Page 11 of A Hot Sauce Halloween

“Real good,”he repeats.

“So, let me get this straight. You and Monica were in a casual relationship.”

“Relationship is a little strong, but yeah.”

“And when Monica wanted to take the next step, you made the mutual decision to amicably part ways because your current life goals became incompatible with hers?”

He cringes. “Not exactly.”

I raise a brow. “What’d you do?”

“I might have… impliedthat I wanted to get married.”

I sigh. “Tommy...”

“And that I’d be open to having a kid with her.”

“Why?”

He deflates. “Because it was real good,man.”

I turn to the bar. “Well, you’re right, you screwed up.”

“She won’t even look at me now,” he says. “Keeps bringing guys around to the bar to show off just to spite me.”

“And you’re... surprised?” I ask. “If a woman wants to have a baby, she’s going to have a baby with or without you. Case and point: Anna. She didn’t want to wait around for some guy to get his shit together either. Clock’s a-ticking.”

“Exactly. Mine’s a-ticking,” he says, teetering on the edge of panic. “It’s been ages since we split up but ever since Evey told me she was pregnant again, I got an itch, man. I caught the baby fever. I didn’t even know guys could get that.”

I look at him. “You want to have a baby?”

“Yes.”

“You?”

“With every fiber of my being.I see what Vin has. I see what you have.” He taps his chest. “I want that.”

I laugh. “Okay. Have you tried talking to Monica about this?” I ask.

“She won’t see me. Or return my calls.”

“Well, then, she’s obviously made her decision.”

“Ugh… don’t say that.” He sighs. “Say anything but that.”

I shrug. “I don’t know what you expect me to say, Tommy.”

“Well, what would you do?” he asks. “Say it was Anna.”

I think for a moment. “In this hypothetical situation… I guess I’d do something to get her attention.”

He leans in. “How?”

“I don’t know.” I hesitate. “After we found out I was Charlotte’s father, I tracked down Anna’s address and went to her house to talk to her.”

“You did?”

I nod. “Yeah.”

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