“Shut up.”
“It’s called a Freudian slip.”
“You’re so frustrating.”
“You, too. I had to jerk off for fifteen minutes this morning just to get rid of the hard-on you left me with.”
I hear her giggle.
“Will you, by any chance, be in Jersey for a concert in a few days?”
“Stalker.”
“Does that mean yes?”
“Yes, Lucas. It means yes.”
“Good. Your boy toy needs to see you.”
“Maybe.”
“Make it happen. Love you, baby. Talk to you soon.”
I hang up so she doesn’t have to feel bad for not returning the sentiment.
I talk to both the kids on my way to Jersey, and Ava’s meeting me for dinner before she heads to the concert. And get this, Ava said, “Will you come, too, Daddy?”
Could life possibly get any better?
TWENTY-THREE
DATE
“What do you mean, you’re coming to the show?”
“My daughter asked me to come to the show with her. What should I have said?”
“Lucas, how about no?”
“Now that would disappoint my girl … and you.”
“How would it disappoint me?”
“We’ve never been to a concert together. A first.”
“We’ve never been to the moon either, Lucas, but I’m not disappointed. Please don’t do this.”
“Okay, I’ll just call Ava and tell her something came up.”
“She’ll be disappointed.”
“And I just fell even more in love with you.”
“Lucas …”
“I mean, what a bitch.” He laughs. “How dare you not want to disappoint my kid?”
“You’re not playing fair, Lucas.”