right now.”
Eric barks a laugh. “I think this might have to take priority.”
I nod and take another deep drink, the bottle feeling oddly light. “Did I tell you what my mom said?” So much has happened since last night when Eric sent me home soaked in tequila that I can’t remember what he already knows. “About wanting me to get married, so Fade Toys appears more respectable?”
He takes the bottle from me and refills his drink. Ahh, that must be why it felt so much lighter. Either that or I’m drinking more than I thought.
“You mentioned she was conspiring with Annabelle to get you married. Is that why? She’s ashamed of the Fade sex toy empire?” He laughs. “I don’t know why she would be. Most of the women I’ve been with have had your toys in their nightstands. You make a quality product.”
I shake my head. Eric is exactly the kind of guy my mom accused me of being. I bet he’s already banged his way through the entire population of women between the ages of twenty and fifty in Westborough, or at least close to it. “She’d be happier if we had your family’s shoe empire, I’m sure. I don’t think the other rich ladies have as much of an issue with someone who makes sneakers as they do with someone who makes dildos and butt plugs.”
“Which is hilarious, considering they all act like they have something up their asses.” He chuckles. “You think they’d be happy to have the hook-up to replace the uncomfortable sticks with well-made, high-quality butt plugs.”
I shake my head, my brain sloshing with the movement. “Jesus, man.”
“What? You know I’m right.” He chuckles. “Those women are so uptight they ought to run to buy your toys instead of turning their noses up at them. I bet they’d be a lot happier if they had more orgasms.”
The bottle is back in my hand, and I take another big drink. “Wanting me to get married isn’t even the worst part,” I say, yet another slug of the warming liquid finding its way into my mouth. “My mother said Annabelle wanted to get me pregnant…” I shake my head again, ignoring the sloshing. “No, that’s not right. They’d discussed having me get Annabelle pregnant after the sex tape fiasco, but ultimately decided against it. I could have been stuck with her for my whole life. If that story is even true. I still don’t think Annabelle would ruin her career to trap me.”
“What the fuck?” Eric says. “They did what? Shit, man. Your mother is way too involved in the details of your life.”
